《Genius Aberrant: Prodigious Miss Overturning The World With Her Aberration》 -2 Cultivation Glossary Cultivation levels(Low-High): Qi Gathering (1-9) Martial Practitioner Martial Spirit Martial Master Martial Grandmaster Martial Expert Martial Lord Martial Overlord Martial King Martial Emperor Martial Honor Martial Venerate Martial Sovereign (Exceptional state Refined State Metamorphosis State Semi-complete State Complete State) Martial God Each level has three separate stages: Low Stage Mid Stage High Stage Profession Ranks(Low-High): Beginner Intermediate Advanced Master Grandmaster Expert Profound Divine Alchemist - creates pills with miraculous effects using herbs and cores Armament master - creates weapons and armor using metals and cores Beast Tamer - tames beasts so that cultivators can form a contract Spirit Beast Ranks(Low-High): Beginner Intermediate Advanced Saint Celestial Mythical Godly Each rank has has three separate stages: Low Mid High Cultivation comparison: Low stage beginner=Qi Gathering Mid stage beginner=Martial Practitioner High stage beginner=Martial Spirit Low stage intermediate=Martial Master Mid stage intermediate=Martial Grandmaster High stage intermediate=Martial Expert Low stage advanced=Martial Lord Mid stage advanced=Martial Overlord High stage advanced=Martial King Low stage saint=Martial Emperor Mid stage saint=Martial Honor High stage saint=Martial Venerate Low stage celestial=Martial Exceptional State Mid stage celestial=Martial Refined State High stage celestial=Martial Metamorphosis State Low stage mythical=Martial Semi-Complete State Mid stage mythical=Low stage Martial Complete State High stage mythical=High stage Martial Complete State Godly=Martial God Godly ranked beasts'' existence are pretty much unknown to the majority. -1 Credits List & Update Announcement: Spoiler Alert Kinda As I said in Chapter 1, this novel was inspired by other novels written by brilliant writers so I wanted to list those novels here and the inspiration they gave me! I totally recommend you to read these novels and if you''ve read any of these already we can fangirl/fanboy about it. ''Ghost King''s Princess: The Birth of A New Goddess'' I love this novel and this had inspired me for Light Phantom Sect and Xia Fei Yan''s background being General''s Manor. ''Insanely Pampered Wife: Divine Doctor Fifth Young Miss'' The male lead is so cool and Heaven-defying artifact is my adaptation to the pagoda/space from this. ''Ghost Emperor''s Wild Wife: Dandy Eldest Miss'' The protagonist is just so cool with her way of doing things. ''Genius Doctor: Black Belly Miss'' The author of this is a GENIUS, the story is so well structured and the schemes and plots are mind-blowing, this inspired Wan Shou Mountain. ''Evil Emperor''s Wild Wife'' This novel is great, it inspired the first antagonist, Xia Wen Ya. ''Battle Through The Heavens'' This inspired Zi Hua''s master and the Yan in Xia Fei Yan. ''Phoenix against the world'' This inspired the spirit beasts and the main character is just so arrogantly cool. ''Stunning Edge'' VIOLET EYES! The holy prince is so cool! I tried not to put too many spoilers. (Sorry for my lack of vocabulary and repeated usage of ''cool'', this is what happens when I start fangirling) Sorry, there wasn''t a chapter today. Thank you for the support, heart, HaruharuMiyu, doaistdragons and MaroLei and all those who have voted! I''ve decided that I will start updating once every 2/3 days. Thank you for reading this novel! 1 Stupid Mistakes Can Cost A Lo Laughter and conversations filled the entire campus but it was all evidently revolving around a devastatingly beautiful maiden with raven black hair and unique amethyst eyes that brimmed with wisdom and composure. The prodigy of the sociology & psychology and medical department, an ethereal maiden in possession of violet eyes that seemed to see through your very soul. Not only is she beautiful and smart but kind and approachable too, winning the admiration and hearts of the genius youths from across the campus. Her knowledge rivaling the world-renowned professor, however beneath that identity lies a top-class secret agent & part-time golden medallion assassin & the one and only Godly Doctor. Not under any organisation or government, she leads two contrasting lives. ..... Under the cover of the night a black shadow leaped across the roofs, it was none other than Tian Zi Hua or known as Blind Butterfly in Underground society due to the fact that she always always wear a ribbon around her eyes. Sometimes having unique features can be a blessing and a curse, having to cover her eyes as to hide her identity, luckily Zi Hua uses a special fabric that allows her to see through but blocks others'' sight from her eyes. Zi Hua swiftly jumped from one roof to another undetected, having just finished a mission to assassinate a drug dealer she did not feel the faintest fatigue from knocking out all the body guards before she had finally finished her mission. Just as she leaped off a building leisurely in a practiced manner into an alley way so she could get changed, Zi Hua failed to notice the banana peel on the floor where she landed, as an assassin being observant is already ingrained into her bones but who knew she would commit such a stupid mistake, a mistake that would cost her a lot but bring something better in return... Caught unaware combined with the force from jumping down a roof, Zi Hua didn''t have the chance to alleviate the force and slipped on the banana peel. Sliding across the alley way until reaching a sewage pipe. BANG! Oof! Author''s thoughts: Sorry, I had to write it here because webnovel won''t allow more than 500 characters and due to the chatter box that I am it wasn''t enough for me. Lol. Hello, thank you for reading this novel. I am an amateur author but I will try my best. This novel consists of me combining my own ideas with many of the novels I have read, so you may see some similarities but most of the novel especially as it progresses will become more unique and original. For the ideas from other novels I do not claim any credit from those authors and I don''t mean to offend those respectable authors as I am a huge fan of their work. I am open for criticism and will try to respond to readers. This chapter is a bit short since it''s a intro but the rest of the chapters will be longer though not too long that it''ll bore you(500-1500 words). Notice: The first 10 chapters may be quite boring and there won''t be much going on. 2 Master ''Am I dead?'' Zi Hua couldn''t feel a thing or see a thing, right now she is truly blind. She felt nothing, saw nothing, only pitch blackness surrounded her. Just as Zi Hua gained back her consciousness and cleared her mind a sharp yet comforting voice of a female appeared. With a flash of bright light a figure of a woman who had the appearance of a woman in her late twenties appeared and dissipated the pitch darkness. The woman''s eyes were sharp and imposing, but her emerald orbs brought a soothing feeling to Zi Hua. "Are you an angel?" "Hehe, this is the first time being called an angel, I''ve been called a devil, demon and monster but this is the first time to be called an angel,sorry for getting your hopes up" the woman chuckled, she was far from being called an angel especially now that her mind has been cleared up from soft-heartedness. "Then who are you, aren''t I dead" Just thinking about how she died frustrates her, the blind butterfly who carries out missions flawlessly died because she slipped on a banana peel, she''ll become an utter joke. She still wanted to experience life for a little longer, Zi Hua thought that she would perish during a mission or in a more... acceptable way. "I am the one who brought you here little girl, would you like to have a second life?" "Yeah but you''re joking right" Narrowing her eyes, she stared at the woman suspiciously. "Of course not, it''s been so long since I died and the Heaven-defying artifact have finally chosen a new owner" A rush of confusion hit her, what was the woman talking about, no matter how intelligent Zi Hua was she couldn''t seem to wrap her head around it. "What are you talking about?" Zi Hua was getting more and more curious on what the woman was talking about, since she''s already dead, she''s got nothing to loose really. Might as well give what she''s saying a shot. "No need to be impatient, you''ll understand everything soon, once I finish refining and merging your new body" A gentle smile bloomed on her face, seeing the little girl being so confused made her seem rather cute. "The Heaven-defying artifact is the master piece created at the beginning of time using the most supreme materials, it possesses countless treasures and even more now after the accumulation from me and the previous masters. However, only certain souls, such as you and me, can possess it" "This artifact will search for a new fated one throughout the dimensions after the previous master dies, it is also the reason why my soul is still here despite it being attacked and injured severely. Unfortunately, it is unable to restore my soul completely due to the severity of my injuries, so I waited until the next fated one arrives, will you continue my legacy and ascend to godhood?" Albeit slightly confused, Zi Hua managed to understand most of this. "You and the Heaven-defying artifact is giving me another life, this is the least I can do" She, Zi Hua, will never take kindness for granted and knew how to reciprocate . "If you are willing to accept this one, please accept this disciples bow" "Good! The Heaven-defying artifact have not chosen wrongly, not only are you a once in a billion-year talent, you possess a great character, it''s this master''s honor to accept such a filial disciple who knows to repay others" "Disciple greets master" From what she had heard from her new master she could see that she was taken into a world of wuxia. "Pity though, this incompetent master of yours does not have much time left, after so long without a shell my soul cannot last much longer" Sighed the woman, she had just acquired such great disciple but was unable to watch her grow. "I shall impart my inheritance and soul to you, when you merge your new body they will also merge together, you will feel bone shattering pain, do not reject it." Although they had barely just known each other the two have formed a unbreakable bond, since she could not stay then she will use the last remaining bit of her soul and everything she has to support her newfound disciple. "Disciple thanks master" Zi Hua truly liked the woman, although they hadn''t spoke much, she was able to infer that if they had more time the two of them would create great memories. "No need for thanks between us, master does not have much time left, master will always be with you, you will possess the remanents of my soul so I will always be with you" "But remember this, in this world the strong prevails and the weak is oppressed, do not be eager to show off to the world '' an innocent possessing the jade will become a criminal''. Never reveal the Heaven-defying artifacts existence to anyone, unless you have complete trust in them. Never show compassion to your enemies ''being kind to your enemies is showing cruelty to oneself''. Never provoke others needlessly but neither be afraid of others. Remember master''s teachings well, farewell dear disciple" "Disciple will definitely, keep master''s teaching close to ones heart and remember" Tears were threatening to fall. "Good, a disciple like you is my pride and joy" As soon as she said that her figure soon faded and dissipated into nothingness. Instinctively, Zi Hua tried to reach out to grab the disappearing figure. 3 Second Life, A New Beginning Rabbit year, 5th month At the foot of Wan Shou Mountain lay a disheveled young girl of 7/8 years old covered in dried grime and dirt. Zi Hua''s soul cringed in agony from the merging process, but not once did she cry in pain. As dawn arrived, the young girl''s eyes fluttered open, the once dull grey eyes were now replaced by alluring amethyst irises filled with wisdom and composure. "Those vicious b*stards deserve a fate worse than death!" After receiving the remanents of her master''s soul, Zi Hua received some of her master''s memories that was embedded into her master''s soul for various reasons such as that they were something that her master valued or something her master hated as well as her master''s knowledge along with the body''s memories. "Don''t worry master, I will avenge you, but first..." "I will avenge those malicious people for making the original body''s owner suffer" Her master used this body as a base vessel so that she could merge into this world, although the original owner didn''t help on purpose but Zi Hua is still indebted to her. With the body as a base, her master merged her original body and soul along with Zi Hua''s and her own. From the knowledge she got from her master, there are four continents in this world from weakest to strongest is: Starlight Continent, Moonlight Continent, Sunlight Continent and the Primordial Lands. The world she is now in is a world of wuxia where the strong eats the weak. Zi Hua is in the body of the General Manor''s fifth young miss, Xia Fei Yan, from Nan Xia Empire, Starlight Continent. In Starlight continent the four major powers are the Four Empires: Bei Dong Empire, Dong Ting Empire, Nan Xia Empire and Xi Qiu Empire. At the center of the Four Empires was Wan Shou Mountain, like it''s name it housed Tens of thousands of spirit beasts, so dangerous that not even the Four Empires dare to venture too far, also where Zi Hua was currently at. People of Starlight Continent think that Martial Lord is the pinnacle of strength, except for a few. ''Master, master'' A child-like voice resounded through Zi Hua''s mind. "Who''s there?" Zi Hua immediately stood up and readied herself against the ''enemies''. ''Master, I''m the artifact spirit of Heaven-defying artifact'' "Oh" Zi Hua knew about it from her master. ''Previous master asked me to guide you around the Heaven-defying artifact'' "How do I get inside?" Zi Hua searched through her mind but no such instructions appeared. ''Just concentrate on entering it'' Although she did not quite understand what it meant, but she still followed according to what it said. The young girl at the foot of Wan Shou Mountain quietly disappeared. 4 Heaven-defying Artifac When Zi Hua opened her eyes, her surroundings were completely different. "Master!" A little dumpling in kunfu clothing jumped into her embrace, catching her by surprise. "I''m Xiao Shen, nice to meet you master" Xiao Shen flashed a brilliant smile that would pluck the heartstrings of even the most stoic people. "Nice to meet you too" Zi Hua''s mood soared when seeing the little one''s adorable and cheerful nature. "This way" Xiao Shen led Zi Hua by the hand like a child wanting to play into the magnificent palace. Zi Hua saw numerous rooms filled with priceless treasures, that from her understanding would be greatly prized by those that practice professions and cultivators. Seeing Zi Hua staring at the rooms curiously, Xiao Chen took the initiative to explain "These stuff were left by previous masters, don''t worry about them finishing because the Heaven-defying artifact is able to duplicate them when they are on the shelves, one day there''ll be a room of stuff that you leave behind. Let''s not dally too long here, after all you''ll have plenty of time in the future, for now let''s go to the pagoda that the previous master left for you" Xiao Shen eagerly led Zi Hua outside the palace into a tranquil courtyard that had a massive pagoda which reached the sky. "Master left things for me?" Zi Hua couldn''t help but feel guilty, her master had given her so much but she haven''t given anything in return, this steeled Zi Hua''s will to exact revenge for her master. "Yup! But master said that you''ll only be able to open the first floor for now, as your cultivation improves more floors will be opened, the floors will unlock automatically due to the soul imprint your master gave you that''ll you''ll need for your inheritance, master instructed me not to tell you until you get stronger" This was quite understandable to Zi Hua, her master had told her before that ''an innocent possessing the jade will become a criminal'', this world abides by the law of the jungle, before she has enough power, possessing those treasures will bring her more harm than good. Xiao Shen''s words motivated Zi Hua to become stronger, in this world power is everything. Zi Hua walked towards the door and gently pushed it, inside seemed no different than a ancient chinese house, except the staircase leading upstairs, though the place was not lavish it gave of a comforting feeling of home. "The previous master said that it''s best for you to cultivate here until you acquire enough strength to fend off any enemies that come your way" Zi Hua nodded obediently, her master had really thought things out thoroughly which made Zi Hua feel slightly tearful, her master was afraid she''d be bullied in this unfamiliar world so she prepared a place for her to live. "The Heaven-defying artifact not only possess many miraculous features the dimension itself constantly produces lots of Qi, even more than in the primordial lands, so much in fact that if you were to plant any ordinary plants in here it''d become a priceless treasure that would help cultivators to improve. Don''t worry though, the abundance of Qi here won''t do any harm, this is also one of the features of the Heaven-defying artifact" Zi Hua listened attentively, what Xiao said only made Zi Hua realize how heaven-defying this artifact is, if exposed to the wrong people it can cause her to be pursued endlessly. Zi Hua decided that if it wasn''t needed she wouldn''t expose anything related to her master or the Heaven-defying artifact. To get revenge it was best to remain low, after so many years her master''s enemies may still remain due to the fact that as people get stronger their live spans extend too, or more specifically from her master''s knowledge their life force increases. "Thank you Xiao Chen" Zi Hua was genuinely grateful towards Xiao Chen, if not for the little bean she wouldn''t know about all this and would be absolutely clueless. "Your welcome, master" Xiao Chen''s mood was sky high, after being alone for so long he had finally gotten a master and the new master is so nice to him. Author''s thoughts: Thank you for reading after the first chapter! You don''t know how precious every single view is to me, it makes me happy that there are readers that are willing to read my work, the first few chapters so far have been rather short because before when I tried writing a novel previously I always wrote too much and before I published it, I was checking over the novel and it even bored me, so I didn''t even publish it. With my current level of experience and skill I don''t have the confidence to write longer chapters that are interesting and not a strain to your eyes. But the future chapters will get slightly longer. 5 Cultivating After wandering around familiarizing herself with the artifact for a bit, Zi Hua returned to the pagoda to wash herself. Overcome by the excitement, Zi Hua forgot the state that she was in, she''s always had a liking to cleanliness though not to the point of a clean-freak. After refreshing herself and changing into a clean set of clothes in the room, Zi Hua picked up some cultivation books from the shelf that her master left behind so she could understand cultivation better since her previous world was modern and there wasn''t anything of the sort like cultivation. Just by merely reading the basics of the books Zi Hua understood it, after just attempting once she could feel Qi, normally a person would take months to feel Qi but Zi Hua had managed to achieve it so effortlessly. If others knew they would be infuriated, comparing oneself to an aberrant can be infuriating. When Zi Hua''s soul merged with the Xia Fei Yan, her talent was transferred into her new body and Xia Fei Yan''s body was just a vessel to allow Zi Hua to exist in this world. The previous sickly Xia Fei Yan could be considered prettier than average but now Zi Hua was a devastating beauty. In addition before the merging process her master had refined the body. Zi Hua isn''t Xia Fei Yan neither is Xia Fei Yan Zi Hua. When Zi Hua felt Qi she did not rush to absorb it, but worked to establish a more solid foundation, no matter how talented one is if they do not have some sort of foundation it will cause problems when they advance in cultivation, the more solid the better. This is why taking long to feel Qi can have some benefits under certain circumstances. Zi Hua''s master specifically wrote that she had to stabilize a foundation and do the same after major break-throughs. Zi Hua spent a week working on her foundation continuously besides stopping to eat the food prepared by Xiao Chen. Despite it being a short week, her foundation became top-notch which will help her in the future and of course the ''food'' Xiao Chen brought wasn''t anything ordinary but extremely valuable herbs cooked into ''food''. Xiao Chen specifically picked things that would aid her in the future and wouldn''t bring harm no matter how much is eaten, in addition herbs inside the Heaven-defying artifact will be many more times ''nutritious'' than ones outside due to the abundance of Qi. After tirelessly consolidating her foundation for a week, Zi Hua finally started cultivating. BOOM! Qi Gathering... Martial Practitioner... Martial spirit... Martial Master... Her cultivation rose at a alarming rate skipping 3/4 levels before it finally stopped at High stage Martial Master and that was only in the duration of about a several days, what would take even the most talented a few years - since as you rise in rank the difficulty multiplies several times - was accomplished by Zi Hua under a month... Her talent is really heaven-defying, perfectly fitting with the Heaven-defying artifact. Instead of carrying on Zi Hua decided to consolidate her newfound powers as per her master''s instructions. Just cultivating will not help but rather real fighting experience, it just so happens that she was in the perfect place, Wan Shou Mountain. Zi Hua exited the pagoda after changing into a plain set of clothes that would be more suitable for moving around in a tightly packed forest. ..... Zi Hua first started at the edges of the forest where there were only beginner ranked spirit beasts, but soon found it too easy and advanced further into the mountain, of course not before collecting the beast cores which were highly valuable for armament masters and alchemists. Though they couldn''t compare to the treasures she has, when she leaves this place she needs money but she didn''t want to bring unnecessary attention to herself by bringing stuff out from the artifact. Normal Martial Masters wouldn''t be able to defeat beginner rank spirit beasts as easily but Zi Hua''s talent allowed her to be stronger than others'' her level and don''t forget what job she had before arriving here. If she didn''t have skills, she wouldn''t have survived for long, she perfected many forms of combat just in case of certain situations. Though with some difficulty, she managed to defeat some spirit beasts of high stage intermediate rank which according to norms only a Martial Expert could defeat it. But in front of this aberrant norms are non-existent. 6 Pagoda Returning back into the Heaven-defying artifact Zi Hua immediately headed towards to the pagoda. Curious of what her master had left her, with each major break-through a floor would be opened. She had just broken through three levels which meant that the next three floors were unlocked, the first floor had given her such a surprise, she was eager to see what there was in the next three floors. Zi Hua rushed into the second floor and pushed the door open, only to see shelves upon shelves of giant eggs in the room. "Xiao Shen" After being called Xiao Shen immediately appeared next to her. As the artifact spirit of the Heaven-defying artifact Xiao Shen could sense everything happening and change locations easily within the artifact, when Zi Hua is cultivating the little dumpling would be playing around or plant herbs or cleaning etc (aka house keeping). "Master!" Xiao Shen immediately rushed into Zi Hua''s embrace. "What are these eggs?" If anyone were to know it would be Xiao Shen, although he looked like a 5 year old and acted quite childish he possessed great knowledge and her master should have given him the knowledge. "These are spirit beast eggs, the ones here are all celestial and above, there are some advanced and saint rank spirit beast eggs in the other rooms" In each floor there were many rooms connected to the initial one that one would enter from the stairs, the stairs to go to the next floor would be in the initial room that Zi Hua entered from. Zi Hua sucked in a cold breath, any single one of these would cause any power to covet after it, her master really didn''t hold back with these gifts. "Only you would be able to hatch these eggs due to the soul imprint from the inheritance, to form a contract with them or not will be your choice, other people can form contracts with them too but you will need to tame them first for others" In this world, beast tamers can tame spirit beast which then allows cultivators to form a contract and fight alongside the spirit beast. If the master dies the spirit beast would too, but nothing would happen to the master if the spirit beast dies. This is why beast tamers are highly sought after. "How do I make them hatch?" This caught the attention of Zi Hua greatly, not because of the power that they could provide but just thinking about little baby spirit beasts following her around all day acting all cute is pulling on her heartstrings. Zi Hua had always had quite a liking or more specifically an adoration and obsession towards them, especially fluffy animals and chibi ones. ''Master you know me so well'' "Just place your hand in them and insert your spiritual power" When a cultivator absorbs Qi it becomes spiritual power which they can use to fight. "But with your current level, it will drain out a lot of energy" Thinking it through, Zi Hua suppressed herself and went to the next level, restraining herself with all her power to not rush to hatch the eggs and meet the cute little spirit beasts as well as promising herself that she couldn''t hatch any eggs until she became a divine rank beast tamer as to motivate herself. "Thanks, lets go to the next floor first" They headed up the stairs and Zi Hua pushed the door open again. But as soon as she opened the door information flushed into her mind. "Teleportation?" When she opened the door information about teleportation caused her a painful headache. Master, ah, your disciple is thankful for all this but can you not make such painful ways to impart them to me, first the inheritance and merging and now this. "Master, are you okay?" Xiao Shen was frightened by the sudden paleness on Zi Hua''s face. "Yeah, it''s just that I got a little headache from the influx of information" Zi Hua patted Xiao Shen''s head as to reassure the little guy. "Let''s go to the next level" They walked into the empty room and went up the stairs. This time what they saw made Zi Hua''s eyes sparkle. Clothes and fabric! Zi Hua is a young maiden at heart and would obviously love pretty clothing, even the outfits she wore on missions were beautiful and elegant. "Master, the clothes here are clothes that the previous master made, all the fabrics here are of the finest of quality and they can clean and repair themselves when you insert a bit of spiritual power" "Since master made these, I''ll definitely treasure these even more" The fabrics there were all beautiful and top quality, not to mention their special feature, though even with the special feature Zi Hua still wouldn''t want to let the clothes her master made get damaged the slightest. The fabrics and clothes weren''t tacky and instead gave off a simple yet elegant and celestial air. Not to mention the clothes that were there were all purple and white, matching her amethyst eyes and coincidentally her favorite colors. Zi Hua''s creativity was immediately activated and she start making new clothes. 7 Three Years Later For the past three years, Zi Hua mostly stayed in the Heaven-defying artifact cultivating and exploring the palace, she spent the second year becoming divine rank in all professions, what the professions required the most was concentration and mental power, something that the aberrant Zi Hua would never lack. Becoming an alchemist was especially easy because she was familiar with herbs and only needed to familiarize and understand these foreign herbs and their laws. The previous masters'' left many profession related things, combined with Zi Hua''s outstanding intelligence it didn''t pose much difficulty. She continued to train in Wan Shou Mountain and finally defeated the strongest spirit beast at the peak of the mountain, a low stage saint ranked spirit beast. After the constant ''exchanging of notes'' between the spirit beasts, although she did not kill any spirit beasts above advanced rank since it would attract attention when she sold the cores plus those spirit beasts have some sort of consciousness and intelligence, all of them have developed a instinctual fear towards her and even regard Zi Hua as their queen. Zi Hua didn''t want to take any lives unnecessarily just because she felt like it. During these three years, she''s become more similar to her previous self and a bit similar to her master in terms of looks. She''s mastered teleportation and improved her control over her spiritual powers, she hadn''t really focused on cultivation after the first year and only returning to it at around the end of the third year. What had she been doing at the beginning of the third year? Well, she became a divine rank beast tamer at the end of the second year and as expected she started hatching the eggs. Fortunately, she held some self restraint and picked only three eggs, a vermilion bird, nine-tailed fox and a purple phoenix. Zi Hua smeared some of her blood on their foreheads and gave them each a name to complete the contract. The vermilion bird was named Hong Niao, Xiao Hong for short. (Red bird-Hong Niao) The nine-tailed fox was named Bai Li, Xiao Bai for short. (White fox-Bai Hu Li) The purple phoenix was named Zi Huang, Xiao Zi for short. (Purple phoenix-Zi Feng Huang) Zi Hua isn''t particularly bright with her naming sense... After hatching them she spent most of her time with them and only cultivated a hour everyday, with all her attention on the three little cutie-pies Xiao Shen felt highly aggrieved, until he couldn''t take it anymore and ran to Zi Hua balling his eyes out. But he was soon coaxed with some pills that Zi Hua made to taste like candies, a divine rank alchemist making candies... Zi Hua''s aberration is just really... sigh. It was not known when but the three little spirit beasts got their paws on the candies and now fights with Xiao Shen over them. After eating so many ''candies'' the spirit beasts'' powers grew exponentially, although they were from mythical ranked eggs, all spirit beasts only possess the power of a low stage beginner ranked spirit beast when born and they will only grow stronger as they grow up but spirit beasts age slower than humans especially the higher ranked ones, however that problem was solved with the ''candies'' without them having any adverse effects in addition with their hard work cultivating so they could get rewarded by Zi Hua. They are now at low stage celestial rank, when comparing them to the contracted spirit beasts of Starlight Continent it makes those contracted spirit beasts seem puny. The strongest contracted spirit beast in Starlight Continent was a low stage advanced rank. These people apart from a select few do not know the existence of any spirit beasts above advanced rank. Once a spirit beast reaches saint rank they gain a consciousness and some intelligence and once they reach celestial rank they can take on a human form and possess intelligence comparable to humans. Hong Niao, Bai Li and Zi Huang have three forms, a human form, adult form and due to Zi Hua they are the first spirit beasts to be able to transform into what they looked like when they were an infant. Zi Hua, ah Zi Hua you really... ..... In a restaurant at the border of Nan Xia Empire, customers were discussing all they knew hoping to attract the attention of the four youths who possessed extra-ordinary charisma. One look and they could tell that the youths had a extra-ordinary background from their beautiful clothing (made by none other than Mama Zi Hua) to their poised demeanor it just screamed power, not to mention their captivating and unique looks. Hoping to latch themselves onto a big thigh, they spilled all the information they knew in loud voices. Sadly, for them it seemed like the youths were uninterested but the seemingly youngest of them all, a 10/11 year old youth with amethyst eyes recorded everything they said, while under the pretense of drinking tea without a care in the world. 8 Recruiting "Let''s go" Zi Hua stood up and walked out out the restaurant leaving the gossiping crowd in disappointment. Xiao Zi gave 2 golds to the waiter and then followed Zi Hua with Xiao Hong and Xiao Bai, all of the people in the store was flabbergasted with the youths'' spend-thrift ways, what they got only cost 2 silvers but they gave ten times the amount. The group evidently stood out in a crowd, although peculiar colored hair weren''t none existent, they were still extremely rare and Zi Hua was the only person in the entire world with amethyst eyes. Xiao Zi looks like a tall scholarly young master of 16/17 years old with long purple hair and clear turquoise eyes. Xiao Hong looks like a cheerful young girl of 14/15 years old with fire red hair and bright blue eyes that are full of life. Xiao Bai looks like a delicate yet seductive girl of 15/16 years old with wavy brown hair and brown eyes. Although they are younger than Zi Hua they look older than her because they are spirit beasts and spirit beasts that transform only have one human form. "Xiao Bai, Xiao Hong, Xiao Zi take this around the city and have any homeless people between the ages 10-20 place their hand on it, if it shines a white light bring them back to the peak of Wan Shou Mountain" Zi Hua handed three orbs, one each, to them. The orbs were called Truth''s Orb something Zi Hua created based on her ability, Truth''s eye, which she got on the fifth floor of the pagoda. It was something her master had developed while in the form of a soul. Truth''s eye allows her to see through a person''s conscience, nature, personality and talent accurately and how loyal they will be etc. Although the Truth''s Orb pales in comparison to Truth''s eye she can have them detect a person''s general personality and loyalty and when the criteria is met it shines a white light. She chose homeless people because although their innate talent isn''t good after experiencing hardship they have a much high chance of meeting the criteria (Remember how Zi Hua''s a psychology & sociology genius?). Plus with all those endless treasures she has and ones she made from her professions, she can groom them to geniuses. With the line of job she had, Zi Hua have become quite numb towards deaths and suffering but that does not mean she doesn''t possess any compassion. It''s just that if she brought any that''s too old or young they will burden her in her path of vengeance, this was as far as she could help others. Call her selfish, but her and her loved ones priorities come first, she''s no saint, a stranger''s business has nothing to do with her. ..... At the peak of Wan Shou Mountain a crowd of people dressed in ragged clothing stood, they had been led here by three extraordinary looking youths who said that they would get a better life if they chose to follow them, with no other choice they agreed. Instead of waiting in the alley ways for death, they''d much rather trust these youths and grab onto this chance. Four flashes of light shined in the sky above them causing them to lift their dispirited faces up, the three youths stood behind a beautiful young girl of 10 years of age. On the sixth floor Zi Hua got the ability of flying without the using spiritual energy, logically speaking only a Martial Emperor can fly and it''ll use up a lot of spiritual energy so this ability can give her the advantage during fights in the sky. "Are they all between 10-20 years old?" The girl opened her mouth and a melodious voice cut through the silence. "Yes master, we''ve checked their bone ages beforehand" The brown haired girl replied respectfully at the girl''s inquiry. As a cultivator gets stronger they age slower and some, using special methods can retain a youthful appearance but a person''s bone age will show their true age, it''s something that cannot be changed. Though surprised that the young girl is the master, they all kept their mouths shut, it wasn''t their place to say anything. "From today on I am your master, follow me and you will prosper, go against me and you will suffer a fate worse than death. I will not accept any form of deceit or betrayal" When the girl said that they could all sense the murderous aura, making them shiver in fear, they all nodded obediently. "Good, just because you don''t have backing does not mean that you are not humans, as long as you are loyal to me I will not punish you. From this day on all of you are brother and sisters, brother and sisters that you can entrust your backs upon, just because I am your master does not mean you need to revere me and fear me, I will be your sister, if anyone dares to bully you and you are unable to fight back all your brother and sisters will have your back." "Do not provoke others needlessly, but do not fear others, I will not accept cowards" "I will provide you with a home and cultivation materials, no one in this world possess trash talent, with enough effort and guidance see if anyone dares to call you trash again. The only trash are those who have no will to improve. Trash with effort will be better than a prodigy without will a thousand times if they persevere" "But remember just because you become stronger do not become arrogant or conceited, I don''t accept frogs in wells, there will always be someone better than you. Do not be jealous, if you have the time to be jealous why don''t you work hard and surpass them instead. If trying won''t work, try again and again until you succeed" Hearing her words, the crowd got a newfound enlightenment, they all swore in their hearts that they will not become ingrates and even at the cost of their lives, help the savior who pulled them out of despair and gave them hope. "Now I will cast a spiritual imprint on you guys, with this you can move freely in the forest, it is also to mark that I am your master" Hundreds of lights shot out from her finger and hit every one of their foreheads, instead of pain it brought about a soothing feeling. Zi Hua learnt to not follow after her master in this particular matter and decided to take a gentler approach. Spiritual imprints were different from soul imprints, spiritual imprints would leave a slight presence of the caster, but it was enough for spirit beasts to detect. 9 Training Seeing the determination in their eyes, Zi Hua felt her heart soften, what she said came from her heart, only those with no will are trash. As long as you persevere, you can get somewhere, her past self is the perfect example. "Xiao Hong and Xiao Bai will guide the females to their lodging and have them refresh themselves, Xiao Zi you do the same with the males" Zi Hua had built lodging for them based on modern dorms and she won''t need to be worried about other people discovering this because the people of this continent can barely get further than half way up the mountain and the dorms would be covered by the tall and tightly-packed trees. And the materials used and architecture cannot be compared to any other existing buildings, she used stuff from Heaven-defying artifact and her divine rank armament skills to replicate some modern features such as the bath/hot-spring. A divine rank armament master building houses... "Yes, master" "You will provided with food and clothing as well, gather here tomorrow at 10" The clothes and food were not from Heaven-defying artifact, because of Zi Hua''s pettiness. She does have her reasons (legit excuses) though, one. she has too much money from selling the cores, two. having clothes made from the special fabric will just be extra, three. making clothes for so many people will be tiring, four. their weakened states may not be able to withstand the food from Heaven-defying artifact. ..... Bright and early, they all woke up, took a bath and ate breakfast. This still seemed like a dream to them, especially since the lodging they were in was so magical to them, the bed felt like clouds and the bath/hot-spring was massive and had water flowing all the time. "I hope you have rested properly because from today on you will be training, slacking off will not be accepted" With a wave of the hand hundreds of porcelain bottles appeared, one in each person''s hands. "In each one of them contains one pills a marrow cleansing pill, beautifying pill and bone reconstructing pill" To make so many pills wasn''t difficult for her, she just has to make a single batch and then have Xiao Shen duplicate them. The pills she distributed were more effective than the pills anyone else made, she used herbs from Heaven-defying artifact and refined them using her improved method of the recipes left by previous masters. A true aberrant, altering a pill recipe is extremely complicated but she did it like it was as simple as eating cake. "Take the beautifying pill first which has a pink pattern, then marrow cleansing pill which has a silver pattern and lastly bone reconstructing pill, keep in mind that the marrow cleansing pill will cause you to feel uncomfortable and the bone reconstructing pill will cause you unimaginable pain but endure it, the longer the better it will be in the future. These pills will help you in the future" The crowd was speechless, although they did not know much about pills but making so many pills with such miraculous effects must''ve been quite tedious, they decided that no matter how painful they will endure it so they don''t put their master''s efforts to waste. If Zi Hua knew what they were thinking she would be put in an undeniably awkward situation. That lasted until nightfall, when they all got up and returned to the dorms their appearances completely transformed, though still not comparable to Zi Hua, and they had never felt so refreshed yet tired before. After cleaning themselves up and changing into a set of clean clothing they went back to their individual rooms and not even eating dinner before they fell asleep like a log. Leaving a pile of clothing to be washed by those on duty tomorrow, they had worked out a schedule for chores, including cooking now. ..... The crowd gathered like yesterday but looking a lot more bright and rejuvenated than when they first came here. A bunch of beautiful and charming ladies and gentlemen stood waiting for the figure to appear in the sky again. "It seems that you are all in much better shape now" "Many thanks to master" "No need" A gentle smile crept onto her face captivating everyone, including the women. To them she was a saint, their savior. "Here are 30 Qi condensing pills, they will increase your cultivation, but just cultivating will not make you strong, Xiao Hong, Xiao Bai and Xiao Zi will make you go through physical training as well as spars with spirit beasts once you get stronger, any cores you get will be yours but I won''t accept any disputes" She couldn''t care less about the cores, they were pretty much as good as trash to her. "You will train in the morning and cultivate in the evening" Zi Hua made a strict training schedule for them, but unaware of the hell that awaits them the crowd nodded their heads eagerly in compliance. 10 Light Phantom Sec After 2 years of training, the people Zi Hua recruited grew exponentially and Zi Hua decided to reveal them. Two years ago, a hall called Light Phantom Hall opened in the capital city of each Empire, this attracted the attention of the imperial family and many other powers but any spies sent never returned. All they know is that Light Phantom Hall is not something they are able to mess with and everyone is trying to win their favor. Everything sold costs a enormous price but they were all top-quality, well at least to them but if people knew that it was nothing but ''failures'' and ''third-rate'' products made by Zi Hua''s subordinates when they were learning professions, they would be between coughing up blood and seeking to gain their favor even more. The true purpose of the halls was to gather information, ''Knowing your enemies will give you the upper hand'' Although people with professions were rare and difficult to groom but with the help of the Refinement Fountain which Zi Hua got on the seventh floor, it would be a walk in a park to groom them. Not only that, everyone there were extremely beautiful but like a rose, those who tried to hit on them or make use of them met horrible endings. One year ago a sect call Light Phantom Sect appeared and quickly rose to power rivaling the Four Empires, everyone linked the sect to Light Phantom Hall but they were extremely mysterious and their enigmatic Sect leader is known as Blind Butterfly. No one knows the full extent of their powers but one thing everyone was sure of was that they were extremely powerful. ..... But on this particular day all four halls were closed. Hundreds of people stood at the peak of Wan Shou Mountain with a 14 year old goddess floating above them. "Subordinates greets master" They all said in an revised manner. "No need for that, we are brother and sisters, Xiao Bai how are their powers" "Reporting 2 Low Stage Martial Kings, 10 High Stage Martial Overlords, 24 Mid Stage Martial Overlords, 48 Low Stage Martial Overlords, 96 High Stage Martial Lords and 192 Mid Stage Martial Lords" "Perfect!" A smile of delight showed on Zi Hua''s face, the numbers were perfect for what she had in mind. "The 2 Low Stage Martial Kings and 10 High stage Martial Overlords please come forward" 12 people, 5 males, 7 females, walked to the front of the crowd. "Where are the two Low Stage Martial Kings?" Two girls raised their hands. "Pick a flower, think properly, no regrets allowed" Everyone was filled with confusion, why was their master telling them to choose a flower, but still complied. The three spirit beasts could only face-palm helplessly, their master''s horrible naming sense, they had experienced first hand. At least this time she was a bit more creative by naming by flower which was compatible with her name.(Hua=Flower) The girl on the right chose Gardenia and the girl on the left with chose Anemone. "Do the same with these flowers" Zi Hua brought out 5 white flowers and 5 purple flowers and instructed the remaining 10 to do the same. Never would Zi Hua think that this little idea of hers would become a divine naming ritual for many centuries. Three males and two females chose a white flower and two males and three females chose a purple flower. "Those that chose white flowers will be the 6 lights and the 6 that chose purple flowers will be the 6 phantoms the two Martial Kings will be the leaders, from today on the 12 of you will be the 12 light phantoms, your choice must''ve been decided by fate" They didn''t know if it was decided by fate or not but what they do know is that their master wished for this, thus they have no objections. "Yes master" "What are your names?" "Master we all don''t have names, please give us one" Now the three spirit beasts were really about to cry in their stead, haiz, you literally just handed yourself over now and fell into her trap. "Okay, each of you will be named after the flower you chose, the lights will have Guang as your surname and the phantoms will have Ying as your surname" Zi Hua was feeling rather proud of herself for having such a great naming sense while the 12 subordinates were beaming with joy, only the three spirit beasts had some common sense and pitied them. "Very soon is the little Crown Prince of Nan Xia Empire''s fifth birthday, Gardenia and Anemone will accompany me to go" I wonder how Xia Fei Yan''s ''caring'' family is coping after her ''disappearance'', it''s about time to collect this debt. "And please have two lights and two phantoms to go and oversee each of the halls, you may bring 30 people each with you. Four of you except one phantom and light go to each of the Four Empires'' capital to hold a test for prospective new members, the light phantom of Nan Xia Empire''s Light Phantom Hall will announce it at the little Crown Prince''s birthday banquet, we will hold it a month after the announcement and remember not to reveal my identity" It''s about time I help Xia Fei Yan collect the debt, might as well add a few new members. "The remaining two light phantoms will train the remaining members according to this training schedule, but just because you are overseeing this doesn''t mean that you can slack off, you should all use this time to improve yourselves" Zi Hua handed two scrolls to them, the members were all feeling quite conflicted, although her training is effective but it''s utter hell and that''s coming from the people that could endure the pain of having their bones reconstructed. "Here''s the rules and requirements and use these Orbs here, have them put their hands on here and if it glows a white light they pass, anything else they fail" Seeing the orbs everyone felt a wave of nostalgia. Their talent does not matter as long as the orb glows white, they have to be 15-25 years old, Zi Hua wasn''t worried about people finding a back door to this and it was impossible to change the orb if the person isn''t her. This will also prevent any spies since this announcement will alert the various powers, but due to what Zi Hua set on the orb they won''t be able to pass. "Yes master" 11 Crown Princes Birthday Banque Organizations and individuals that held more that a bit of power were all in attendance including the Third Princess of Dong Ting Empire, Second Prince of Bei Dong Empire and the Crown Princess of Xi Qiu Empire. The more influential people sat at the front such as the representative of Light Phantom Hall, Lilium, then the representatives from the Empires, then the General''s Manor and powers. All powers started giving presents starting from the back but most of them were just armaments or herbs and pills that with Nan Xia Empire''s might wouldn''t pose any difficulty to get. No one dared to gift stuff from the Light Phantom Halls because they had a representative right there, no one wanted to gain the slightest displeasure from the halls. The Light Phantom Hall just casually gave some pills and armaments that were successful but still deemed as ''trash'' by Zi Hua, but just the sight of those ''treasures'' left everyone drooling, the various powers there were daydreaming of what they would get if they invited Light Phantom Hall to their birthday. Just as everyone finished gifting their presents ''to the Crown Prince'', but one glance and you could tell that a five year old wouldn''t have much use for them, the emperor was about to start the banquet when a melodious voice resounded in the banquet. "Wait a moment, I hope I''m not late" Just as the emperor was about to voice his displeasure he sensed the powerful aura from the guest, it seemed even more powerful than the monstrous Light Phantom Hall representative, but only the emperor noticed it since Zi Hua released her aura only on him. Although Zi Hua had only started cultivating for 4 years she had achieved what would normally take others decades, her subordinates couldn''t compare to her though. Although their cultivation wasn''t too far from her and took less time but they, especially the older ones, already had some cultivation since as long as they had power they could have a better chance at surviving. In addition, with her pills and resources they grew extremely quickly. However, her master had warned her to never take any cultivation related pills due to her special physique. "Of course not, zhen welcomes our guest" He didn''t have the guts to offend this old monster, yes old, in the emperor''s mind she must''ve used some technique to regain her youthful appearance. A celestial maiden of 14 years old, wearing a beautiful purple and white hanfu, stepped into banquet with light, soundless steps, seemingly not touching the ground. Well, Zi Hua was really not touching the ground, she was too lazy to walk so she just flew. Behind her were two girls although they paled in comparison to the maiden at the front, they were still extremely captivating. Zi Hua only brought Anemone and Gardenia, leaving her spirit beasts in Heaven-defying pagoda despite their complaints. Zi Hua merely nodded her head, but no one dared to voice any objections since even the emperor was showing respect to this guest. "I heard that the next Crown Prince is turning five years old today so I came to join the celebrations, where''s the prince? Call him over so I can give him the present" Albeit suspicious the emperor signaled for the young prince to go over. "Beautiful big sister, are you going to give me a present?" Zi Hua observed the little prince with her Truth''s eye and found that unlike her vicious mother and dumb father the little prince had a smart and reasonable character that would make a great emperor. The corners of Zi Hua''s lips hooked up into a smile, the little prince had great potential as a ruler and his innocence reminded her of Xiao Shen, the child is innocent so she won''t target him but she can''t let his mother off. "Yes, it''s your birthday after all" "Nia, Anne, bring that in" That was the nickname she gave to the two of them. Anemone and Gardenia led a majestic jet black horse with a fiery mane and tail into the banquet. Everyone gasped in surprise, the spirit beast that was led inside was a fiery nightrider, a Low Stage Advanced rank spirit beast. The reason why no one gifted a spirit beast was because of the rarity of beast tamers and the man power needed to capture a spirit beast, in addition to the fact that they wanted to butter up to the emperor but it was the little prince''s birthday, who should be the one forming the contract? But this mysterious girl just casually gifted such a strong spirit beast to a little kid. "Drop a bit of blood on it''s forehead to make a contract" Zi Hua just tamed a suitable spirit beast she found on Wan Shou Mountain that was willing to be gifted to the child, she can''t exactly bring the spirit beasts from the pagoda since it''ll disrupt the balance and war may start, because all the spirit beasts there have some sort of special feature or characteristic, some were even distinctive to the Primordial Lands. "Thank you, pretty big sister" The little prince followed her instructions and made a contract with the spirit beast. The imperial family has always been full of deceit and betrayal but the spirit beast will at least protect the little prince so he can become emperor. "Servants prepare a seat for our guest" Zi Hua just went to sit down without a word, she didn''t need to give respect to such an emperor after all he was the boss of the General''s Manor, to have subordinates with such bad moral integrity suggests that he shouldn''t be that good either. Not to mention the news that she got from her subordinates... The banquet was wrapped in a awkward silence. "Ahem, let''s start the banquet" With that announcement, servants brought in the food and guests started talking and performers started dancing. The banquet was enveloped in a cheerful atmosphere, but Zi Hua could sense the sneaky lustful and greedy glances that people gave her, as well as Xia Fei Yan''s ''kind'' sister staring at her in jealousy due to her husband, the Crown Prince, staring at the beautiful stranger, of course she wasn''t the only one doing that though. ''Disgusting'' Zi Hua knew that in the eyes of the men in the room, she was only an object to be possessed, she had always hated this way of thinking. She was a feminist back in her old world and still is one. Just before the banquet ended Lilium stood up "Ladies and gentlemen, as many have speculated our Light Phantom Hall is connected to Light Phantom Sect, I have attended today to announce that a month from now on Light Phantom Sect will be holding recruitment tests in the capital city of the Four Empires, ones'' talent does not matter, the only requirement to take the test is for the participant to be between the ages 15-25 years old, everyone is welcome to participate" Extra: Spirit beasts: ''We have been replaced, noooo. WE should be the ones with master, *hic* *hic* sorry for thinking your naming sense is bad (even though it is) *sob* *sob* We got abandoned, author-san please give us more appearances so we can get popular, don''t you pity our lonely selves?''*Puppy eyes* 12 Preparations The representatives words left the banquet in an uproar. "I have said what is needed, now please excuse me" After that the representative left and unbeknownst to them Zi Hua and her subordinates had slipped away amidst the chaos. The shocking news spread extremely quickly and many journeyed to the capital of the Four Empires, making the previous bustling cities packed with seas of people. Meanwhile, Zi Hua was leisurely relaxing at the top floor of Light Phantom Hall reading a book. "Master, weren''t you going to take revenge for Xia Fei Yan?" As her spirit beasts, the three of them knew basically everything about her,] apart from details of her previous life that is. There''s not much point in it, likewise the three of them didn''t pry into it. "Mm" Zi Hua merely sat there is silence not showing any signs of explaining, immersing herself in the novel. ''Novels of this era ain''t too bad, this FL is pretty cool'' "Master has her own plans, if she needs us, all we have to do is follow her orders. What are you being so nosy for, Xiao Hong" Out of the three of them, Xiao Bai was the most quick-witted whilst Xiao Hong was the dumb-, no, most pure and naive, though Xiao Zi was the quietest and calmest one. Xiao Hong pouted in frustration, she was just curious, that''s all but ended up getting reprimanded by meanie Xiao Bai. "Now, now, I think master has prepared a great show for the whole capital" Xiao Zi attempted to divert their attention as to avoid conflict. The two girls were really close but the only problem is that they occasionally get into arguments due to their polar-opposite personalities. "But... Master hasn''t gotten into contact with them since the banquet? Those false rumors of Xia Fei Yan are still there" When Xia Fei Yan disappeared, rumors of her running away or committing suicide due to her love for the Crown Prince, Xia Wen Ya''s now husband, were spread. When they heard these rumors they wondered why the h*ll would anyone believe them, the child wasn''t even a tween yet, well they found that apparently the whole Capital believed them. "Do you know why I haven''t dealt with them using Light Phantom Sect''s powers?" Seeing the anxiousness of Xiao Hong, Zi Hua had no other choice but to explain a bit to Xiao Hong. Xiao Hong shook her head, she had always wondered why her master had not done it the easy way. "It''s because that would be too light of a punishment for them, sometimes taking away what''s most important to a person is the best form of punishment, to make their lives a living hell" It suddenly dawned upon Xiao Hong, her master had wanted to punish those evildoers properly with her own hands. The little red bird wasn''t the least bit disturbed by her master''s viciousness, she felt that they deserved it, although she was naive but she wasn''t stupid, she fully believed in ''an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth''. "Master, what''s the most important thing to them?" "Image and arrogance" The chess pieces have been set, all she needed to do was fan the flames a bit. Even after hearing this Xiao Hong was still quite lost, upon seeing the confusion on her spirit beast''s face Zi Hua gave a sigh, Xiao Hong''s innocent nature wasn''t bad but in this world it isn''t suitable, sometimes it really made Zi Hua worry that Xiao Hong would one day be swindled by someone. "After knowing that Light Phantom Sect is recruiting would, Xia Wen Ya, someone who is always ambitious to climb up, not join?" "Would a vicious person like her pass the test?" Xiao Hong shook her head, not ignorant to it as before. Her master is a genius, not only is she exacting revenge she is expanding her powers and influence at the same time. Although the plan wasn''t complicated but it was effective. Zi Hua wasn''t too fond of scheming due to her origins and younger years but it didn''t mean that she was incapable of doing it, though Zi Hua didn''t bothered herself with an intricate one since there would be many variables one would have to calculate, trash like these didn''t deserve it. Zi Hua had always liked to keep things simple and not over complicate things, coupled with her in-born straightforwardness if not due to ''those people'' she wouldn''t have been forced to learn to scheme. ..... The morning passed without any disturbances until... "Master may I come in?" Until Gardenia interrupted them. "Sure" Finally lifting her head up from the novel she had been reading ever since morning. "Master, some people are having an argument outside Light Phantom Hall" "Who are these idiots, to stir up trouble on master''s turf lemme go give them a beating" Just as Xiao Hong was about to rush out, Zi Hua spoke up. "Who are they? You wouldn''t come to notify me over these trifle matters if it wasn''t important" "It''s the fourth miss of General''s Manor, Xia Hen Chun" Zi Hua hadn''t told her subordinates much about her but did tell Anne and Nia to keep tabs on General''s Manor. "Oh? Let''s go and watch the show then" Zi Hua got up and descended down the spiral staircase. 13 Unexpected Stupidity Outside Light Phantom Hall a crowd encircled around a young lady dressed in noble clothing with a arrogant demeanor accompanied by servants and a shabbily dressed young boy shielding a similarly dressed little girl of 9/10 years old. "Xia Hen Chun, this is too far not only are you bullying my sister in broad day light, you dare to make trouble in front of Light Phantom Hall" The young boy held great idolization towards the Light Phantom Hall for its just and impartial attitude, it was rare for strong powers to not be arrogant and domineering. "Hmph, so what? It''s just some slightly powerful place but no matter what it''s still not as powerful as Nan Xia Empire" From Xia Hen Chun''s perspective the Four Empires were the strongest power and the Light Phantom Hall''s inaction just proved her thoughts. Having been pampered from young she became an arrogant and willful *****. When the Light Phantom Sect members heard her words they were itching to give the dumb girl a good beating, but restrained themselves due to the Light leader''s orders. They can deal with being insulted for now but Xia Hen Chun''s words were on the boundary of insulting their master, once she did...hehe~ People around them just spectated, watching a good show, not having any intention of interfering; as far as this dumb mob knew, although Light Phantom Hall had loads of treasures but their power is an enigma, they fear the petty General''s Manor''s fourth young miss more . "What Blind Butterfly, that person is probably just putting on airs trying to be mysterious and they are too ugly to be seen" Now they''ve had it, that little brat dared to go insulting their master, hmph, just wait until master reveals her true appearance lets see if there will or will not be an red hand print on that ''beautiful'' face of yours after getting face-slapped. Just as they were about to intervene a pleasant voice reverberated over the arguing, stopping the enraged subordinates in their tracks. "Oh? Where did this ignorant girl come from? It''s more like she''s the one putting on airs, trying to look cool" "Just who do you think you are?" Xia Ling Chun arrogantly said not putting Zi Hua in her eyes. Just as all hell was about to break loose, Zi Hua glanced towards them indicating for them to stop. Zi Hua altered her appearance with the skill she got on the eighth floor, after becoming a Martial Lord it now takes more than one major breakthrough to unlock the next floor, though it''s in an irregular pattern(yeah, as irregular as your updates author). Zi Hua was now a High Stage Martial Emperor, on the verge of breaking-through to Martial Honor. But her subordinates could still tell it was her due to the spiritual imprint. Zi Hua had thrown the three noisy spirit beasts back into Heaven-defying artifact so they wouldn''t start a killing spree. "Who am I?" Zi Hua let out a light chuckle. "Trash like you don''t deserve to know" Xia Hen Chun and Xia Wen Ya were truly full-blooded sisters: both having such horrendous personalities. Hearing that, the haughty Xia Hen Chun almost vomited blood out of rage. "You, you... How dare you, do you even know who I am?" Xia Hen Chun pointed a finger at Zi Hua, infuriated. "Hmm?" Zi Hua raised an eyebrow and feigned ignorance making Xia Hen Chun more confident. "I am General Manor''s fourth young miss, Xia Hen Chun. Hmph this young lady shall be magnanimous and if you kneel down and apologize I might forgive you" After announcing her background, she expected the girl who came from who knows where would start groveling and begging for forgiveness, but alas how could Zi Hua not play around with her a bit after the stupid girl delivers herself to her doorstep, literally. Although Xia Hen Chun wasn''t the one who led Xia Fei Yan to her demise but she had done a fair bit of bullying. "Oh, tch. From your confident tone I thought you would have a more powerful background" Xia Hen Chun was angered speechless, having been humiliated in front of such a large crowd. "Young Miss, please return, if madam finds out you caused trouble outside she won''t be happy" A servant advised with a fearful expression. "Hmph, let''s go" Having been humiliated enough Xia Hen Chun wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, when she walked away people automatically gave way. Seeing Xia Hen Chun leave, the crowd quickly dispersed, eager to go and tell their friends about this hilarious piece of news. Just as Zi Hua was about to leave, the young boy and girl approached her. "Thank you miss" "No need" It wasn''t her intention to help them in the first place, she just wanted to humiliate Xia Hen Chun. But when she saw them with Truth''s eye she found the two people''s character to be exceptional and talent to be great; if they were to be honed by her, the two of them although could not compare to her, would be shocking geniuses and they might end up in bad circumstances because of today''s matter. "Actually, would you like to join Light Phantom Sect?" "Huh?" Confused by the sudden question, they were unable to respond. "Of course, but the two of us are still too young" "Come with me" Although unsure of what this stranger was thinking of doing but since she was leading them into Light Phantom Hall, she wouldn''t try to do anything. 14 New Members They followed her into the second to top floor and sat down around a small table. "What are your names?" "Mu Qing, this is my sister Xue Ying" Mu Qing pointed at the girl next to him. "Last name?" "Lady Hua, we are orphans, we don''t have last names" "Sorry" Zi Hua apologized. "It''s fine" Mu Qing, brushed it off, used to it already. "Xue Ying, Mu Qing I am extending out a formal invitation as the Sect leader of Light Phantom Sect to ask if you are willing to join" After saying that Zi Hua undid her disguise. Frozen in shock the two didn''t know how to respond, not because of her beauty after all from their time on the streets, they had met a fair amount of pretty young masters and misses but they were all really mean making them numb to appearances, but because of the lady''s identity. "Really?" Mu Qing asked, this was like a dream come true for him. Just previously he was lamenting on the fact that he couldn''t take the test for recruitment but now he was being invited and even got to meet the mysterious Sect leader. "Do I look like I''m lying?" Lifting up an eye brow in query. "WE''D LOVE TO JOIN!" The two answered without hesitation, this was an once in a lifetime opportunity. "Good, but remember our sect doesn''t accept slackers" "Understood" "Anne, Nia they''re our new members, give them a preaching- ahem I mean a briefing of our rules and principles" "Yes master" The two aspiring cultivators were puzzled by the looks of sympathy and pity coming their way. ''So pitiful, although master is the best master in the entire world but...'' Thought Anemone. ''...the training, although effective, is so hellish'' Gardenia continued. The two of them looked in each other''s eyes and could tell what the other one was thinking and sighed helplessly. "Follow us" Xue Ying and Mu Qing followed the two of them obediently and was warmly welcomed by the Sect members. When they left, Xiao Hong, Xiao Bai and Xiao Zi came out. "Master is this okay?" "Why not, Xiao Bai?" Zi Hua raised an eyebrow is inquiry. "They''re only 10 and 11, won''t they become a burden?" "With their talent they should be fine, plus if I left them do you think after suffering such humiliation Xia Hen Chun wouldn''t vent her anger on them?" To be honest, no matter how talented a person is, Zi Hua usually wouldn''t rope them in but if she didn''t they would have been be killed and it would be partially her fault plus there was something peculiar about them. After contemplating and considering their talent, she decided to take them in. After hearing her words the three spirit beasts understood, although their master was far from a saint she wasn''t heartless especially when things were related to her. "Not to mention, they''re good hearted" When she saw the little girl it reminded her of her child self and the boy reminded Zi Hua of her elder brother... ..... After the ''short briefing'' (5 hours, so short...) Xue Ying and Mu Qing were led into the staff room and met with some members. "Aww, so cute" Someone went and pinched Xue Ying on the cheek. "Call me big sis okay?" "If any bullies you I''ll give them a good thrashing" They were immediately surrounded. [Inner lolicon and shotacon unlocked] (Jk) ..... Meanwhile, Xia Hen Chun paid a visit to her sister, the Crown Prince consort. "Sister you must seek justice for me" Xia Hen Chun started acting pitiful. "Today someone humiliated me and our General''s Manor outside Light Phantom Hall" Although Xia Hen Chun was stupid she was after all a aristocrat lady and knew how to talk sh*t about others and shift blame. "Who dares!" Xia Hen Chun proceeded to explain the scenes that day. "I''ll deal with it, you go back to the manor first" Xia Wen Ya was smarter than her sister and had some suspicions, from what Xia Hen Chun said the girl had come out from Light Phantom Hall and seemed to have quite a powerful background to dare to say those words publicly, but since she dared to shame General''s Manor she will have to pay for it. The only problem was that after mobilizing people to find the girl, they couldn''t find a single clue, even the two kids that Xia Hen Chun was arguing with seemed to have disappeared. Xia Hen Chun had pinned the blame all on the siblings and the mystery girl, never even taking into consideration that all of that wouldn''t have happened if she hadn''t bullied the little girl. 15 Light Phantom Sect Tes As soon as dawn broke, people started to gather at the city square of each capital where the Light Phantom Sect would be holding the exam, eagerly anticipating to be admitted into the sect. Zi Hua donned up in the appearance of when she was confronting Xia Hen Chun and went to the city square, alone. She wanted to keep her identity secretive, so she didn''t bring anyone. It would be more infuriating if they couldn''t find the identity of the culprit, even when a whole crowd had seen the person. A long line that went on for who knows how long was formed. Xia Wen Ya, Xia Hen Chun and Xing Lan Ping were at the front since the Crown Prince had instructed servants to line up early in the morning. "Your highness brother-in-law is a dragon among many and has no need to wait like commoners" Xing Lan Ping smiled gloatingly at Xia Hen Chun''s words, but he knew that this wasn''t what a Crown Prince would need to do, usually with just a few words he would be able to cut into the line, it''s just that he dare not act arrogant before Light Phantom Sect so he followed the rules. "But your highness brother-in-law, are you really going to join this sect?" Xia Hen Chun was puzzled as to why the mighty Crown Prince would try to join Light Phantom Sect. Seeing her sister''s ignorance Xia Wen Ya panicked and said "As the Crown Prince, his highness would need to make connections with various powers" to gloss over it. "Hmm" Xing Lan Ping got more content with his Crown Prince consort, not only does she have a good image, strong backing, good talent and beauty, she''s smart. Xia Wen Ya gave her sister a glare for the close call "Xiao Chun, you have seen the things in Light Phantom Hall, if we were to join the sect we would get lots of treasures" Xia Wen Ya could only whisper this to prevent her sister from making any more trouble. "As you know today Light Phantom Sect will be holding a test for potential members, anyone between the ages 15-25 can apply" When the allocated time arrived, Iris appeared and announced the start of the exam. People stared at her beauty in amazement. "Your talent does not matter, to pass the test is very simple, all you need to do is place your hand on these orbs and if it glows a white light you pass" Ignoring the awe from the mass, Iris proceeded to explain the rules. Listening to Iris'' explanation the mob broke from their stupor and a wave of confusion passed through the crowd. That was it? They had expected some super hard test that would require them to fight or something. "First three people please step out" Xia Wen Ya, Xia Hen Chun and Xing Lan Ping went onto the platform that had been set up. They were confident that they would pass, thinking that the orbs were something to measure talent despite what the examiner had said. Iris checked their bone ages and then told them to place their hand on the orb. The three of them placed their hand on the orbs at the same time but there was no reaction. "Fail, next three" "How can this be?" Xia Wen Ya, although put on a amicable front she was in reality extremely arrogant, having been embarrassed in front of the masses she completely lost it. ''I thought she was a bit smarter than this, well at least now my plan can be put into action'' At this moment Zi Hua appeared and stepped onto the stage. "Of course a person like you won''t pass the test" "It''s you!" Xia Hen Chun immediately recognized Zi Hua. "Sister, it was her" Xia Hen Chun hissed venomously with bloodshot eyes. ''Now we got two crazy ladies'' "May I ask who you are?" The Crown Prince however was a bit smarter, seeing that after the girl dressed in purple stepped onto the stage, the Light Phantom Sect members did not make any move he deduced that she had some connection with them. His imperial father, the emperor, had told him to not offend Light Phantom Sect and try to establish a connection with them. "Oh? Since we are in front of such a crowd I will give you some face, people call me Hua" "Lady Hua may I ask what you meant by your earlier comment?" ''He fell right into the trap, he really is stupid'' "Iris, explain" Zi Hua had explained to Iris about the orb and not to reveal her identity. "Yes Lady Hua, the orbs are something that can judge a person''s personality, if someone has a good and moral personality and isn''t malicious the orb will glow a white light, if not, there will be no reaction" Iris didn''t say much about the orb but enough for her master''s plan to work. Now the Crown Prince was regretting it, now their reputation is ruined, hoping to fix their reputation he asked again. "Then, why did Lady Hua say that my consort won''t pass the test and I didn''t pass the test?" He tried to signal to Zi Hua. ''How stupid can this guy get, I was going to let you off but since you are digging your own grave it would be rude of me to not help'' Zi Hua was amazed by the prince''s stupidity. "You really need me to explain? Firstly, I''ll explain why the fourth miss didn''t pass the test, she''s arrogant and ignorant. You didn''t pass the test because of your lustful nature and Xia Wen Ya didn''t because..." Xia Wen Ya had a bad feeling about it, but alas couldn''t stop the girl from revealing things. "Remember that a few years ago the General Manor had a fifth miss named Xia Fei Yan?" "Well, this kind and virtuous consort of yours sent assassins after her and left the young child at Wan Shou Mountain to feed the beasts because the girl found out that her ''wonderful'' sister had tortured servants to death whenever she was angry" "What evidence do you have?" Xia Wen Ya could foresee that her years of hard work was crumbling at that moment but nevertheless she tried to fix the situation. "Hmm? You think that you are worth the time to frame? You know the truth yourself and I''m sure that people know about servants mysteriously disappearing as well as the fifth miss'' case" Looking at Lady Hua who was so confident combined with the fact that she''s connected to Light Phantom Sect, people all believed her. "Let''s go!" Seeing that things were turning bad, Xing Lan Ping quickly dragged Xia Wen Ya and Xia Hen Chun away. "Sorry for the disturbance, please continue" Zi Hua left after that too, they were all puzzled by her sudden appearance and departure. 16 Great Master Dai (Disclaimer: This may trigger trauma and this chapter is pretty cruel, caution suggested, read at your own risk) Many people who knew they were guilty of such acts left the line but less than 20 people out of tens of thousands from that morning actually passed. Overnight, Xia Wen Ya''s reputation went down the drain, the Crown Prince''s was pretty much fine since it was normal for men to have four wives and three concubines and Xia Hen Chun was already infamous so they didn''t suffer much of a blow but for a white lotus like Xia Wen Ya, she had a steep fall. This really fits to the saying ''the higher you climb, the harder you fall''. In the Crown Prince''s estate you could hear the sound of porcelain breaking and smashing, having her painstakingly built reputation being teared down in a blink of an eye, Xia Wen Ya was on the verge of insanity. Her husband even seems to want to divorce her because her reputation might affect his ascension to the throne. As the Crown Prince consort when the prince becomes emperor she''ll become the mother of the nation, the empress. How could the mother of the nation be a vicious girl who tortures servants and murders her own sister! Although it was a world where the strong rules but after all, it was an empire and to a certain extent relied on the people to stay powerful. The only thing holding her up right now is the General''s Manor. When Xia Wen Ya finished venting out her anger, an idea suddenly came to her head. ''Great Master Dai can help, he can help me retain my position and let me become empress'' Xia Wen Ya pulled a green book from the book case and a secret passage way appeared silently, it led to a torture room with a small blue stone in a inconspicuous corner. She smashed the stone and left the room. That night a black -cloaked figure soundlessly entered her room. "Great Master Dai" Xia Wen Ya dropped to her knees and did a exaggerated bow. "Have you found what I told you to find?" His voice exuded a powerful aura soaking her back in cold sweat. "N-no" Xia Wen Ya could only bring out her courage and get him to help or else she would be ruined! "Then why are you here and not searching?" The voice rose in volume making Xia Wen Ya shake in fear. "It''s Light Phantom Sect!" "Oh? The sect you told me about previously?" "Yes, Great Master Dai, I went to the sect test to enter and use it to help you locate that thing but someone appeared and spewed venomous slander, now I''m afraid I am unable to help you to get experts to locate that in my current situation" As she said this maliciousness and hatred filled her eyes, but she was still sane and threw all the fault on her enemies. Truly sisters. "This isn''t my problem! What I asked you to do, you must do, don''t bother me with anything else" "Great Master Dai please wait! M-my son! You said you needed a young child with a special constitution to test poisons, will my son do?" Xia Wen Ya only cared about her own survival not even batting an eyelash before offering her son''s life, she couldn''t even think morally anymore and only wanted to not be divorced by the Crown Prince, to become empress. "Bring me to your son" Without a thread of guilt, Xia Wen Ya led the man to her son''s room. "Hmm..." Xia Wen Ya was fervently hoping that her son will meet the requirements. "He''ll do, wake him up" She was overjoyed after hearing the man''s reply. "Xun''er wake up" Xia Wen Ya shook the boy and woke him up. "Mother? What''s wrong?" Xing Wu Xun looked at his mother in confusion, he had just had his fifth birthday a month ago but his young age made him naive to the happenings earlier and it''s severity. "Xun''er don''t blame mother, mother had no choice, do this for mother okay? If you don''t do this mother will be abandoned" Xia Wen Ya couldn''t hide her joy and had a vicious smile on her face, although many people say that she and the Crown Prince are a perfect couple but he has a courtyard of concubines. Like today, he went to one of his concubines, if she got downgraded any further one of those scheming women will definitely not miss this chance. If she hadn''t poisoned all the concubines when they first arrived to be infertile, the Crown Prince wouldn''t only have one son. "Mother, what do you mean?" "You will know very soon, just follow Great Master Dai''s orders" Only now did the boy notice the black-cloaked man standing in his room. The stranger approached him and picked him up roughly. "Mother, help!" Panicked, Xing Wu Xun shouted for help. But his mother didn''t do anything, she only stood there and watched. "Great Master Dai, please complete your end of the agreement" Listening to her words he realized that the woman whom he called ''mother'' had sold him to the man for her own self gain, at this moment the young child lost all his feelings of affection towards his mother, in the first place she never treated him that well and just left him for the servants to deal with. He realized that she never cared about him in the first place, he was only an object. "Don''t worry, I will abide by my promise" The mysterious man left in the darkness. 17 Troubles "Master, are you really going to let Xia Wen Ya go like this? Even though her image is ruined but she hasn''t fallen entirely due to the General''s Manor" Xiao Bai was curious, despite previously reprimanding Xiao Hong about what she was doing she just couldn''t take it anymore, why is her master letting that b*tch off like this, her master has never been a soft-hearted person. "You''ll know soon" Zi Hua was reading this novel about an arrogant female who''s going around slapping faces. "Master please tell meeeee! My curiosity is killing me, please, pretty please. It feels like when you reach the last chapter of a novel that you really like and you have to wait for the next update, don''t you understand my pain right now" Xiao Hong was super, super duper curious about what her master had planned, it seemed like the naive little spirit beast had found a new hobby, watching drama unfold. But Zi Hua remained unmoved and carried on reading her novel. A cheeky idea popped into Xiao Hong''s juvenile mind. Xiao Hong transformed into her baby state and started giving sparkly puppy eyes to Zi Hua, Xiao Bai followed after her in the same manner. Giving a sigh, Zi Hua reluctantly relented. "If it was just ruining her reputation, she would lose her reputation but with the General''s Manor''s might she won''t end up in jeopardy" "And with her personality she won''t take this lying down" "So lets wait for her next move" Though, she wouldn''t let her off that easily, that day she had discreetly sprinkled some crushed poison elixir onto the two sisters'' faces. As someone who studies medicine, she''s obviously great with poisons too. "What?" Even Xiao Zi lost his usual calm composure, from their understanding of their master, she would never give her enemies a chance to attack and ruthlessly beat them up without giving them a chance to evade or attack back, they personally saw some spirit beasts getting beaten until black and blue by her so swiftly that they didn''t have the chance to counterattack. "My intuition tells me so" Zi Hua understood the three''s confusion, after all it was very different from her usual style of doing things. However, she trusts her intuition that was honed through so many life-threatening missions. The three of them no longer opened their mouths and stayed there silently, musing. ..... For some reason, the emperor refused the Crown Prince''s request, many thought of it as him giving face to General''s Manor, but Zi Hua wasn''t convinced, from what her subordinates had gathered the General''s Manor has become weaker these few years due to the sudden loss of several experts and unpromising General Xia, this was the perfect chance for the emperor to suppress them, after all no ruler would want their subordinates to be more powerful than them in fear of being over-thrown. The emperor''s actions just further proved Zi Hua''s suspicions, something must''ve of happened and it''s most likely to do with Xia Wen Ya. Unfortunately her subordinates, despite using their skills weren''t able to find much apart from the fact that the Crown Prince''s only son has disappeared, however the Crown Prince hasn''t found out yet. More accurately speaking, the Crown Prince doesn''t care about that son of his anymore, that son''s mother is the woman who could possibly prevent him form getting the throne, not to mention he can always have more children. The child''s disappearance caused Zi Hua''s eyebrows to scrunch up, she could guess that the child wasn''t in a pleasant situation. "Master, we found leads to Xing Wu Xun''s whereabouts" Anemone appeared in the room and reported her findings. "Xia Wen Ya had lead a black-cloaked man into Xing Wu Xun''s room and the boy had since disappeared" "Oh?" Zi Hua calmly listened to the findings, she had sent someone to monitor Xia Wen Ya but it seemed that her subordinate got knocked out, she had thought that sending a Mid Staged Martial Lord would be enough but it seems not, the enemy most likely was at least and High Stage Martial Lord. Thankfully, Zi Hua had sent a Mid Stage Martial Overlord to keep an eye on the prince, but it seemed that they had been too occupied and didn''t have the chance to help the Martial Lord. What Zi Hua didn''t know was that all her subordinates had a unspoken consensus to help her, even the slightest bit, at the cost of their lives, if she knew, she would be moved to tears. Thankfully, her subordinate didn''t suffer any injuries but just fainted and had woken up already. "Convey my thanks to the Martial Lord" If her subordinate hadn''t done their job properly they wouldn''t even have a single lead. "Yes master" Anemone left the room and into the shadows silently, like a ninja. ..... Ever since the exam you couldn''t even see the shadow of the second and fourth miss of General''s Manor. In the General''s Manor and Crown Prince Estate, both sisters had shut themselves in their rooms refusing any interaction since 2 days after the exam. Unknown to the people around them, the two had become horrendous, their appearance differed little from monsters currently, Xia Hen Chun was too ashamed and with her prideful character she didn''t want to let anyone see her like this, while Xia Wen Ya had just managed to retain her position and if she was found out, things would go badly. She didn''t dare ask ''Great Master Dai'' again since it was already a stretch when he helped her last time. They suffered silently imprisoned their rooms. 18 Rescue Mission Not long later, the Mid Stage Martial Overlord returned. "Master, the black-cloaked man took the prince to a small villa in a countryside area" She showed her master the place with a map. "Thank you, you can leave now" "Master... where is the brother monitoring Xia Wen Ya?" She had known that her master had sent someone to monitor Xia Wen Ya. "Don''t worry, he''s back" "Yes master" The subordinate left immediately. "Let''s go on a rescue mission" Zi Hua lead her three spirit beasts and left to rescue the little prince, surprisingly at this moment Zi Hua realized that she had never done a rescue mission before. They set off immediately, the only flaw with teleportation is that she can only teleport to places that she had been to, so they had to go the old fashioned way... well flying there isn''t exactly the ''old fashioned way'' but it''s slower than teleportation. They landed not far away from the location and decided to go there the actual old fashioned way, walking, as to not alert the enemy. They reached a inconspicuous villa and sneaked into it through a window. Inside they could hear the sound of a child weeping from one of the back rooms. "*hic* What are you going to do?" "Don''t be so eager, it''ll take just a few more hours until my new poison is finished, just be patient" A malicious-looking old man stood inside the room holding all sorts of poisonous plants and a child with his hands and legs bound was crying on the floor. "Grandfather and father will come and save me" The child firmly believed that although his mother abandoned him, his other family members would come and save him. "Hahaha, that wimpy emperor and stupid prince? After your mother gave you to me, that emperor almost p*ssed his pants when I gave him a visit" He could still remember how fearful the emperor was when he was gripping his hand on his neck, threatening to kill, he should''ve just got the emperor to find the thing but the emperor wasn''t like the General''s Manor whom had a bunch of expendable ''experts'' or more specifically sacrificial guinea pigs. Xing Wu Xun''s pupils dilated, unwilling to believe the man''s words. It just so happened that Zi Hua heard those words. ''So that''s what happened'' "Master, that Xia Wen Ya is too despicable and her son is so pitiful" Xiao Hong couldn''t stand it, even spirit beasts care for their children. "Let''s charged in on the count of three, just make the man immobile, I''ll deal with him later" "1...2...3!" They all burst into the room and Xiao Bai karate kicked the door open like a hero from an action movie. "Who are you!" The man warily glared at the attackers, he couldn''t detect them at all. His powers were on the stronger side in Moonlight Continent and as a Low Stage Martial Overlord he should be the strongest in this puny continent. Before he could react properly he was already captured by a purple-haired youth, the two ladies didn''t want to have any contact with such a disgusting person so the job was left upon Xiao Zi. Zi Hua, ah ,Zi Hua, can''t you at least give the villain a chance to spout some nonsense then defeat him like in those other novels? Can''t you give the readers some entertainment and a proper show? As a top class spiritual beast, although they were all weak at birth, they grew super quickly with Zi Hua''s help, although they are mythical beasts but they actually have the potential to breakthrough to the next level(s), all spirit beasts do but their rank will automatically reach their in-born rank when they grow up. The three spirit beasts growth speed was really them and only, an aberrant''s spirit beasts will be aberrants too. Only she deserved to have these spirit beasts, after all a priceless treasure will become useless in the hands of those who do not know about it. Zi Hua went to untangle the ropes. "Pretty sister!" Seeing the pretty sister from his birthday he was delighted. "Don''t worry, I''m here to save you" "Sorry, if I didn''t humiliate your mother she wouldn''t have done this to you" Zi Hua felt really guilty, if she had thought it through more thoroughly, the innocent child wouldn''t have been put through this. "Sister, it''s not your fault, she never loved me or cared about me in the first place" Despite being young, the child could differentiate from right and wrong, it was only his ''mother''s'' fault. Zi Hua could only give a weak and helpless smile seeing the child attempt to explain. She gently patted his head as to console him, being a psychologist she understood how vulnerable children are to trauma, especially when they have suffered through neglect etc. Comforted in Zi Hua''s embrace the child fell asleep, Zi Hua handed the child over to Xiao Bai since she... well she didn''t know how to take care of a child so she thought that Xiao Bai, who seemed mature would be more suitable, without even thinking before ruling out Xiao Hong. (Xiao Bai: You think this infant spirit beast will know? What do you mean mature, I''m younger than you T-T, you saying I look old?!) "Let''s leave, bring that pile of sh*t back too" The sh*t Zi Hua was referring to was the ''Great Master Dai'', people such as him were no different from dogsh*t. Xiao Hong automatically burnt down the entire place once they left the house, with her degree of power she can control her flames to distinguish once the burning was finished. See what I did there ;) 19 Finale 1 When Zi Hua returned, her subordinates were waiting for her but seeing her dark countenance they knew better than to disturb her. Xiao Bai passed the little prince to the members then followed Zi Hua to the underground chamber, Xiao Zi then threw the sh*t inside and Zi Hua threw a pill inside his mouth. When the man swallowed the unidentified object down his throat, he tried to gag it out but to no avail. "What did you feed me?!" Horrified, the man questioned Zi Hua. "You''ll know soon" Leaving the ambiguous and eerie message, Zi Hua left the man in the cell, she had made the cell herself due to boredom but even so a Martial Emperor would have low chances of breaking it, not to mention a Martial Overlord. Though, of course, as the creator and an aberrant she could. Since he dared to harm her people and bully her technically ''nephew'' she''ll show him the consequences of going against her. Xiao Zi placed some paper and ink on the floor and returned to the Heaven-defying artifact along with Xiao Hong and Xiao Bai. Outside her quarters, Anemone and Gardenia were patiently waiting for her. "Master" They greeted simultaneously. "What''s the matter?" Zi Hua nodded and asked, if they didn''t have anything to report they wouldn''t be here. Seeing her master''s countenance brighter, Gardenia reported "Master, during the recruitment test 15 people from Nan Xia, 15 people from Dong Ting, 17 people from Xi Qiu and 18 people from Bei Dong passed, with the addition of the two children it is a total of 67 people. We have already told them about the rules, given them lodging as well as investigated their backgrounds per your previous orders" "Well done, how are their backgrounds?" If they had any troublesome backgrounds they would have to be sorted out. "Most of them are orphans, but a few have complicated families, though we have already dealt with it, the only problem is..." Gardenia hesitated for a moment. "What''s the problem?" Zi Hua arched one eyebrow, questioning. "One of them is the Dong Ting Empire emperor''s disowned nephew, however after the recruitment, the imperial family have been trying to re-establish contact with him, I''m afraid that their relationship will get complicated" Although they didn''t fear Dong Ting Empire but if they had bad connections, it''ll ruin the delicate balance and possibly implicate innocents. "Remember since he passed, he is one of our people, your brother. Don''t worry much about it too much we''re leaving this place soon anyways" The two understood that but they also understood that although their master was ruthless she didn''t want to harm innocents if she had the choice. "Master, you mean..." Gardenia inquired. When Anemone heard that, a peculiar glint flashed in her eyes but immediately disappeared. "Yes" Previously, she had sent them to locate the route to Moonlight Continent and had been planning to go there once the current matters were sorted since she may be able to get some clues. Or even better eradicate some of her master''s enemy''s subordinates, she knew that those people''s claws were far reaching and if she wanted revenge she had to discreetly eradicate them from the branches too. "Pass down the message to invite all powers to Nan Xia Empire''s Light Phantom Hall, we will be holding a banquet to welcome the new recruits, specifically say that all off-spring and main wives must come as well. It will be held 3 months from now, release the news that the Sect Leader will be attending" It seems that she will have to abandon the plan of tormenting her slowly, Xia Wen Ya could''ve lived longer but she had to go and cross the line, Zi Hua''s eyes were enveloped in ruthlessness and murderous intent. Although their master seemed to have a mild and placid temperament but once her switch is flipped... Just take her ''sparring partners'' who had eyes yet failed to recognize Mount Tai back on Wan Shou Mountain as examples to never follow. "And also during this period bring the recruits to the Refinement Fountain but don''t let them know the location. Once the recruits leave the Refinement Fountain have them consume the same pills you guys had and give them some Qi condensing pills for cultivation then get someone to guide them in their preferred profession. Make sure they are back for the Banquet." The new recruits haven''t gotten a spiritual imprint yet so they were only 90% official and she knew how much lure the Refinement Fountain holds. Zi Hua handed Gardenia a few bottles of pills, no matter how much they trained they still couldn''t match up to her skills. When Zi Hua got the Refinement Fountain on the seventh floor, she found out that the liquid was infinite so she made a mini fountain at their base by transferring the liquid into a pool for simplicity''s sake and secrecy, but it''s guarded by her creations and only those with her spiritual imprint can access it. "Don''t disturb me for a while please" "Yes master" The two retreated to pass down the orders and make preparations, they could only secretly pity the new recruits, having just entered they already had to suffer, at least they would taste the pain of the Refinement Fountain before the hellish training programs and pills unlike them. The Refinement Fountain causes inexplicable pain but it also increases pain tolerance and stamina. If Zi Hua knew what they were thinking she would be full of indignation, it was her master''s doing okay, her master was the origins of the Refinement Fountain. But she seemed to have unknowingly inherited her master''s trait, evident from her training programs and pills, she had improved the pills but it also made pills such as the bone reconstructing pill painful. Like master, like disciple. 20 Finale 2 After the two left, Zi Hua went into the Heaven-defying artifact. Once the matters at hand are sorted, she''ll set off with her subordinates and head to the next continent, so she needs to breakthrough to Martial Honor in order to go against her enemies. She could always rely on her powerful spirit beasts but revenge is sweeter and more fulfilling if it''s done by your own hands, plus Zi Hua would always want to do her things that''s in her means by herself and only if she is unable to will she ask for other people''s help. "Master!" A familiar little bun jumped into her arms for a hug. "I missed you so much, I thought you forgot about me" "Of course not, I would never" "Now, now, go and play with Xiao Hong and the rest okay? I''m going to cultivate" Although it pained her to leave the enthusiastic ''child'' she set her priorities right (for once). Likewise, Xiao Shen understood, he too wanted revenge for the previous master, it pained him to see his master getting ambushed and injured by others. "En" He nodded obediently and left. Zi Hua headed to her pagoda, it was her haven and always gave her a feeling of home, after ''that'' happened she had never seen anywhere as her home until now. She sat down crossed-legged in a lotus position and started cultivating. Minutes passed... Hours passed... Days passed... Weeks passed... All in a flash for Zi Hua in her cultivating state. Boom! Finally after a month, she broke through into Martial Honor, truly frightening speed, what would take others years of repeated seclusion only took her A MONTH! Zi Hua then spent some time consolidating her power before going up to check on the other floors. She walked all the way to the eighth floor, if she was a regular person she would''ve already collapsed by the fifth floor, master are you an S? Surprisingly this time when she pushed the door, it opened, but at the same moment she collapsed onto the floor and felt something chaining and restraining her, sweat trickled down her smooth, jade skin, her eyebrows knitted together. When the feeling subsided, she saw a projection of... "Master?" Zi Hua was frozen in shock. "Disciple greets master" Zi Hua immediately gave a low bow of respect. "Dearest disciple, this is just a image that I have left for you, I have restrained your powers at Low Stage Martial Honor, meaning that you cannot breakthrough to Martial Venerate and to break-through to Mid Stage Martial Honor will be several times more tedious. But it will not be like this forever, once you collect all the Immortal Flame''s fragments, you can use it to dissolve the binding yourself. This is for you to push yourself to the limits as well as to stabilize your cultivation, although consolidating it helps but advancing too fast can affect your growth" "Here is a fragment of the Immortal Flame, the remaining 6 are in Starlight Continent, Moonlight Continent and Sunlight Continent, there will be maps to lead you to the approximate destination" When the words grew quieter and faded, the projection disappeared too. Only when her master disappeared did she rise. "Master I understand, I will definitely use this time to improve myself" Zi Hua was feeling rather proud to have such a ingenious master, she chose the perfect level, her current level will make her the strongest in Moonlight Continent and she won''t face too many dangers even if she were to go to Sunlight Continent. Zi Hua gave two mental thumbs ups to her master. Zi Hua sat down and started absorb the red flame but it took her some more time to absorb the flame fragment than expected. She immediately left the Heaven-defying artifact, they must be starting to get worried. When she left the room, she saw Gardenia standing there. "Master" "Report" She has been away for two months so she doesn''t really know what''s been happening. "We have followed your instructions, the recruits have returned yesterday" "Good, bring them to the guest room" The guest room was where she had brought Xue Ying and Mu Qing last time. All of them gathered and stood neatly, looking highly expectant, it''s been a while since they were admitted but this was the first time they were going to meet the Sect leader, the SECT LEADER BLIND BUTTERFLY! They were like a bunch of fangirls and fanboys waiting to meet their favorite idol. The door opened and a beautiful maiden walked inside, they were flabbergasted by her appearance, especially her endless amethyst eyes that seem to be able to see through you. "I''m your Sect leader, I believe that the 12 Light Phantoms have told you what you need to know so I won''t dally with that" Zi Hua used Truth''s eye to get a more specific answer on their personalities, they were all exceptional but quite a few had suffered. "I will apply a spiritual imprint on everyone, this is to signify that you are one of my people and a member of Light Phantom Sect, here we don''t accept slacking, everyone has been to the Refinement Fountain already and taken the pills, from today on you will all be training under the 12 Light Phantoms" Remembering the Refinement Fountain made them all shiver, although they felt refreshed afterwards but the process was... *shiver* "About a month from now on we will be holding a banquet to welcome everyone, during this period you will familiarize yourselves with the workings of Light Phantom Sect, if you have any problems or questions just consult your brother and sisters" "However, unfortunately some things may occur so after the guests leave we will have a proper welcoming banquet" "Thank you master" It was already such a honor for them to be admitted into Light Phantom Sect, not to mention having a welcome party. 21 Finale 3 When the aspiring new members returned to their rooms, they went to choose the style of sect uniform of their choice. Zi Hua had designed and made some clothes, as usual purple and white, using the fabrics her master left her then had Xiao Shen spend 3 days and 3 nights duplicating enough for all the sect members, she had also specially designed a male and female set for the 12 Light Phantoms. (Images that I found on the web to show how the outfits look will be on the chapter on wattpad when it is published, I''m really bad at describing how stuff and people look so I usually just leave it, it''s also fine if you want to imagine how the characters/outfits look using your imagination. But then again wuxia novels usually don''t have much description for appearances) Previously, she had had Anemone and Gardenia to change so that they would be less conspicuous, but the clothes she made for Light Phantom Sect were much more comfortable and easy to move in. You need to fight in style after all. (*Hair flip*) ..... Rows upon rows of carriages lined up outside Light Phantom Hall with several nobles and their families entering. Young misses dressed up to extravagantly, adorning themselves with rings and bangles, hoping to catch others'' attention and possibly win the favor of someone from Light Phantom Hall. The banquet room was brightly lit and decorated magnificently, the decorations were all extremely valuable, making the guests ogle and drool, if this wasn''t the Light Phantom Hall they would''ve snatched those treasure to make a fortune for themselves. But, alas, this was Light Phantom Hall, so they could only watch those treasures slip away from their grasps. All of them entered and found a place to stand, after that they nervously talked to their companions and acquaintances, there were rumors that the mysterious sect leader will make an appearance today! When the people of General''s Manor arrived, it caused a commotion, the second and fourth misses were publicly humiliated by the Light Phantom Sect at the test, even though the General''s Manor held great power and their eldest young lady was even said to be poached by a power from a higher continent, they still couldn''t do anything against Light Phantom Sect. The guests searched for the fourth miss among the bunch, people soon spotted a veiled lady walking near the back, everyone immediately recognized her as the fourth miss. However, she was very peculiar today, usually she would be dressed in an expensive and eye-catching outfit to get attention, never once had she been low profile. ''Maybe she''s too ashamed'' The crowd thought, but only those who were close to Xia Hen Chun understood the peculiarity, the arrogant girl has never been so docile. Xia Hen Chun''s mother, Xia Ling Xin, was especially worried, she understood her daughter''s personality the best, how could her daughter be like this, for the past few months the girl had shut herself in her room with minimal outside contact and her other daughter was the same. Xia Ling Xin, formerly known as Zhang Ling Xin, the only young lady of the Left Prime Minister''s Estate, although called first wife is in actuality the second wife. Xia Fei Yan''s mother had been General Xia''s wife but when Zhang Ling Xin seduced the general, due to her mediocre background she was demoted to being a concubine and later Zhang Ling Xin plotted against Xia Fei Yan''s maternal family destroying any backing that she had. In the first place, Xia Li married Xia Fei Yan''s mother due to love at first sight but when he fell in love with Zhang Ling Xin, he lost all affections for the poor woman, what man would not like power. As the only young lady, the Left Prime Minister doted on her, marrying her would be equivalent to gaining the Left Prime Minister''s backing in court. Unlike his father, the Old General, Xia Li only had above average talent and if not for his father he wouldn''t have much standing in court at all so he needed another backing. In addition, after Great Master Dai came here they had been expending a great amount of experts to locate that thing, weakening General''s Manor in the process. After the General''s Manor''s people settled down, those of the Crown Prince''s Estate also arrived, after that issue the Crown Prince had wanted to divorce Xia Wen Ya but the emperor had objected, many thought that it was out of respect for the Old General. Like her sister Xia Wen Ya had also covered her face with a veil and her relationship with the Crown Prince seemed quite distant. At first, when his imperial father objected he only held a bit of displeasure because after all, Xia Wen Ya was the Old General''s granddaughter, in this world fists spoke but after Xia Wen Ya''s detachment he became extremely furious. The guests quietly gossiped while waiting for the start of the banquet. 22 Finale 4 Lilium and Iris led the recruits out to the banquet since the others must be quite tired from going around places so they stayed at the base, they didn''t have Zi Hua''s teleportation ability after all. Plus, the rest of the members had also returned to the base as per Zi Hua''s order. Everyone turned silent and faced the people who entered. "Thank you all for attending" "We have held this banquet to welcome the new recruits and specially for this occasion the sect leader has decided to make an appearance" A beautiful maiden of 14 years old stepped into the room, the recruits were all confused on why the person didn''t look like their Sect leader at all instead someone who although looked beautiful couldn''t compare to her beauty, however ,instinctively, they knew it was their Sect leader. She was dressed in a purple and lilac hanfu with ribbons arranged as a beautiful butterfly on her back. The audience all gasped in awe, however the people of General''s Manor all paled in unease, Zi Hua had taken on an appearance similar to Xia Fei Yan''s mother, a gentle beauty. The Crown Prince who didn''t notice the General''s Manor''s reaction nor recognize the looks impudently went forward to greet Zi Hua, since the Light Phantom Sect had announced the sect exam and had a celebration in Nan Xia Empire it could be that they hold Nan Xia Empire in favor. "Greetings to Light Phantom Sect leader, it''s an honor for the banquet to be held in our empire" The Crown Prince''s words were not for the Sect leader but rather the other princes and princesses of the other empires. "En" ''Xia Fei Yan'' looked over towards the General''s Manor''s people, when they met that pair of piercing eyes they all thought that it couldn''t be her, that little girl was no more that a timid weakling. They all tensed up when ''Xia Fei Yan'' walked over to them. "Fei Yan greets father" ''Xia Fei Yan'' greeted her ''father'' but her voice didn''t hold any respect, rather it was said in a mocking tone, she didn''t even bother giving the slightest bow. Xia Li was frozen, how could that timid and good-for-nothing daughter from his first love be the same powerful figure in front of him, not noticing the ridiculing attitude he thought that he had a chance to repair their father and daughter bond. "Yan''er has grown up, father was worried sick after you left, your mother had left me when you were young, it broke my heart for you to leave too" Hearing her husband''s words Zhang Ling Xin gritted her teeth in anger, she had fallen in love with him first but that sl*t became the first wife, she had taken so much effort to seduce him yet that sl*t''s daughter outshines hers. Zhang Ling Xin was a smart woman, much more so than both her daughters and her son that had gone away with her eldest daughter, she knew that ''Xia Fei Yan''s'' power was immense so she had no choice but to endure. Like Xia Wen Ya, she had poisoned all the concubines in the courtyard but Xia Fei Yan''s mother had miraculously managed to give birth to this wrenched girl. "Mother was worried too" Zhang Ling Xin had always took upon the role of a kind madam, she threw the events from the sect exam to the back of her mind with it being buried by thoughts of hatred. Listening to the couple''s words, Zi Hua sneered in her heart, truly shameless and thick-faced. "Haha, heart-broken, worried about me? That''s the biggest joke I''ve heard, you couldn''t wait for me to die, I was nothing but a nuisance in you people''s eyes. I''ve come back here to expose all your horrible sins to everyone" ''Xia Fei Yan''s'' words made the other guests come to a realization, she hadn''t come back to honor her lineage but to seek revenge. "Bring out the scrolls" Zi Hua had gathered all their crimes throughout the years along with absolute proof. "Year xxx, General''s Manor killed off 5 families due to their suspicions" "Year xxx, General''s Manor annihilated their fifth young lady''s maternal family" "Year xxx, General''s Manor gathered a group of experts secretly" "Year xxx, General''s Manor secretly had many organisations surrender their loyalty to them" And the list went on, only when everything was exposed did the people of General''s Manor finally get back to their senses. "Don''t go spouting nonsense, you don''t have any evidence" Xia Li could foresee the ending they would have if the emperor found out, no monarch would accept such subordinates and each emperor has a group of powerful experts at their command, who had the powers to get rid of General''s Manor. "Evidence? Haha, you think I don''t have evidence? Have you ever thought why I didn''t just annihilate the entire General''s Manor, it''s because I couldn''t stand the horrendous things the General''s Manor has done to be kept hidden and let those victims suffer unjustly" Xiao Shen and the three spirit beasts, who were in the Heaven-defying artifact watching the whole thing unfold through a screen that Xiao Shen had put up whilst eating popcorn, rolled their eyes, since when did their master become so righteous? 23 Finale 5 Looking at the girl''s righteousness everyone believed her, those that came were not stupid, they had had some suspicion about the General''s Manor''s doings but didn''t have the time nor power to pry further. When that was said a mysterious force blew pass Xia Wen Ya and Xia Hen Chun removing their veils, with everyone''s eyes on them and getting exposed for the crimes they blanked out, by the time that they realized that they had been seen, it was already too late. The crowd gasped in terror, their appearances were absolutely mortifying. "ARGH!!!! DON''T LOOK!" The two of them desperately tried to cover their face with their hands but to no avail. At that moment, a powerful force surged into the room. "Father!" Xia Li cried out, when things were taking a bad turn he had instructed the servants to inform the Old General. "How dare you try to harm General''s Manor!" The Old General bellowed aloud, carrying along his aura of a High Stage Martial Expert, the other guests all had their backs soaked in cold sweat. He was furious after hearing the dirty side of General''s Manor being exposed, he didn''t participate in them but nor did he oppose them either, as the saying goes ''to keep one eye open and to keep one eye closed'', turning a blind eye. "It''s called retribution! General''s Manor''s actions will lead themselves to their own demise" "You reap what you sow!" The Old General charged at her but how could a puny little Martial Expert harm her, the Old General was slammed against the wall. Zi Hua threw a pill into each of their mouths, not sparing anyone, there wasn''t a single person from General''s Manor with the slightest moral integrity. Of course, not sparing Xia Wen Ya and her husband, the man dared to neglect his own son, Xing Wu Xun, until the child ended up in such a bad scenario, if she had not arrived in time... "What did you feed us?!" After that was said they could feel indescribable pain from their organs and their skin was turning a horrible color. Their cultivation was completely destroyed and... Seeing those people turn into a pool of blood sent shivers down the audiences'' spines, they all fear the strong and not wanting to experience the same fate no one voiced out a sound. Seeing this the four xiao yatou [1] in Heaven-defying artifact nodded calmly, this was more like their master''s way of doing things, executing the final blow without giving the opponent to have time to get a good grasp of the situation. She hated these people to the core, Xia Fei Yan hadn''t harmed them and was nothing but a naive child yet they used such cruel methods to deal with her and they had done so many bad deeds, no matter what world, these kind of people still seem to exist. In reality, her and Xia Fei Yan''s situations are pretty similar except that Zi Hua''s was better. Zi Hua could''ve left them to suffer the humiliation but she can''t allow her enemies to survive and have a chance for revenge, she has to avenge her master, adding opponents for herself isn''t a very good idea. "My apologies, the banquet is over, Light Phantom Hall will be closed for a while" Those from the Light Phantom Sect all left the room leaving the stupefied mob in shivers as they stared at the pool of blood. Back in the guest room they had all gathered there awaiting their Sect leader. Zi Hua changed back into her usual hanfu and appearance then headed to the guest room. "Master" "En. I''m sorry we didn''t have a proper party, to make up for it I''ve already had people prepare the real banquet back at the base!" Zi Hua gave a helpless smile, she was feeling quite guilty for ruining their banquet but her revenge had to be done. Zi Hua teleported all of them back to Wan Shou Mountain, it was an outdoor party, the place was lit by multi-colored lanterns. Delicacies were lined up on the table and all the members stood there to welcome the new recruits. "Welcome to Light Phantom Sect!" During the party everyone crowded around them and warmly welcomed the new recruits, Zi Hua stood at the side and watched with a gentle smile. Seeing the new members getting into the cheerful atmosphere, Zi Hua left quietly for everyone to befriend each other. After watching the show, the three spirit beasts and Xiao Shen had fallen asleep with a bunch of popcorn scattered around them, when they wake up she''ll make them manually clean the mess up. Zi Hua went into the hot spring in her home within the pagoda, the hot water soothed her tiredness and she could finally relax, however it was only momentary, there was still the third son and eldest daughter to deal with but from what her subordinates had gathered they had gone to Moonlight Continent, that sh*t was probably from some major organization too for him to be able to get his hands on her master''s Immortal Flame fragment map. Thinking about that pile of sh*t, she realized that she had completely forgotten about him, but sh*t like that didn''t deserve her attention. Oh well, she''ll pay a visit tomorrow. She''ll also have to deal with Xing Wu Xun''s problem, things would start piling up if she does not sort them out. So stressful, it feels like when you have like 5 tests consecutively and you don''t know which one to revise for so you don''t revise for a single one and is just like f*ck it, it''ll work out. Somehow. (Is this only me?) As she thought about them all and her future plans, she drifted off to sleep. [1] Yatou is a form of address used for those close to you, it basically means brat. 24 Dream Of Reality A young girl and a boy slightly older ran around the small hill cheerfully whilst a beautiful couple sat on a picnic blanket laughing together... A car crashed, a bloody scene, only the girl survived... Another couple with their son and daughter went into the young girl''s ''home'' with her tailing behind them. "Freak, get away from me!" The daughter screamed. The couple whom the young girl called aunt and uncle seized all her parents'' properties for ''safe keeping'', leaving the girl powerless. The girl had beautiful purple eyes, like her mother, yet instead of the praise and compliments she used to get, it was now bullying and disgust that she received due to jealousy, previously others'' were scared of her parents'' power but now they did as they wished. The young girl, without her elder brother and parents protection could only silently endure and cry herself to sleep. She grew up swallowing retorts back down her throat, but they still didn''t let her off, they ruined her. Ruined her childhood, ruined her education, ruined her mental health, ruined her reputation, ruined her life... She faced endless scorn, contempt and mockery. What did she ever do to them? Finally, she got fed up, she studied tirelessly, faced numerous failures and set backs, then eventually used her understanding of psychology and sociology to ruin them, trained hard to become strong and finally broke free and destroyed those monsters, monsters whom were ingrates, after taking her things and got a better lifestyle thanks to her parents for all those years they still maltreated her so much. But even after that, it left a scar upon her, all friendships she had were never genuine, she would always be cautious, afraid to incite their hatred and jealousy. Even when she assumed her new identity it still stuck to her, so she drowned herself studying for days and nights to escape those nightmares, she could treat others'' mental disorders but could not treat her own. "AH!" Zi Hua woke up from her dream of reality. ''I''m different now'' She really was, in the years she spent in seclusion she managed to understand that no matter what there will still be people that hate you, you need not care about what they say or think, that is their business. Thus, Zi Hua found what she''s comfortable with, aka being a introvert with only her friends being there, there''s nothing wrong with socializing but sometimes it''s better to have some solitary time with the closest of friends or alone. Although, her scar hasn''t quite healed yet but it''s in the process of healing. One day... one day, it''ll shed and fade all away like physical scars. Soon... soon, she''ll be able to break of her cage. Her cage she created herself...soon... She can feel it...the change...her change... NOTICE: FROM HERE ON ZI HUA''S CHARACTER MAY EXPERIENCE SLIGHT CHANGES BUT HER PRINCIPLES ETC WILL NOT CHANGE! HOWEVER IF YOU DO NOT WANT ZI HUA''s CHARACTER TO CHANGE TOO MUCH PLEASE TELL ME IN THE COMMENTS. P.S. I have changed the novel name from Genius Sovereign: Prodigious Miss Overturning The World With Her Aberration to Genius Aberrant: Prodigious Miss Overturning The World With Her Aberration, so that it will match the cover I''m sorry for any inconvenience. 25 Map The next day, Zi Hua went back to the dungeon and found a piece of paper, she had fed that sh*t a truth rotting pill, it''s different from the blood pool pill she gave to those from General''s Manor, those that consume it will be forced to expose the truth and then once it is done they will decompose. She read the piece of paper Next to the piece of paper was a map, there was an X at some place near Dong Ting Empire''s capital. Zi Hua had planned to head to Moonlight Continent after she had dealt with Xing Wu Xun''s matter since he couldn''t go with her on her future journeys but it seems that she would have to stay a little longer. She had Xiao Hong burn the map after she memorized the location. She passed down the orders to allow everyone to have a week off and after the break the Light Phantoms and a new batch of people, which included the new recruits, will go back to the Light Phantom Halls, so that the people will see proof of Light Phantom Sect''s recruiting exam. ..... In a small inconspicuous alley Xing Qiao Min, was being ganged up on by a richly donned young man and a bunch of ruffians. The Four Empires'' imperial family all have the same surname since the Four Empires used to be a single empire. "Hmph, let''s see how you can be proud now! Don''t think that just because you got into Light Phantom Sect you can act all high and mighty, you''re still nothing but the trash of the imperial family" The Second Prince had wanting to enter Light Phantom Sect but instead the one who he constantly made fun of got in, how could he deal with this kind of face slap? He wanted to make trouble for Xing Qiao Min but he was warned not to by his imperial father and the guy had been with the Light Phantom Sect members so he didn''t dare to. But when he saw Xing Qiao Min in the Light Phantom Sect uniform with people staring at him from the previous ridicule to admiration, envy swelled up in his heart. Xing Tang Ji then hired some ruffians to gang up on him once he left Light Phantom Hall. Which led to the current situation, Xing Qiao Min lay on the floor bruised up with the ruffians kicking him. Even though he got into Light Phantom Sect, being a former trash he had no cultivation until he entered Light Phantom Sect so how could he face so many ruffians who had years of cultivation. "Let''s leave" Xing Tang Ji flicked his sleeves as he turned around and left with his hired ''mercenaries''. Xing Qiao Min slowly got up and staggered out of the alley once Xing Tang Ji and his entourage was out of sight. He tried to look as presentable as possible and not look so unkempt as to hide the fact that he was beaten up from his brother and sisters, it was already his blessing to be admitted into Light Phantom Sect, he didn''t want to cause trouble for them by letting them know he had a ''conflict'' with the Second Prince. When he entered Light Phantom Hall, his brother and sisters rushed to him worried for why he would be in such a state. "What happened?" "Nothing, I just fell over and injured myself a bit" Xing Qiao Min flashed a smile to reassure them. Although skeptical, they didn''t pry further since the guy didn''t seem to have any intention of telling them, they respected his privacy. "Okay, but we''re here for you if you need us, go and get some pills to heal yourself" Xing Qiao Min was so moved by their concern that he almost couldn''t hold his tears back, Light Phantom Sect was full of good people thanks to Zi Hua and they were no different from a massive family. "Thank you" Meantime, Zi Hua had gotten herself an inn using her previous life''s appearance, she had to hide her looks in case some other people from Moonlight Continent had also come, she had appeared in the banquet with her true appearance so she didn''t want to be recognized, ''Lady Hua'' and ''Xia Fei Yan'' has been seen by a lot of people too so she couldn''t use them either. She ran out of ideas so she just assumed her previous life''s appearance, her creativity will need a while to restore after all that stress. Zi Hua didn''t bring Anemone or Gardenia either since she didn''t want to endanger Light Phantom Sect in case other people see them, it''s a pity that she can only transform herself and not others or else she would have disguised them whenever they were with her, not to mention that the destination will probably be extremely dangerous or difficult to reach, having a group may be disadvantageous instead. In addition, after that dream of the past she cannot disguise her eyes anymore so they stayed purple, making her easily recognizable due to the distinctive feature. Why didn''t she use the magical transformation substance called makeup you ask? Because her makeup skills are as bad as the author''s. 26 Day Ou An elegant young lady dressed in a purple and white hanfu with golden lace strolled around the capital, others stared at her in awe, wondering which prestigious family the young lady was from. Zi Hua actually prefers platinum and silver over gold but for the sake of her noble young miss cover she added the golden lace, she was a part time secret agent after all and has had to blend in under different identities many times. From a private room in a luxurious tea house, a scholarly yet devilish male in an ultramarine outfit caught a glimpse of Zi Hua, he had the same amethyst eyes. ''It couldn''t be'' ''She couldn''t possibly be here'' ''It must be a coincidence'' He tried to reason with himself, although that ''stranger'' looked strangely similar to how she would''ve looked if she was that age, but he had only managed to come here thanks to his mother. During that incident she didn''t die and was left in that world. When he looked again the figure had already disappeared, the person gave him a feeling of connection, although she and the figure looked strangely familiar he wouldn''t feel like this towards a stranger, he wouldn''t mistake anyone as her. Zi Hua toured around the city, looking at the food stalls and bustle. "Master~ My beautiful and kind, totally not unreasonable and sadistic master~ Please let this poor baby out~" Xiao Hong whined from inside Heaven-defying artifact. "No" "This is against human rights!" "You''re not human" "Spirit beast rights!" Although staying inside Heaven-defying artifact was better than the empty dimensions that other contracted spirit beasts have to stay in, there wasn''t much to do, Xiao Hong was almost bored to death. "Xiao Hong just read a book" Xiao Bai and Xiao Zi sat leisurely on the couch reading one of Zi Hua''s novels, they actually found them quite interesting and addictive. After Zi Hua arrived she realized that there was NO INTERNET! So she could only settle for the next best thing to keep herself alive, novels. "Hmph, we''re spirit beasts not some nerds, we''re meant to be fighting and running around" She was a spirit beasts not some human, how do you expect her to be literate. "No.1 just because I read a lot does not necessarily mean I''m a nerd, if you had to say I''m more of an otaku. No.2 chinese isn''t that hard, it''s just that you''re too lazy and stupid" "Isn''t hard? That''s the biggest lie I''ve ever heard" Xiao Hong couldn''t comprehend how to understand chinese writing, all those strokes get confusing and then when writing, it needs to be written in a certain order, for an stupid ahem not literature blessed spirit beast like Xiao Hong, it was a massive hurdle. "Master~ I want my freedom" "Fine, tomorrow but no making trouble" Finally, fed up with the constant whining, Zi Hua gave a helpless sigh and reluctantly agreed, she wouldn''t keep them away like this if they weren''t always getting caught up in gossip and messing around, they almost trashed that inn during their ''little disagreement''. She then disabled the connection with her three spirit beasts for some peace and quiet, when she was talking to them she couldn''t notice anything else around her, it was better to stop talking with them before she trips over. Zi Hua saw a tanghulu stall and rushed there, one of her favorite snacks were tanghulus, good memories... Zi Hua bought a bunch and then sent some to those back in the Heaven-defying artifact. Right after Zi Hua left the mysterious gentleman came to the same stall and bought a tanghulu too. ''She had really liked these'' After eating the tanghulu, Zi Hua wondered around for a bit and then returned back to the inn, she hasn''t had such a leisurely day out in a while. Zi Hua then had Xiao Shen cook up some dinner, the little bun''s cooking was much better than hers. (A/N: Million+ year old child labor! Wait, does that still count as child labor?) Abandoning all her manners, Zi Hua wolfed down the food, don''t misunderstand, she''s usually very poised. Usually. Xiao Shen and co then went away to play, being alone made Zi Hua reminisce about the good times from her previous life. That dream made her memories resurface, a wave of nostalgia hit her, unwittingly, a tear slid out from her eyes. ''No use focusing on the past, the present is more important'' Zi Hua didn''t want to be trapped in her past, she wanted to move on but it was hard to. 27 He Dares The next day Xiao Hong was wondering around the city when she saw a guy getting dragged into an alley way, normally she would''ve just left it since it was none of her business but the guy was wearing Light Phantom Sect''s uniform. "Xing Qiao Min, it seems that your injuries have already been healed" Only the ruffians came today since the Second Prince found Xing Qiao Min unworthy of his presence. "It''s a pity that they wasted precious pills on trash like you" "His highness the Second Prince deserves them more than trash like you" They kicked him to the ground but before they could do anything more, a vivacious voice appeared. "Hmph, there are idiots who dare bully my master''s Light Phantom Sect''s people, where did these birdbrains come from" Xiao Hong stepped into the alley way, her white hanfu skirt swaying elegantly with the sleeves of her red top dancing with the wind along with her hair, the red flowers embroidered on her white skirt seemed real and alive. Her crimson red hair was tied in a pony tail making her look more lively. "Where did this little lady come from?" "Pretty lady, why don''t you entertain us for a bit?" One of the ruffians licked his lips lustfully. "Hmph, such disgusting humans like you who bully the others existing is an offense to the human race, I''m telling you to scram now or I won''t be lenient" Of course, being lenient didn''t refer to her letting them go, it was just a matter of getting burned painlessly or painfully. "A little lady like you hahaha" Before the others had the chance to say anything more, Xiao Hong had already started burning them, their cries could be heard until nightfall. "Are you okay? I don''t mean any harm" Xiao Hong somehow managed to bring out the gentle side of her to help her master''s subordinate. "Thank you Miss...?" "Hong" "Thank you Miss Hong" "No worries, you''re one of my master''s people" "Respects to Miss Hong" Xing Qiao Min immediately acknowledged Xiao Hong respectfully. "Go back to Light Phantom Hall" "Yes, thank you" When the guy left, fury and flames were raging in Xiao Hong''s eyes. ''Those idiots dare to bully my master''s people! Let''s see if they have what it takes'' That day the Second Prince found his residence burned to the ground by scarlet flames, the fire was weird, no matter how they tried the flames wouldn''t go out until the whole residence was gone and there were no casualties, if this was in a higher continent they would recognize it as a spirit beast''s doing. When Xiao Hong returned, her friends were sitting around a table - ready interrogate her. "Xiao Hong, you said you wouldn''t cause trouble but why did you did you do that?" Xiao Bai questioned, as soon as she heard the news she knew it was Xiao Hong''s doing. "I''ve got a reason this time" "Say" "The Second Prince was bully one of master''s people, since he dares to do that, he will get his consequences, but he didn''t deserve to be dealt with by master" "Good job!" Xiao Bai''s attitude instantly took a 180 degree turn. "Thank you, but next time don''t do it again okay? Even though you are strong, there might be some experts from other continents hiding here, it''s dangerous" Xiao Hong''s rash actions made her heart warm up but also caused her to worry. "Okay" Xiao Hong said meekly. From the news she got, Zi Hua could ascertain that the one being bullied was the previously disowned nephew of the Dong Ting emperor. "Also, if you''re taking revenge never be so gentle" Since that prince dares to bully her people, she will show him the consequences. "Yes, master" Xiao Hong didn''t find anything wrong with her master''s brutal nature, come to think of it, she had been too nice to just burn down his residence, she should''ve burned his clothes off in public too. ..... That night a black shadow sneaked into the Second Prince''s temporary lodging and threw a pill into his mouth. ..... The next day, the prince found his cultivation destroyed and worst of all, he couldn''t even keep it under wraps, for some reason everyone in the capital had gotten wind of it. Worse of all, it just happened out of no where. ''Since you like bully ''trash'' so much, lets see how you like getting a taste of how it feels'' Zi Hua usually wouldn''t bother others if they don''t bother her but once they did hehe~ This was the law of the jungle, as long as you had power anything was fine, at least on the surface, meddling people with a sense of justice never live long, rather those who harm innocents for self gain live on. That''s life, life can be so unfair sometimes. It''s also one of the reasons behind Light Phantom Sect''s name, light for happiness and good times and phantom for the dark side and illusions of life. 28 Grazing Shoulders, Almost Meeting The mysterious man had happened to witness the fire that day but hadn''t bothered himself with it much, the culprit didn''t seem to mean any harm, not to mention that he has other matters to attend to. He had been sent to capture the person who had infiltrated into a lower continent with the flame fragment map that his organization had lost, the incident couldn''t have been that person''s doing since the spirit beast was at least Mid Stage Saint rank contracted beast which was as rare as unicorn horns and dragon scales in Sunlight Continent not to mention Moonlight Continent . The man had thought it could only be a contracted beast since a wild spirit beast couldn''t have sneaked into the city undetected, however he didn''t even take into consideration the existence of celestial rank spirit beasts who could attain human forms. If only he had looked into it more... Meanwhile, Zi Hua was heading to the allocated place, she wore a white and purple female martial artist clothing that reached her knees and slightly darker purple trousers coupled with knee high boots. It was an enormous lake which was strange considering that a flame was supposed to be there, but the Immortal Flame was different from other flames. The reason why the experts sent by General''s Manor all disappeared was because this place had many marine spirit beasts with the weakest being High Stage Intermediate. Though, that wasn''t much of an obstacle for Zi Hua, the real problem was how she was meant to go down to the bottom of the lake, due to the red flame fragment she could sense the approximate location of the flame but in this world there''s no oxygen tanks of the sort. Abruptly, bubbles started forming at the surface of the lake and a gargantuan labyrinth fish (anabantoidei) burst out of the water, an idea suddenly came into Zi Hua''s head. Labyrinth fishes can blow bubbles, if she uses her martial arts to condense/compress oxygen then surround her head with oxygen like a bubble it might work, basically a DIY oxygen mask/tank. The fish launched a fierce attack towards Zi Hua, however Zi Hua released her aura to scare the poor fish away, it helped her think up the idea so she won''t kill it, plus it had only tried to attack her because she intruded into its territory so she was in the wrong here. ''Goodbye fishy'' Zi Hua proceeded to dive into the water, she had learnt to scuba dive when a client wanted her to assassinate a mafia boss during a submarine party, that was one of her hardest missions since there were so many trained fighters there an it was impossible to sneak into but the client had given her a generous amount of money. It took her quite some time but when she finally reached the bottom of the lake, she saw a faint aquamarine glow, there it was, in a patterned black lantern looking thing that sat on a short pillar that surprisingly hadn''t corroded with the passage of time, but before she could reach it she found a snake-like eel with its body wrapped around the pillar. From Zi Hua''s results after using spirit eye on it, it was a Mid Stage Saint ranked spirit beast, the same level as Zi Hua, the spirit beast was probably the guardian and boss of this lake, however Zi Hua was only Low Stage whereas it''s probably some hundred year old spirit beast. As strength grew, gaps between levels were more apparent. Zi Hua paused to weigh the factors, the spirit beast has the environmental advantage and she doesn''t have any experience fighting in the water... Oh well, she''ll just leg it, no point running away at this point since it seems that the spirit beast has noticed her... The spirit beast charged towards her ferociously with its serpentine body. "Hiss!" ''Is his a snake or eel?'' It had a snake like body with the slit eyes but the skin and color was that of an eel. Zi Hua used some spiritual power to propel herself to the side then twisted her body to kick the snake-eel''s head, she figured that using weapons would only drag her down considering the water pressure and friction. ''Why didn''t I make a weapon suitable to use in the water?'' This was the first time Zi Hua felt so helpless, previously she would be extremely prepared but during these few years of idling she had lost her touch. "Why didn''t I just refine a pill that allows me to breathe underwater" This also finally dawned on her, she didn''t need to spend all that effort compressing oxygen and maintaining it so it wouldn''t disperse if she had just CAME PREPARED! But no use regretting it now, she can only learn from her mistakes next time. 29 Fight, No "Hiss!" The beast was infuriated from the attack it just received and wished to counter attack but before it could do so, Zi Hua had already started to dish out a barrage of onslaught. If the opponent had an advantage in the fight, she just had to make sure that the opponent doesn''t get a chance to attack her and use that advantage, simple logic! Zi Hua twisted herself in different angles in order to weave through the currents and carry out the attacks, in reality if someone else were to do it they wouldn''t be able to last long and the attacks wouldn''t be as fierce however Zi Hua had put herself through vigorous training during her past life and after she arrived here, the skills of her past life still remained after the merging process. The poor snake-eel was beaten to death and full of bitterness, if it was going to die, it wanted to die in a noble way not in such a pitiful manner. Once the ''fight'', AKA one-sided annihilation, was finished Zi Hua took the lantern looking thing and swam back to the shore, her oxygen supply was about to run out, of course not forgetting the core, she can make a weapon or something out of it, marine spirit beasts weren''t that common. It would be more suitable to use to make a water usable weapon with a marine spirit beast core, she couldn''t use the stuff in Heaven-defying pagoda since they are too precious and may bring her trouble, this Mid Stage Saint rank spirit core totally won''t bring her trouble, right? She doesn''t want to kill needlessly but it doesn''t mean that she is afraid to kill, whether they''re human or spirit beast, however although death can''t not happen, she at least wants to minimize the unnecessary deaths, the snake-eel was a necessary death since it was the guardian. As soon as she exited the lake, she entered the Heaven-defying pagoda, if anyone sees her during the absorption period it would be troublesome, she would''ve preferred to have entered once she had gotten the flame fragment however, if she did, as soon as she got out she would be in the lake again and that wouldn''t be very good. The others knew not to disturb her, so she quickly went to dry herself and change her clothes, then she opened the lantern looking thing after twisting and turning it a few times, with her line of job there were times where she had to sneak into places. Her master is lucky that she''s her disciple, if it was someone else they wouldn''t even be able to reach the flame fragment. Humans needed to breathe and in this era there were few ways of going under water and it was near impossible for people here to get the lantern-] looking thing to open, that was probably why there were no traps and only a guardian. Once she opened it, Zi Hua immediately started to absorb the flame fragment, this time it took her a few days less and after resting for a while Zi Hua headed back to Wan Shou Mountain. When she arrived, the members were there waiting for her. "Welcome back master" They greeted her in a synchronized manner, when Zi Hua was near they could sense her aura, of course it was Zi Hua that purposely allowed it, she needed to gather them all. "I''m back, has the Light Phantom Halls been closed?" Before she left, she had instructed them to close the Halls once all the ''failures'' were sold. "Yes master" Gardenia and Anemone stepped forward to report to her. Zi Hua had done this due to the fact that the failures were sold out but also to prevent war, after Nan Xia Empire looses General''s Manor the other three empires would see it as a chance to swallow it during the chaos and potentially gain favor from Light Phantom Sect, however before they had the chance to evaluate the circumstances and prepare the army, the Light Phantom Halls had gone away. They know that Light Phantom Sect still exists however they were just in seclusion but if the Four Empires were to end up in a dogfight, the ones benefiting would most likely be Light Phantom Sect, especially if they intervene, this act had made them change their plans. Although Light Phantom Sect was stronger in power but never showed ambition towards the Four Empires, but who knows, they might only be waiting for the right time, this suspicion stopped the war. "Where''s the little prince?" Now that she had sorted out those matters, the only thing left in Moonlight Continent for her to do was to settle Xing Wu Xun''s problem. "He is with Iris and Lilium in Nan Xia Empire''s Capital" Iris and Lilium had already been seen by Nan Xia Empire''s people so it was the best choice as a warning that Light Phantom Sect hadn''t disappeared. After Xing Lan Ping and those from General''s Manor were disposed of, the little prince''s existence had been almost forgotten, no one searched for him either, the emperor was busy with the succession problem and couldn''t care less for that orphaned grandson of his. "Tell them to hand the little prince over to the emperor and tell him to make sure the prince gets the best and stays safe, say the Sect leader pitied the child and imply that she wishes for him to become emperor" Those words were indicating that the little prince had Light Phantom Sect''s backing, if the little prince becomes emperor it will solve the emperor''s predicament and stabilize Nan Xia Empire so the emperor would have no choice but to agree, plus after the little display during the banquet the emperor won''t dare to disobey. Other empires although wary and cautious won''t have the guts to oppose Light Phantom Sect, they won''t make a move unless Light Phantom Sect makes a move on them and the Light Phantom Sect backing the little prince just further solidified their suspicions. She had lost part of her childhood but, although the little prince had almost become a poison test subject, he is still young, he should stay in the palace where he''s meant to be, at least there, the emperor would be afraid of Light Phantom Sect and treat him favorably and protect him, not to mention the spirit beast he has in his possession, contrary to the dangers that will come his way if he were to follow her. "Yes master" "I will head to Starlight Continent in a few days, everyone except Anne and Nia will stay here and train" Zi Hua had originally wanted to bring them too but after evaluating the potential danger, she wouldn''t be able to protect them if she brought them all. "Yes master" They were absolutely obedient to Zi Hua, even if she told them to head to their deaths they would do so without objection, since their master told them to train they would make sure to train as hard as they can so they can be of assistance to Zi Hua, they understood that they were still too weak. 30 Starlight Continen A hooded figure donned in a black and purple shoulder cloak (Is this what they are called?) entered the ever so hectic Rarity Dew Auction House, the woman took off her hood revealing a captivating woman with a bob hairstyle, despite a mask being upon her face it couldn''t hide her beauty. Zi Hua had sent Gardenia to Rarity Dew Auction House to sell a pill that she had made, she had Gardenia wear a mask to hide her beauty as to appear less eye-catching, she too had done the same along with Anemone, they had just arrived in an unfamiliar continent and was in the enemy''s territory, it would be bad to reveal their appearances. Although she was the one that made them take the beautifying pill, beauty can give others a better first impression, but it also made them more distinct and recognizable. Gardenia was more sociable and out-going so she would usually handle these jobs whereas Anemone was anti-social ahem I mean less friendly and more withdrawn. They could have some mystery to prevent others'' from going against them but gather attention at the same time since if they can bring out such valuable pills they must have some extra-ordinary background and totally not some overpowered people from Starlight Continent. Others'' will think that they are some people from some big sect and was sent out for training or whatever reasons. Though, that is half correct. Gardenia wore a lilac hanfu without the usual extravagant sleeves and more similar to a dress that independent female cultivators would wear, a gardenia flower decoration hung from her waist band, the dress stopped just before it reaches the ground to prevent tripping over the hem. Correspondingly, Anemone wore the same outfit except that it was a purple anemone flower instead of a gardenia flower. Zi Hua, however, wore a above-the-knee-length purple and slightly white dress/hanfu that had a wide ribbon and several thinner ribbons tied at the waist and the sleeves had a trail of lace attached to it, the hem of the dress had ripples and was V-shaped which resembled petals, giving out the appearance of a fairy. All this was, of course, made by Zi Hua. When her hood was taken off, the bustling halted and all eyes were on her, an employee immediately went up to welcome here, with just one look you could see that the lady had a special background, especially with the clothes she wore, they looked extremely valuable but the veteran employee couldn''t identify it. "Dear customer, are you here to buy or sell?" The employee politely approached her. "I''m here to sell, please bring me to one of your appraisers" Gardenia gave off an affable attitude. "Yes of course, this way please" When the lady left. the auction resumed its previous activity however the guests were all wondering who the mysterious lady was, all those who come here all have some sort of background. But to there dismay, even after mobilizing their forces the only information they could get was that the lady had entered the city the previous day with two others. "Please enter, the appraiser is inside" Gardenia was led into a private room where a white-haired old man with a beard sat around a table. "Take a seat" Gardenia sat down and took out a bottle. The old man opened the porcelain bottle and emptied the pill out. "This is a lord breaking pill!" His wrinkled hands were shaking from shock, how could an auction house in a medium size city ever see this kind of pill? The lord breaking pill was a pill that only advanced rank alchemists could make, the number of advanced and master rank alchemists in this continent could be counted on one hand, only the top sects would have them. The lord breaking pill will help a Martial Expert to break-through to Martial Lord or for a Martial Lord to increase a minor rank (i.e. low to mid), making the pill was extremely valuable. From her master''s memories Zi Hua knew the extent of power each continent viewed as the pinnacle, even after millenniums it never changed due to the amount of Qi in each continent. Martial Lords are the cultivation level of elders or even leaders (for the weaker ones) of second rate powers, so one could tell how limited they are, a pill such as this was invaluable. However, if they were really that good, Zi Hua''s subordinates would be a much higher rank but the unrevealed problem was that using these pills to achieve an artificial break-through would make the foundation shallow and cultivation hollow, it would be extremely hard to fix so Zi Hua only allowed cultivation pills that helped with absorbing Qi for her subordinates. Zi Hua and her subordinates may know this but do the people of Moonlight Continent know? NOPE. "Is this eligible for the auction?" "Of course, however would it be okay if we first spread the news as to gather more buyers?" "Sure" This would create an even better effect, Rarity Dew Auction House had many stores across the continent and wide connections, this was why Zi Hua chose this auction house. "You don''t need to keep my identity hidden" If they did that, the plan would fall apart. "As you wish dear customer" The old man immediately agreed, that would save them the trouble of some ''midnight visitors''. 31 Auction That day, Rarity Dew Auction House of Cerulean Coral City released a piece of shocking news, they had a lord breaking pill for their upcoming auction and what was even more shocking was that the seller was a mysterious young lady, however no one dared to make a move in fear of offending some big power. They understood that the lady must be from a strong background to be able to casually bring out such a valuable pill out for an auction, powers immediately started gathering treasures to trade for the pill, for such a priceless pill money would not be enough so treasures would often be used instead. A Martial Lord or Martial Expert could be the difference between winning and losing in a confrontation. Another piece of news that the sects received was that the mysterious lady and her companions had brought a large plot of land and a manor in that city. People had sent spies but none returned, the residence had no one exiting nor any servants to get information from. On the day of the long awaited auction, many people came and the hall was packed full, Gardenia came with Zi Hua and Anemone, the employees punctually received them and led them to a VIP room that was specially reserved for them. When the lights of that room lit up, all eyes turned towards it, they knew that the origins of the pill were from the ladies in that room. They saw three masked young ladies, all of superb beauty, one was the previous bob haired one and there was also another girl of similar age,19/20 years old, who had an half-up, half-down hairstyle wearing the same clothing, however what really caught their eyes was the fairy-like lady that was the youngest yet seemed to be the leader, her beauty was also the most exquisite out of the three, they have never seen such a beautiful being. However, half of their faces were covered by a masked. Zi Hua had had no choice but to keep the spirit beasts inside Heaven-defying pagoda since if they met with an expert from an higher continent they would recognize their spirit beast identities and she hasn''t quite completed ''that'' yet. It could cause them to be at risk and with her current power Zi Hua won''t be able to protect them, ''for a noblewoman to take revenge, ten years is not long''. Zi Hua knew how to be patient and bide her time however she would not be willing to be oppressed anymore like what happened during those years. The auctioneer appeared quieting the hall, products were taken out and bids were placed but most stayed withdrawn, finally the item they had been waiting for was taken out. "Ladies and gentlemen, I''m sure that you all know of the lord breaking pill that is being presented here today from the ladies from VIP room 1 so I won''t dally on, no starting bid and treasures can be used to exchange instead" The hall immediately broke into a bidding war, however the powers who came for the pill stayed quiet waiting until the bidding slowed down until they join in. "One advanced rank armament, Snake Whip" The armament was the same rank as the pill making the onlookers drool at the offer, that organization must have a large wallet. "One Thousand year old Ginseng" This was relatively rare but not impossible to find, however they required a lot of man power to obtain due to their random growing environments. "One Twilight Lotus" The purple twilight lotus was extremely rare however few people knew of it''s uses. Only these three were left and the ultimate decider would be the mysterious ladies. "Esteemed misses, please decide" "Twilight Lotus" A dulcet voice came from the chamber. Zi Hua chose the Twilight Lotus which had been offered by Aboveboard Arcane Sect, a second rate power which was on the stronger side so they could protect themselves but they were rather recluse, they focus on experimenting with new ways in concoction and such, unlike most other sects which focus on cultivation solely. She had looked into them and they weren''t righteous but nor were they evil, much better than the pretentious Sophist Sage Sect who liked to act holy and upright, that offered the advanced rank armament. Plus she had uses for the Twilight Lotus. The Sophist Sage Sect could only grit their teeth in frustration, they didn''t dare offend the young ladies and Mystical Arcane Sect was on the same standing as them or maybe even stronger. An advanced rank pill was hard to come by, high ranked alchemists were all poached by the first rate powers and hermits wouldn''t really sell them unless it was to show off or to get something which they needed. 32 Celestial Cloud Sec After that another uproar erupted, inner disciples from Celestial Cloud Sect came to Cerulean Coral city! The governor of Cerulean Coral City personally went to welcome them, it really was one shocking news after another, why couldn''t he just have peaceful days. First was the lord breaking pill and the three ladies, now THIS!? Although no first rate powers came for the auction, plenty of second rate powers did and they were not something a puny governor could contend with. The inner disciples of Celestial Cloud Sect had then said to have come for the Twilight Lotus and wished to meet with the three ladies leaving the governor in an awkward situation, he was only a mere governor, he didn''t want to offend these big figures. When Zi Hua heard the news, her eyes flashed with ruthlessness, enemies are truly on a narrow path, but why...why does this always happen to her? She had already thought up the plan: 1. Become famous through the lord breaking pill. 2. Make people think that she has a great backing. 3. Stay withdrawn so she can rouse their interest and take a break for herself (to laze about). 4. Reveal that she''s not under any organization. 5. Say that she had been accepted as a disciple along with her ''senior sisters'' by an old hermit. 6. Have organizations try to rope her in. 7. Get rid of the eldest young lady and sh*t''s organizations in a single sweep along with those dogs of ''them''. If Zi Hua knew what the governor was thinking she would totally sympathize with him. She had planned all that but no, like last time her plan gets disrupted by some ******* and she has to use her brain to think of a flippin'' new plan, can''t she just lay back and watch her plan unfold whilst doing the bare minimum!? Her brain needs a break, since they dare disrupt her ''holiday time'', hmph let them be shown the consequences of disturbing her...DEATH! Zi Hua was enveloped in a murderous and blood-thirsty aura due to her annoyance, Gardenia and Anemone could only try their best to assist their master, they wouldn''t be much help in plan making and scheming. It wasn''t that Zi Hua took her revenge as a minor thing, she has never thought that way, but what was the use of getting swallowed by vengeance? Although it''s important, ruining your own happiness is not what the person who you are avenging wants, Zi Hua had understood that after she arrived and tries to enjoy life as much as possible. That dream she had had also awakened her and started to change her making her realize that she is avenging those dear to her and not herself, her parents'' accident had been purely an accident since after all that couple were raised in a modern society, they weren''t involved in the underground and such, so they wouldn''t and couldn''t murder. They want to meet her? She''ll let them meet her, but that doesn''t mean she''ll agree to their demands, she has uses for that Twilight Lotus. Not to mention that they disrupted her plan... Zi Hua didn''t want to bring the governor trouble so it couldn''t be at his manor, she didn''t want to sacrifice her place so their place it is! Zi Hua, ah, Zi Hua, usually people would want to avoid going to the enemies'' territory, an aberrant is truly different from the rest. "Anne, Nia, let''s go pay them a visit" Zi Hua had a cunning smile which resembled a crafty fox, best way of revenge is slap their egos away then kill them. "Yes master" "Come on, didn''t I say to just call me junior sister, although I am your master, I am a member of Light Phantom Sect and a sister of yours too" Zi Hua was really fond of the two, they were loyal and likable, they could be said to be her first friends. Her three spirit beasts and Xiao Shen don''t count since they were more like her children. Anemone summoned her onyx condor which was a Low Stage Saint rank spirit beast that she had gotten with the combined effort of her and Gardenia during the period when Zi Hua was absorbing the flame fragment, Gardenia had also gotten a Low Stage Saint rank spirit beast. Normally, only Martial Emperors can contend with Low Stage Saint rank spirit beasts however with the help of Zi Hua''s training and their armaments that Anemone made, they can subdue one for long enough so that Gardenia could tame them. Anemone and Gardenia had also both broke-through to Mid Stage Martial King, the other Light Phantoms have broken through into Low Stage Martial King, but as they increase their cultivation it gets harder, however Gardenia and Anemone''s talents are the best out of Light Phantom Sect, minus Xue Ying and Mu Qing. The other 10 Light Phantoms would take at least a year to reach Mid Stage Martial King and the majority of others would take at least two years, yet these two took less than a year. This is why being a minor rank higher can signify a person''s superior talent. They jumped onto the onyx condor''s back and flew to the Celestial Cloud Sect''s temporary residence that the governor had arranged for the inner disciples because the governor''s manor had been too ''humble'' for them. Zi Hua couldn''t just fly there since it could alert her enemies. 33 Visi When the three arrived at the Celestial Cloud Sect''s temporary residence, a servant rushed to inform the disciples thinking that the three had agreed to their demand. Passersby stared at the onyx condor in bewilderment, when the inner disciples came out and saw thespirit beast they couldn''t determine it''s rank, neither could the person who was hiding in the shadows. "Dear guests please enter" Assuming that the other party had agreed to their request they welcomed the three ladies in gleefully. The male disciples ogled at their beauty, trying to imagine how they would look beneath their masks, the male disciples behaviors made the female give stares of jealousy towards the ladies, Zi Hua just ignored them without minding their attitude unlike how her previous self would react. The governor had prepared a lavish abode for the esteemed guests. Zi Hua and co followed the group into a dainty pavilion in the garden, there was only about a dozen or so disciples that came here so they all fit around the table. "Misses it''s a pleasure to meet you, may I know your names?" A young man in his late 20s started talking and asked, he seemed to have the highest cultivation and was the leader. "Before you ask others you should introduce yourself" Even the usually quiet Anemone got disgusted and annoyed by their stares. "Ah sorry, where are my manners, I am a inner disciple of Celestial Cloud Sect, Mo Lu" Not the least faltered by the beauty''s feisty attitude Mo Lu introduced himself. "I''m Gardenia, this this Anemone and Hua" Gardenia took the initiative to speak seeing that her two companions kept quiet. "What beautiful names, but the three of you are even more beautiful than flowers" Mo Yu gave a cringe-worthy compliment thinking that it would move the girls'' hearts, however they didn''t bat an eyelash at him. "Ahem, as you may know we have come here for the Twilight Purple Lotus, originally we were heading to Aboveboard Arcane Sect, however we received the news that it is now in your hands" Mo Lu dared not be discourteous since the three ladies were able to bring out an lord breaking pill, even the core disciples from their sect may have trouble getting their hands on one, never mind bringing it out for an auction. This just shows the scarcity of pills. "Of course, this is why we are here today" "Then, do you mean..." Mo Yu looked at them in ecstasy. "We refuse" "Pardon?" He was absolutely dumbstruck. "We refuse" "YOU!" Even after they showed such goodwill the other party still dared to refuse. All the disciples immediately surrounded them in a battle formation. Zi Hua sat there quietly seemingly watching a show that had nothing to do with her. "So this is how Celestial Cloud Sect does things" Zi Hua had expected this much. "Ladies, it''s a pity to harm you, if you agree we will let you off, if you do not, even if you are killed here Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect won''t become hostile towards us just for three people" They had thought that the three had come from Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect since only the three first rate powers had the ability to be able to sell a lord breaking pill. Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect only accepts females, opposite to the other first rate power Deep Sky Dragon Sect which only accepts males, it was said that these two sects were started by the two highly ranked spirit beasts that came from a higher continent, the two sects worship their respective spirit beast. The three first rate powers were equal in power, so if two of them fight, the neutral power will gain the advantage. This was what kept the delicate balance. 34 You Donst Have The Ability "Junior sister, I have never seen such dumb people" "When did we say that we are from Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect?" "YOU!" They were flabbergasted, if that was the case they must''ve looked like fools. "Haha, then that just makes it a whole lot easier" Thinking it through, the three first rate sects'' disciples have no need to sell pills to an auction, even if it''s to Rarity Dew Auction House. The three of them must''ve been lucky and through a miraculous coincidence accidentally gotten their hands on it. The shadow stood in the dark watching the whole thing unfold, his brows scrunched together in contemplation, the opponents'' calm attitudes were queer. "Ladies, what''s your final answer?" "We refuse" "Hmph, since you do not know what''s good for you, then don''t blame us for not giving you a chance" Since they aren''t from Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect, the inner disciples had nothing in the way of them getting rid of these people, maybe before they finish them off, they can enjoy them for a bit. "Let''s show them the difference between our abilities, attack!" All of them simultaneously charged towards Zi Hua, releasing their spiritual power ready to strike, Zi Hua was the leader so if they had her hostage they would undoubtedly hand over the Twilight Lotus, not to mention that she was the youngest which according to norms the weakest. But does our aberrant ever follow norms? "Heh, if you wish to get to her, you need to get past us first, it''s blasphemy for you to be her opponent" How dare they try to attack their master right in front of them! They were inner disciples of a first rate power, if they were to be in an less powerful organization they would be a treasured genius, the weakest of them was a Low Stage Martial Spirit. How could two people go against a dozen of them? Alas, it''s a entire different story if they were two Mid Stage Martial Kings. With just their auras, they suppressed their advance, the one in the shadows was out of range so it could still move and dashed in front of the inner disciples. "Father!" Mo Lu saw the shadow appear and rejoiced. "Elder Mo!" Seeing appear gave them a ray of hope however it was immediately extinguished by the scene of the elder being slammed into the ground, how could they have not sensed the elder? Anemone and Gardenia concurrently increased their auras and used it as an attack causing them to puke mouthfuls of blood, it was more than enough to deal with them due to their puny cultivation. "My, my, you really have shown me the difference between our abilities today" Anemone said in a mocking tone full of sarcasm, these guys really repulse her, during the Crown Prince Banquet last time had already taken every ounce of patience out of her, she loathes their lustful stares which were full of their desire to ravage her, like she belonged to them and was no more than a tool. Anemone was quiet most of the time, but once she opens her mouth... she literally spews venom. "If you kill us, aren''t you afraid that Celestial Cloud Sect will get revenge for us?" "Dead people can''t speak, plus..." Zi Hua ceased her silence and replied. "Celestial Cloud Sect isn''t worth to be put in my eyes!" This hit them like a bombshell, they had been used to people cowering before them due to Celestial Cloud Sect, how could they accept someone suddenly taking it so lightly? "Your lying!" "Little girls, you don''t know the severity of offending us! Although you may be powerful but two fists cannot fight four!" The elder recovered slightly and rebuked Zi Hua. Zi Hua activated her aura, suffocating Elder Mo. "Finish them off" With those three words, Zi Hua sealed their fate, Anemone and Gardenia flashed through the pavilion dying it red with spatters of blood. It would be a waste of pills to give it to them, she couldn''t be bothered wasting her time, they had already been enough of a bother. "Master, what should we do next?" Since people saw them going inside before those people were killed, it wouldn''t be difficult for Celestial Cloud Sect to find out that they were the culprits, although Celestial Cloud Sect was weak in comparison to them but being constantly chased down would be troublesome since the higher continents may get suspicious. "Since they think that we are from Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect then why don''t we fulfill their thoughts" It was a pity to leave her comfortable and isolated manor, but ''that'' was finished so there was no need to stay. "But master, the recruiting is ages away unlike Celestial Cloud Sect''s" "Don''t worry, I have my ways" Though she''d prefer a different way as to not implicate others, however it was the best method for gathering power. It was the chance for Xiao Zi to shine. 35 Lightning Purple Phoenix Sec "Halt!" Zi Hua and co headed to Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect, it wasn''t difficult to find but it was located on the peak of a mountain, two female disciples in the sect uniform who guarded the entrance at the base of the mountain, stopped them on their tracks. The uniform was absolutely stunning and made them give off the appearance of an elf or a gallant female warrior from a chinese fantasy video game, they were adorned with various bangles and jewelry but did not look tacky or crude at all. "Xiao Zi" A ray of purple lightning descended from the sky, a majestic phoenix appeared with untamed purple lightning bolts accompanying it. "The lord has returned!" Disciples cheered and hollered as soon as they saw Xiao Zi. Originally, during the creation of the Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect and Deep Sky Dragon Sect, the phoenix was female and the dragon was male, that''s why they are male and female only sects respectively, however it seems that in this generation, they might have switched. Several gleams of light headed towards the entrance of the sect, it was the Sect leader and elders. "Lord!" "I am not your lord but her descendant, I entrust these three humans to you, look after them with utmost courtesy" "As you wish lord, however lord, you are the descendant of the Lightning Purple Phoenix so you are our lord" After that was said the Lightning Purple Phoenix disappeared. Xiao Zi returned to the Heaven-defying artifact. "Master, I''ve completed it as you wished" "Good job, thank you" Xiao Zi had really saved her quite a bit of trouble, but was associating with the Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect really the right decision, it was needed for her revenge however, it will implicate it''s disciples. "I''ve left some sweets (pills) in the cabinet in the top shelf, you can have a bottle" She had invented those sweets to coax Xiao Shen but they had really liked them so it''s now a reward kinda thing, it was beneficial for them anyways, it was meant to improve their spirit, perfect for a artifact spirit like Xiao Shen but also helpful for spirit beasts especially young ones, to develop their spirit which will increase their potential. "Master~ If there was a Blazing Vermilion Bird Sect, I would gladly help you" In front of food, pride of a mythical spirit beast is useless, you can''t eat it anyways. "Fine, each one of you can take a bottle" It seems that she will have to refine some more when she has time. "Esteemed guests, please allow use to guide you to your lodgings" The two sects practically worship their respective spirit beasts, so how could they not take care of the guests that were entrusted to them by their lord? They were guided to the pavilions where elders stayed, but there were still quite a few vacant ones. Zi Hua and them got an pavilion for them to stay in, at first the Sect leader wanted to give them individual pavilions, however they requested to stay together. It would be easier to make any moves if they are under the same roof which allows them to share their plans, they aren''t psychic and can''t read each others'' minds. "Thank you for your hospitality, Sect leader" "No, no, it is our pleasure, you are the people our lord has entrusted us with" They then left to return to their posts and discuss about the appearance of the Lightning Purple Phoenix. Anemone and Gardenia didn''t step out of bounds and question Zi Hua about the Lightning Purple Phoenix, after all, who didn''t have one or two secrets. ..... "Master, some disciples have become slightly discontent with you and call you a free-loader" When Anemone was gathering this information she almost couldn''t resist the urge to beat those moronic brats up, but that would create trouble for her master so she didn''t. They had been staying here for a month however the three of them have barely had any contact and were hermits. "Leave them be, their jealousy has nothing to do with me" Her being favored by their ''idol'' is bound to create some jealousy, why should she waste her time caring about some non-important ants? "Elder! Elder! Senior sisters have been hurt outside!" A young disciple ran across their pavilion in dread. "What! Who dares to harm my disciples" Elder Liu was the elder who stayed in the pavilion next to Zi Hua''s and was the elder who had the most disciples. She was an woman well past a century years old, however due to her cultivation and a bit of maintenance she looked more like a rich 40 year old madam who could pass off as a late 20 year old if she really tried. Although her personality was slightly queer and unreasonable she cared for the sect and her disciples. 36 Conflict 1 Hearing this, Zi Hua knew that there was no going back, although the three first rate sects have pretty much the same power, Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect and Deep Sky Dragon Sect were slightly superior for none other than the fact that they have two, according to records, extremely powerful spirit beasts who could decimate Martial Kings in seconds. Celestial Cloud Sect did not have such a protector who could possibly return in times of crisis, so they had always been envious, which due to that and some other factors led to the current situation after hearing of the Lightning Purple Phoenix''s appearance. When their disciples met each other, the Celestial Cloud Sect attacked the disciples of Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect since all they had to do was attack the elders'' disciples to weaken its power, they didn''t fear the Lightning Purple Phoenix since it had disappeared for a few millenniums before reappearing so who knew when it would feel like going back again. Deep Sky Dragon Sect had always had good relations with Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect due to their lords being comrades and took the Lightning Purple Phoenix''s appearance as a prophecy that their lord may appear in the next few centuries. This was all going according to Zi Hua''s plan. She''s no saint, she cannot care for everyone, she will not allow her compassion to get in the path of her revenge, she''ll just have to harden her heart as much as possible . The elder immediately rushed to her disciples'' location to see their situation. "Master!" One of the slightly less injured disciples sprang to her feet and went towards her master. "Master, you have to seek justice for us!" "Calm down, tell master what happened, who dares to harm my disciples" "Senior sisters and I had gone out in search of herbs however, we came across Celestial Cloud Sects core disciples and they attacked us out of nowhere!" "Senior sisters couldn''t contend against the core disciples and were beaten up, we had barely managed to escape back here" They were only inner disciples and weren''t the core disciples of elders. "Hah, since when did Celestial Cloud Sect become so brave, daring to attack Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect''s disciples!" The Sect leader had come here to check the situation and happened to overhear the conversation, they had always had friendly relations with Deep Sky Dragon Sect but remained neutral against Celestial Cloud Sect. "How dare they attack us, do they think that I, the Sect leader, is dead!" The Sect leader was a dignified woman worthy of being the Sect leader, she was wise but knew to protect the disciples. "Do not worry, your disciples will not suffer unjustly, they will give us an explanation" "Thank you Sect leader" One of the reasons why Elder Liu was so loyal to the sect was because of the respectable Sect leader, she wouldn''t be willing to serve some trashy leader. "Elder! I''m afraid their injuries are too heavy and we won''t be able to save the disciples" One of the medics came out and reported. "What!" Elder Liu was shaking in anger, how could this happen. "Wait, all hope is not lost. During my travels I had acquired some pills that could heal mortal injuries" Zi Hua stepped in at this moment and saved the day. "What if you''re lying, what if they don''t work, even our alchemists and physicians don''t have a way!" Being clouded by grief, the elder screamed. "Elder Liu please calm down, dear guest, although you were entrusted to us by our lord, our disciples'' lives are not a trivial matter" The Sect leader, too, was skeptical but didn''t wish to be rude. "You won''t know if you don''t try, your alchemists have said that they are helpless, at least taking this chance will give them hope of surviving" Although her words were harsh, they were true. "Elder Liu... what do you think?" The Sect leader found Zi Hua''s words reasonable but it wasn''t her disciples so she wouldn''t decide. "Fine" Elder Liu was awakened by her words. Zi Hua entered the room and fed each of them a healing pill, the pill was refined by her and it could heal all sorts of mortal wounds. The wounds started closing up at a visible rate, astonishing all of those present. Zi Hua had planned this out, by doing this she can get them to be indebted to her. 37 Conflict 2 Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect demanded an answer and compensation but the Celestial Cloud Sect had ignored it and even said that they had received injuries on their side too and they should be the ones getting compensation. This statement almost angered Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect into spitting blood, what injury? A scratch from branches? Some of their disciples were on the brink of death when they returned and had it not been for Zi Hua, Elder Liu would''ve lost more than a few disciples. This conflict was the beginning of hostility between the two sects, a conflict can become a feud if not resolved and be carried into further generations. Although, like any other sect, Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect had some internal strife and some scheming here and there, but they will be united when against a common opponent. Unfortunately, Celestial Cloud Sect had been proud and liked to keep their noses held high and refused to apologize, if they were to apologize it would be the same as admitting their wrongs, their egos couldn''t take that. This act of theirs caused the Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect''s disciples to hold animosity towards them, Deep Sky Dragon Sect obviously sided with Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect however no full on confrontations occurred, if they were to be weakened to a certain extent, second rate powers may use this chance to replace them. "If everyone is willing, please listen to my suggestion" Zi Hua suddenly cut into the discussion between the elders and Sect leader. "Go ahead" After she saved their disciples coupled with the fact that she was entrusted to them by their lord, everyone was respectful to them, including the Sect leader. They didn''t dare have any displeasure against their lord for appearing nor any towards their lord''s friends so they directed it all towards Celestial Cloud Sect. "Since Celestial Cloud Sect is unwilling to compensate and we can''t fight them, why don''t I infiltrate into their sect during the next sect exam and after that I will incite an internal conflict so that they will become a mess. This is the least I can do for you since my arrival created this trouble" Zi Hua took this chance to add some points and placed the blame upon herself. Celestial Cloud Sect recruits people regularly and has the most disciples, so she could sneak into it during the next test. "Please don''t say that, it is our honor to have you here and if it wasn''t for you our lord may not have come back, we already owe you for saving their lives" Contrary to Zi Hua''s two-faced faking, their words were actually genuine. "Please let me do this, if I don''t I won''t be content" "How could we let you do something like that" "I insist" "Seeing that there''s no changing your mind, if you need any help please don''t be afraid to ask and if you succeed we will give you anything as thanks" "Thank you, I will set off tomorrow" Zi Hua and co left the following day, they had wanted to see her off but she rejected that idea, saying that it may alert others such as those moles hiding in the sect. "Master, how will we enter?" The sect had a minimum cultivation level of Martial Practitioner by the age of 25 but they had long surpassed that level, they would be exposed if they went there. "Wear these bracelets, it will restrain and hide our powers to High Stage Martial Spirit" That was the best she could do since if she made one that hid their powers completely it would make them suspicious however restraining it at that level was the best that she could do before any side effects occur. She had made these based on the data she got from her master''s restraint on her, but altered it quite a bit compared to that restraint. They were finished when she was in Cerulean Coral City and a Twilight Lotus'' seed was needed for each of the bracelets. Other''s use the petals to temporarily hide their cultivation however, Zi Hua found out that when the seeds were brewed with several other herbs into an extract it would have restraining effects. Unfortunately, there wasn''t such a herb in the Heaven-defying artifact due to its ''low quality'' since there were better things to use for hiding but they didn''t have the restraining effect. The petals had a disguising function that wears off with time which could be seen through but the seeds restrained their powers so as long as the bracelet was taken off, the restraint could be removed. So she added the extract during the smelting process, thus creating the bracelet which was actually more of a bangle but we''ll just call it a bracelet. 38 Conflict 3 Rows upon rows of people waited outside the examination point, the reason why so many people joined Celestial Cloud Sect was due to the fact that the other two sects had entrance exams less often than Celestial Cloud Sect and if they were to wait until then, they would be past the age limit. Celestial Cloud Sect held exams every half a year which was significantly more frequent compared to the other two sects which held them once every 2 years. A stunning girl with amethyst eyes accompanied by two other beautiful girls walked through the crowd, others instinctively gave way to admire their beauty as if that if they were to be in the picture they would wreck the perfect image. However, their masks prevented others to see the full extent of their beauty. Zi Hua wasn''t worried about others recognizing her since in this era there was no internet so news and information often traveled slowly and incorrectly. The testing process was simple, you just had to show what level of cultivation you are at, then that''s it. Other sects go through a stricter process but it was much simpler here, that was another reason why others chose Celestial Cloud Sect: they had more chances of getting in. You just get on the stage then show your cultivation, then they say whether you pass or fail, if you pass you become an outer disciple and you can only ascend the hierarchy through break-throughs in the sect or during tournaments. Of course, there are rare cases where a genius appears and gets admitted straight into the sect as an inner or even core disciple. Although they had exams often, there were still as many people that came each time, after all it was a first rate power, tons of people would want to go try out their luck even if they didn''t meet the criteria, there have been those cases where they didn''t meet the requirement but still passed. To minimize the time it takes, people are sent onto the stage in groups of dozens, when it was the three ladies'' turn, all eyes were intensely staring at them. "Release your aura" A person''s aura can show their cultivation level, the stronger the aura, the stronger the cultivator. 4 flashes of strong aura reverberated throughout the stage, overpowering the weak auras of the other 8 examinees who were merely at Qi Gathering and had their backs covered in cold sweat. The audience stared at them in amazement. "High Stage Martial Spirits!" Someone amidst the crowd identified their levels and shouted out in surprise. Three 19/20 year old High Stage Martial Spirits! They would be a genius among geniuses even in the three first rate sects but what really surprised everyone was the 14/15 year old High Stage Martial Spirit, that was simply heaven defying! They''ll probably go insane if they knew Zi Hua and co''s true level. "Do we pass?" Gardenia opened her mouth and questioned the examiner, breaking him out of his trance. "Huh? Ah, please let me verify your bone ages once again" Something like this would be an absolute blessing if true but firstly he must check that it''s not some 50 year old hag. After checking it several times, their bones ages fit the requirement, bone ages couldn''t be faked so he announced the obvious result. "The four of you pass!" The examiner was absolutely ecstatic, his position in the sect could rise for finding these four geniuses, especially the 14 year old girl. They weren''t worried about them being spies since what organization would be willing to leave these geniuses to another organization. Someone led them away and gave them a luxurious lodging, much more lavish than all the other disciples. 39 Conflict 4 The news of the geniuses soon spread throughout the sect and Zi Hua even acquired the titles of goddess and fairy. Normally, they would''ve been accepted by an elder during the exam however the elders have been busy with the conflict with Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect and didn''t have the time stick their noses in the sect''s affairs. There wasn''t really much to do in the sect apart from strolling around and cultivating or for some people, boot-licking. "Master, what should we do next?" There really wasn''t much to do here and they hadn''t been making any moves since they arrived. Zi Hua had a red bird and purple bird sitting on either side of her shoulders and a furry white fox in her arms. Zi Hua had made bracelets for them too so they could hide their rank and appear to be Low Stage Beginner ranked spirit beasts, so that if anyone were to see they wouldn''t be too suspicious, but beast tamers were rare and she didn''t want anyone she see the spirit beasts since they''ll know it''s her contracted spirit beasts. "Have you investigated into that person''s background?" "Yes, however, he had suddenly appeared at the exam and someone has hidden his identity from others, I had spied on him for a while but all I have found out is that Deep Sky Dragon Sect is most likely where he is from, Deep Sky Dragon Sect must have hidden his identity, unfortunately I was unable to determine his motives" "Good, let''s go pay him a visit" "Yes master" They took off the bracelets and set off. They didn''t want to gather attention so they secretly sneaked out of their room and headed to his. "Nice to meet you" "Who''s there!" She immediately went on guard, ready to fight against the intruders. "Don''t worry, we don''t mean any harm, rather we''re here to seek co-operation with you" Zi Hua appeared from the shadows with Gardenia and Anemone beside her. "You are..." "My name is Tian Zi Hua, this is Gardenia and Anemone, we came here for the same purpose as you" From what she deduced the guy came here with the same objective as them and it would be best to co-operate rather than individually move and potentially clash with their plans. "I won''t ask you how you know my motive, but I''m here for vengeance!" Getting a partner may increase her chances of success, she had little hope of succeeding in the first place. "Good, I hope for a excellent co-operation" Zi Hua currently looked like a sly business woman with how her crescent eyes looked, though unintentionally. "My name is Tang Zen Zen, 19 years old, female" Zi Hua wasn''t that surprised, with her observation skills she could see that Tang Zen Zen was not a he but rather a she disguised as male. Tang Zen Zen felt that the three in front of her were trustworthy and told them her real gender as to avoid any distancing, even if it was for plan making, it wouldn''t be appropriate for them to enter a guy''s room. Tang Zen Zen''s disguising method wasn''t very in depth, she had just tied her hair up, wrapped bandages around her chest and then applied some make up, whereas Zi Hua''s disguises are more thorough. "You may know this already but I''m from Deep Sky Dragon Sect" Tang Zen Zen could sense that the three in front of her had powers which surpassed her by far so they should know her background already so she showed the Deep Sky Dragon Sect badge to signify her identity, or how else did they sneak around the sect undetected. "You could say that I''m from Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect" Zi Hua doesn''t want to reveal too much about herself right now, even if it''s to someone whom her Truth''s eye says is trustworthy. She won''t ask why Tang Zen Zen is disguised as a boy and in Deep Sky Dragon Sect despite being female since she wasn''t revealing much about herself either. They were nothing but partners in co-operation right now, not allies whom would go through thick and thin together. "For now, please don''t approach any elders" "Yes" Tang Zen Zen complied, she herself didn''t have much of a plan and only planned to act as a slow poison, but that had low chances of success and wouldn''t be guaranteed to work since she had planned to slowly gain everyone''s trust. Unfortunately, that would take years or even her whole lifetime, she wasn''t sure how long she could disguise as a male for, with the binding on her chest she might suddenly faint one day. "I''ll meet up with you another day to discuss about the details, farewell" It wasn''t really convenient for them to talk about it right now since it was getting late and it would be odd for the lights to stay on. Zi Hua and co left as swiftly as she came. 40 Conflict 5 They don''t really get much resources until they become an inner disciple so many people work hard to become an inner disciple, however there are those who have everything at their beck and call on a silver platter and doesn''t work hard at all yet like to be the center of attention to receive praise. Ming Wei Er was an example of this, she was a princess who was held like a pearl in the palm of their hands and the target of their fawning, however after leaving the sect for a bit her spot had been replaced! Zi Hua was in every aspect better than her but what did she think? She thought that Zi Hua was a wench who stole what''s her''s, but she wasn''t well liked for nothing, she could see that Zi Hua would be valued so she couldn''t get on her bad side. Not to mention that although she disliked Zi Hua, her master had said that if she were to be of use they should use her, if not she should be disposed of before she grew anymore, so she had no choice but to swallow her loathing. The elders had finally received the news of the four geniuses however, none of the four seemed interested in gaining favor of the elders and the elders didn''t want to lower themselves to approach the opposite party. These elders were so frustrated due to missing the chance of accepting such good disciples during the sect exam and now they can''t accept them unless the disciples approach them, but what they had done was worth it. "Good morning!" Ming Wei Er was the sole disciple of the advanced rank alchemist and 5th elder of the sect, she herself was already a beginner rank alchemist at the age of 20, she was a well known genius however recently the attention was diverted towards the new disciples, putting her out of the limelight. However, she still had to act like an amicable senior and be all friendly towards everyone despite her displeasure. "Good morning Senior Ming" They were all very respectful since Ming Wei Er was, after all, an alchemist with a bright future, her cultivation wasn''t shabby either thanks to the help of her master''s pills. Coincidentally, Zi Hua and the rest had just left their room to have a stroll so they could get some fresh air. "You must be the new disciples" Ming Wei Er approached them with a friendly attitude. "My name is Ming Wei Er, the disciple of the fifth elder, it''s a pleasure to meet you, if there''s anything that you don''t understand you can just come to me" Ming Wei Er expertly hid her malice but it did not escape their eyes. "A pleasure to meet you, I won''t bother introducing myself since it seems that Senior Ming has already heard of us, please excuse us" Zi Hua would rather go away and not get caught up in what the girl was planning. Ming Wei Er gritted her teeth in anger, she had already lowered herself to approach them yet those wenches had the audacity to be so rude! But she didn''t show it on her face. From that day on, Ming constantly approached Zi Hua and co, trying to get closer to them. "Master... that girl...?" Even Gardenia was getting tired of the facade. "Let''s just go along with her plans and act close to her, see what she has up her sleeve" Zi Hua heaved a sigh of helplessness, she was running out of ideas of how to avoid the girl. Her plans, once again, got disturbed. Thankfully, the other disciples didn''t bother her and only stared at her, they knew that they should keep a distance to avoid offending them, giving Zi Hua a breather. 41 Conflict 6 "Gardenia, this matter will be up to you, I need to cultivate, don''t disturb me" Poor Gardenia was left to deal with the annoying girl, Zi Hua hasn''t advanced since becoming a Low Stage Martial Honor, she has to put more time and effort into cultivating. She went into her room then entered the Heaven-defying artifact. Gardenia looked at Anemone and gave a helpless sigh, she was the only one who could do this job, that ice block of a partner can''t even smile, not to mention socialize with the bothersome girl. "I''ll approach her tomorrow" Gardenia dejectedly entered her room. Like other days, Ming Wei Er went towards their rooms which were only a few meters away from hers, however this time instead of the lukewarm indifference which she usually got, she got shown some friendliness. This made Ming Wei Er more confident in herself, no one can reject her magnificent self. "Where''s the other two junior sisters?" Today, there was only one of them which made her wonder about the other two. "Oh, they''re cultivating" Gardenia answered. "Oh" It wasn''t surprising so she accepted the answer, not knowing that the other two had purposely chosen this time in order to avoid her. They went around different places throughout the day and Ming Wei Er showed her places which had slightly denser Qi. Ming Wei Er was used to acting friendly and Gardenia had a naturally affable personality so they got along quite well, at least on the surface. The only problem was that Ming Wei Er talked way too much and wouldn''t let Gardenia say more than three words before continuing with a new topic. (A/N: Wait, what? Why did I start describing myself?!) Usually, she would be quite quiet and reserved while being approachable at the same time so no disciples would get too friendly and start bothering her but since she''s befriending them, she threw away that attitude and adapted to a more talkative personality. Unlike Anemone, Gardenia wasn''t as short fused so she just about managed to survive through the day. ..... Throughout the past few days, Gardenia could sense that Ming Wei Er had become more bearable. But Ming Wei Er was still a spoiled brat who was good at concealing her arrogance. After a few more days of hanging out, Ming Wei Er felt that her plan was succeeding and brought Gardenia to meet with her master, the other two still remained in their rooms. "Gardenia, this is my master" "Greetings Elder Zhou" Gardenia didn''t show much respect and such towards the elder, but elder didn''t get angry, which genius didn''t have a peculiar personality. "You must be the friend I had heard so much about" Elder Zhou was very welcoming, why wouldn''t she be towards such a genius though? Landing yourself such a great disciple would possibly mean that you would rise in ranks, plus with the current Sect leader having no disciples apart from that cripple means that there''s a high chance that a genius disciple would become the next Sect leader since all the elders were too old and who knew how many years they would live for. Right now was the perfect time for expanding their own powers, with the Sect leader going around trying to find ways to help that cripple and the conflict which had sprung up, the Sect leader''s hands were full of problems. This was why those core disciples dared to brainlessly attack Elder Liu''s disciples, so the elders would help on the surface but after a bit they will just dump it onto the Sect leader. By getting closer to Gardenia, it would allow her to get friendly with the other two, if she becomes the only elder close to them, they will most likely become her disciples because no matter how much of a genius you are if you don''t have an elder to provide resources for you, your talent would be wasted. Especially with them not approaching any elders, it''s the same as challenging the elders authority since they are showing that the elders are beneath their notice. 42 Conflict 7 In the cover of the night, Zi Hua entered Tang Zen Zen''s room. Sneaking around places alone really reminded her of her past, she yearned for other people''s acceptance so she became famous throughout the campus, yet she also feared their criticism, so she chose being an assassin and secret agent as her jobs, away from others'' radius, untouchable and undetectable. That''s why she liked being in the spotlight so much after her ''awakening'', to show that she no longer needs to hide in the darkness, that she can embrace the ''light'', she no longer fears their judging eyes. Her Godly Doctor identity was only created because she wanted to help others with the skills that she tediously acquired through her escape, but she didn''t want to be it as Tian Zi Hua but rather Blind Butterfly, which was the shield from prying eyes. When she first started the Light Phantom Halls, she kept with her Blind Butterfly mask due to her fears but now she''s shed that ''cocoon'' that trapped her and had became a true butterfly. "Miss Tian!" Luckily Tang Zen Zen was still awake since it was only 10pm. "I''m here to discuss about the plans..." ..... A few days later, the four geniuses had finally made a move, one of the girls had become friendly with Senior Ming whilst the guy had seem to have entered the fraction opposing fifth elder. The other two girls remained neutral but was more likely to enter fifth elder''s fraction, though they had practically disappeared, they even stopped taking strolls. Without the other two deciding on a fraction, especially the fairy, the guy''s fraction had the upper hand in the elders internal struggle for the Sect leader position. After all, males were usually favored over females in the line of succession. Anemone and Zi Hua had stayed in their own rooms during this period of time, undisturbed by the silent conflict. But the conflict wasn''t enough, she wasn''t planning on staying for long and only came to avenge the little prince and seize what she needed, when she and Tang Zen Zen leaves there wouldn''t be a lasting impact and a mere internal struggle isn''t enough for her revenge. That would be too lenient. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth... no less and maybe more. After her daily cultivation, Zi Hua would use her mental strength to externally extend Truth''s Eye around the sect and examine the disciples and elders, this was a strenuous process so it took her quite a few days but nevertheless it was accomplished. Zi Hua took note of the few decent disciples and elders then proceeded to the next step of her plan, although she disliked it, she had to be cautious of potential experts from the higher continents lurking around especially the Primordial lands, her enemy. She memorized their spiritual power signature, which was unchangeable and extremely hard to hide. But with the transformation technique that she has, each time she transforms, her spiritual power signature also changes, this was the reason why the Twilight Lotus was regarded as a ''low quality product'', although it could mask the cultivation but not the spiritual power signature which will blow their cover. Experts use this to locate cultivators instead of using appearance, this was what she had got from her master''s knowledge, in the Primordial lands and some powers from Sunlight Continent will record the spiritual power signature, if her master hadn''t created this transformation technique her master would''ve long been caught before she could reach the stage she was at. This just made Zi Hua respect her master even more, her master wasn''t like her who had a master to guide her and set a foundation, rather she had built everything from scratch; this was the main difference between the two, Zi Hua had a certain extent of luxury always present in her life whereas her master climbed up from the lowest of low. Anemone and Gardenia didn''t need to mask their spiritual power signature yet, unlike her they didn''t have the transformation ability and using external products to mask it can cause a rebound since it requires the spiritual power signature to be changed too, in the long term it may cause stagnated cultivation or internal injuries! 43 Conflict 8 Zi Hua went around and fed the selected disciples and elders each a pill during their sleep and gave Tang Zen Zen and her two subordinates one. After arriving, Zi Hua had found that her body was immune to poisons, most likely thanks to her master. In her past life she had trained herself to be resistant to most poisons through consuming regulated small doses of poison due to potential hazards such as poisonous gas security measures but it was no where near the current level of immunity, if she had to she could practically live off eating poisons. But they hadn''t made a fool of themselves yet so how could she let them off and give them a quick death? "Help! Save me!" A panic-stricken scream rang throughout the whole area, causing many disciples and elders to head towards the source. A scene of which a female was being restrained by a male awaited, people soon recognized them, they were the geniuses of the two fractions, Gardenia was ''trying'' to break free but to no avail. Elder Zhou immediately helped Gardenia escape and the elders accompanying her restrained Tang Zen Zen. After that the two immediately fainted, a physician came to check her condition and found that Gardenia had a vaporized drug, which weakens even Martial Experts'' muscles, enter her system which explains her weak struggle even though they were the same level in cultivation. As soon as Gardenia woke up and saw Elder Zhou, her eyes brimmed with tears and looked extremely aggrieved. "Elder Zhou" Gardenia weakly muttered. "Child what happened, I will help you get justice" "Elder Zhou, Tang Zen Zen suddenly approached me and told me that if I drug Senior Ming they will give me a master breaking pill, I refused, how could I repay the kindness Senior Ming had shown me with such evil and was about to leave and tell you about it, but suddenly my limbs felt powerless and...and..." She immediately broke into a crying mess, cupping her face with her hands. Gardenia, ah, your acting skills are exceptional, you would''ve been an actress if you were on Earth. Elder Zhou had not suspected a thing due to the ''truthful'' eyes of Gardenia, from this she could see the whole picture, those b*stards! They must''ve wanted to threaten her using her disciple by poisoning her then offering the antidote in exchange for their aim and approached Gardenia since she was close with Ming Wei Er, but since she refused, they drugged her with a gas type drug and tried to force and threaten her but Gardenia still had some energy and managed to scream for help. Elder Zhou was furious, those people had gone too far! If she hadn''t arrived not only would their plan succeed, the genius would''ve gotten into a messy situation. Meanwhile, Tang Zen Zen had also woken up, he was greeted by a numerous elders from the fraction which he had approached. Although they two fractions were in conflict, they couldn''t take away the other''s disciple, especially a genius. "Tang Zen Zen please explain what happened" "I was taking a stroll and Gardenia appeared, the next part I don''t remember clearly but I recall smelling something" Tang Zen Zen wouldn''t have survived all these years if she hadn''t been a good actress. This aligned with what the physician had told them, there was a drug in his system which caused him to act that way. All the elders present could see that Gardenia or maybe the other fraction had wished to use this as a reason to punish or create trouble for the genius they had acquired. "Good! Good! It seems that they have grown some guts to dare do this!" The lead elder of their fraction slammed his fist against the table by the bedside causing the wooden table to break in two. 44 Conflict 9 Bang! A loud bang was heard from outside, gathering the attention of the infuriated elders. "Come out Tang Zen Zen!" Elder Zhou bellowed. "How dare you create trouble here!" The other elders went outside and rebuked. "Hah, we wouldn''t come here even if you begged, if not for that Tang Zen Zen hurting Gardenia, hand him over!" Elder Zhou was crafty and used this opportunity to deal some damage but at the same time spectacularly falling into Zi Hua''s plan. "This is too far now, you people are just turning white to black, it as clearly you guys who drugged Tang Zen Zen, hmph, you think we are stupid and fall for your plan!" A flood of insults were exchanged, causing more people to be attracted and join, disciples picked their sides and started to fight. "Now that we think of it, Elder Dai must''ve been harmed by you people or else why wouldn''t he be back after so long!" "You! Stop with your baseless accusations, an elder and a dozen of our disciples have disappeared too, don''t think that we don''t suspect you people" "Mo Lu was already a High Stage Martial Spirit at the age of 28, with high prospects you people must''ve schemed to harm him" "Elder Dai was an poison expert and was trusted by the Sect leader, so you people must''ve felt threatened and jealous" This conflict reminded them of some of their people''s disappearance as well as previous grievances, escalating the problem. ''An insignificant ripple can cause waves'' Zi Hua understood how their minds worked and used this to her advantage, creating a conflict which incited other conflicts using the past enmity between them as fuel. A disagreement, if not solved, can become a blood feud. Even worse when they build up, that''s why conflicts between friends must be sorted out or eventually that friendship will be over when all dissatisfactions burst out like a broken dam. It changed from the event concerning the two geniuses to something of an even larger scale. Not long later the verbal fight turned physical and since the Sect leader was away due to his disciple recuperating in a more suitable environment, no one was in the place to stop the fight. Eventually, people slowly dispersed and the fights stopped due to injuries, blood splattered across the sect. Luckily, there were no deaths but there were a number of serious injuries, this matter escalated so fast and due to their anger, all pretense was shed. They didn''t suspect that it was all but a sham orchestrated by four youths, you couldn''t blame them though, since even the best of detectives won''t be able to catch a criminal with the the wrong information, no one knew of the youths relation. ..... "Those elders who are usually so composed and put on airs fell right into your trap!" Tang Zen Zen finally having some load lifted off her was elated, she saw those elders acting like clowns dancing on a chess board unlike their arrogant selves when they hunted down her and her parents to threaten her brother. ''Brother...'' Her thoughts trailed off and she reminisced about her brother but she had no way of reaching him. Sensing her desolation, Zi Hua tried to cheer her up, she had gotten to be friendly with the girl and dropped the mindset of being just partners with a mutual aim. "Tan Zen Zen, if you need help, you can ask me" "How could I, helping me with the revenge is already really nice of you, Miss Tian" She had had a humble upbringing and was bullied by others, causing her to have a inferiority complex. "We''re friends aren''t we, you can just call me Xiao Hua, can I call you Zen Zen?" Zi Hua showed a blinding smile, almost stealing the young girl''s heart. "S-sure, thank you Miss Ti- X-xiao Hua" She stuttered. "Friends help each other, if you need help I won''t hesitate to help you, just rely on me!" Zi Hua, ah, don''t you think that the last phrase is more of what a lover would say? "En, if you ever need help, I won''t hesitate to help either, but I don''t know if I''ll be of much assistance" The brave girl who was on guard during their first meeting was gone and was replaced by a bashful yet cheerful young lady, they had interacted a lot during the plan and had gotten closer. Tang Zen Zen became much less reserved. (A/N: Don''t worry, you didn''t miss a chapter, it''s just that I didn''t know how to write the interactions so I skipped it :p ^-^)'' Seeing that the girl wasn''t dejected anymore, Zi Hua didn''t remind her of her previous gloominess and changed topics, everyone had one or two secrets, it was Tang Zen Zen''s choice to tell her or not. "The next part of our plan is going to start!" 45 Conflict 10 Zi Hua had dropped some gas bombs around the sect, when it enters their system, unless they had consumed the antidote, blood would ooze out everywhere and they would eventually die of blood loss, the poison was colorless and odorless making it undetectable. Luckily, the gas goes away after a day and doesn''t travel far so Zi Hua wouldn''t have to be worried about it spreading and hurting unrelated people. The key to activate those gas bombs was blood, with the fight just now, blood was dripping everywhere and due to the amount of disciples the battles spread out throughout the sect, once one of them sets off, blood will be abundant causing the rest of the bombs to follow after. This was the price for going against her! Not long after the fight, people started to show the symptoms of Zi Hua''s concoction, this further incited the conflict due to suspicions of poisoning from the opposition, it was no longer about the two geniuses but rather something else of an even larger scale. They were ignorant fools who didn''t know the truth, falling right into her trap, Zi Hua and her friends watched them make a fool of themselves but left not long later since there''s no point watching a boring show which you already know the ending of. "Zi Hua, you can visit me anytime at Deep Sky Dragon Sect, take this, it''s my token, seeing this is the same as seeing me, just show them this and they''ll let you in" Tang Zen Zen handed a blue jade with her name inscribed on it over. "Thank you, if you need help smash this, it''ll tell me your location and I''ll rush over" Zi Hua gave her a small stone, it was like what Xia Wen Ya had gotten from that Dai guy but it will tell her the location of where it was smashed and allows Zi Hua to teleport to any location that the stone has been. "I hope I won''t ever need to use this" Tang Zen Zen gave a joyful smile, she could sense the care and concern Zi Hua had towards her. "But you can never be too cautious" Zi Hua has always been a cautious person, it was a trait she was forced to pick up under the oppression, she wouldn''t have even had the chance of revenge if she hadn''t, they would''ve blocked her means of learning if they had found out, leaving her helpless, it would be the same as taking away a scholar''s pen and paper, having the talent and ideas yet no place to put it to use. They parted ways and Zi Hua headed back to Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect alone, she had sent Anemone and Gardenia back to the base. It wasn''t that she doesn''t trust her subordinates since she believes in the phrase ''don''t suspect those you govern'', suspicion had led to many exceptional subordinates suffering unjustly, evident in the various dynasties, however them knowing too much can bring them harm. She had brought them to this continent due it having denser Qi and as they got higher in cultivation, they would also have a harder time breaking through so getting a boost in Qi in the surroundings for a bit would help. Zi Hua wanted to bring them to higher continents where there''s more Qi however, that would also mean getting closer to the foe. The disciples who were guarding the entrance were still the same ones from when she had first arrived so they immediately let her in and one of them rushed to inform the elders and Sect leader. When the disciple informed them, they immediately rushed to greet Zi Hua, they had low hopes and were quite hesitant with agreeing on her plan, they were unsure of her level but seeing her age they deemed that it wasn''t very high. As soon as they caught sight of her, they examined her with their eyes to check for injuries, only after seeing her fine and well did they relax, they couldn''t let anything happen to the person who was entrusted to them by their lord. "Guest! It''s great that you''re back! Let us head to the hall, you must be tired" They headed to the hall where the disciples had prepared snacks. 46 The Second Map 1 "Guest, where did the other two ladies go?" Sect leader looked around but didn''t see the other two girls following behind Zi Hua as usual. "They had some matters to attend to, I will be leaving and joining them very soon, I came back to notify everyone that the problem with Celestial Cloud Sect has been solved, they have suffered what they deserve" That was only semi-true but was a good reason for her to leave. News traveled extremely slow so they hadn''t got wind of it yet. "Huh?" They were dumbfounded, at most they had thought that the girl would only be causing an internal conflict thus weakening them, giving the Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect the chance to threaten them for compensation, but who could''ve foreseen that Zi Hua would punish Celestial Cloud Sect herself. "Thank you guest!" They didn''t suspect Zi Hua to be lying and earnestly believed her, she had little reason to lie anyways. "As thanks, guest you can request anything that is within our means" They couldn''t go back on their word now. "I won''t hold back then, in fact, I had come here for something that is in your sect" "?!" The elders had a confused look. "Elders, you are dismissed, guest please follow me" A glint of light flashed in the Sect leader''s eyes, the glance that Zi Hua had given her told her the answer of what she seeked. Zi Hua followed the Sect leader to the inner part of the hall where the Sect leader''s personal quarters were. "Guest, I''m afraid I cannot give you the map, even if you were entrusted to us by our lord''s descendant" "Oh, I thought you said that he was your lord" "My lord is the one who brought that map here" That was the reason why Zi Hua didn''t use Xiao Zi''s identity to get the map, she understood their mindset of only recognizing Xiao Zi''s ancestor as their true lord, well, the Sect leader had that mindset. "It seems that you have been quite protective of it even to the extent of which it''s existence is kept from your elders" "Of course, but it seems that it''s still not enough prevention since you had gotten wind of it" "Don''t misunderstand, it was merely a speculation, Celestial Cloud Sect had a map so why wouldn''t the other two sects have one" "They had one too? But how?" The Sect leader was extremely perplexed, they and Deep Sky Dragon Sect had acquired the map through their lords but how did Celestial Cloud Sect get it, she immediately became cautious, she had thought that Zi Hua was no threat but for her to know about something which they did not know meant that she had quite the abilities. "Who knows, but my speculation was right. Sect leader, did your lord say anything about it? Such as the rightful owner appearing" A red and blue flame floated above her hand. The Sect leader''s eyes widened in surprise. "My apologies, I did not realize that you were the inheritor, please allow me to explain" "A story is passed down from Sect leader to Sect leader, the story of our lord. Our lord and the Deep Sky Dragon had been pursued due to the map, by the time they arrived here they had both gotten fatal injuries, thus they had handed it to two humans who then started a Sect each to protect the map. The lords said a phrase to us ''a inheritor shall appear, the inheritor is the rightful owner of the map, only the inheritor can take the power of the flame, others shall perish, those that seek the map are many but guard it until the inheritor appears, the inheritor of the Supreme Sovereign. However, the inheritor must do a deed for us before getting the map''. The lords then gave a carving of the flame so that when the inheritor appears we can distinguish them from fakes" 47 The Second Map 2 "From what the founders were told, there are restrictions on humans to only be able to descend one continent, that was the only reason why the lords had managed to escape, but they may command their underlings from a higher continent to search for the map. Luckily, those of higher continents can only descend a continent if they are a level below the peak power of that continent or wear a special tailsmen that places restrictions on them" Come to think of it, that Dai guy did have a tailsmen with him and his power did only last for a few minutes during his struggle until it was exhausted. Zi Hua''s eyes were covered in frost, they dared to kill Xiao Zi''s ancestor! Their debt is getting heavier and heavier. It seems that the Primordial lands'' people can''t reach here so she can bring the Light Phantom Sect here without worry, she could also be less cautious all the time too. But before she brings them here, she must get rid of their dogs! Those of the Primordial lands would have commanded those of Sunlight Continent and that''s probably how Celestial Cloud Sect got a map. They probably haven''t made a move towards Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect and Deep Sky Dragon Sect due to the wariness of the spirit beasts still existing, the news of their demise have been kept secret and others believe that they are merely recuperating from their injuries along with the fact that it would be something that the Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect would be able to cope against thanks to the tailsmen. But there''s a loophole, what if the person was from a lower continent previously, the restrictions wouldn''t apply to them then. "Inheritor, please excuse my insolence, you meet the requirements, here is the map" The Sect leader took out the map from her storage ring. Storage rings are only available in Sunlight Continent and Primordial lands due to it requiring an grandmaster ranked armament master as well as certain materials that are difficult to obtain to create. The storage ring must''ve been given to them by the Lightning Purple Phoenix since due to fear of the lower continents rising and getting stronger as well as the power balance, access to such objects that were from higher continents were almost impossible. "Thank you, you and those before you have been guarding the map and have been loyal to your lord for such a long time" Zi Hua truly respected them, to have guarded the map for so many years without submitting to curiosity and selfishness. "It is our duty" Zi Hua had obtained the map so she left the sect and found an inn to temporarily stay in. She checked that the door was locked then entered Heaven-defying artifact. "Master!" Like always the little dumpling jumped into her embrace. "Master, since you have made the bracelets can you bring us out more often, pretty please~" Xiao Hong also started doing what she always did. "Sure" "Pretty ple - really, master!" "En" "Yay!" She wasn''t in the sects anymore so there wasn''t much problem with going outside. "I''ll go tell Xiao Bai and Xiao Zi" Xiao Hong rushed away to tell them the news, the two of them have been immerse in the novels and has been rather quiet, Zi Hua didn''t know if that was good or bad. She''ll get lonely if they keep on staying in the room, they might be going through their rebellious phrase. "Xiao Shen, could you make me some food, your cooking is the best!" "Okay!" The little dumpling then jumped out from her embrace and hurried away. Zi Hua headed inside her bedroom and sat down to cultivate and make some preparations, this time she''ll be prepared! After studying the map, she could see that the flame fragment was in Lightning Bolt Trials, a mountain which is constantly faced with electrocuting lightning bolts 24/7, it was said to be a place created by a great cultivator to temper muscles, but the requirement was to endure 99 lightning strikes. Zi Hua knew this was only a bluff to hide the existence of the flame fragment, it was also a place where it''s practically impossible to pass through. 99 lightning strikes? B*llsh*t! Even for cultivators, they may not be able to withstand 30 strikes! Nothing more than a scam, one that''ll cost you your life, but it was also a good dumping ground for any power-hungry people that are fearless and may one day join her master''s enemies. Those kind of people who are fearless, are likely, from her experience from reading novels, nosy people who do stuff in the name of clearing evil, like those Sophist Sage Sect guys: perfect candidates to join those Primordial lands b*stards. 48 The Second Map 3 The problem with the lightning strikes was a tricky one, she can''t exactly use the way which cruise ships use because... she ain''t a ship! Also because it''s a mountain and there''s no water, plus she hadn''t had the chance to study the subject before she arrived here. ''First a lake now a lightning mountain what''s next? The sky?!'' This was really giving her a headache, like seriously, those prevention and protection measures against the Primordial lands were a double edged sword. A week later, Zi Hua headed to Lightning Bolt Trials. Zi Hua wore a full coverage, metallic body suit and a similar helmet made of a see-through and not malleable material. It looked... rather ridiculous but if it was on earth it may have become a fashion trend, who knows. She walked leisurely on the mountain, undisturbed by the lightning, if she was then all that hard work would''ve been for nothing, it had took her ages to figure out this suit and even wore it despite how ridiculous it looked. Zi Hua wasn''t worried about being electrocuted since she had had Xiao Zi test it out several times, of course, not whilst wearing it during the initial testing stages, she values her life and if she were to die, she at least wants it to be in a better way than her last life. Dying by asking your spirit beast to try to electrocute so you can test out a ridiculous looking suit isn''t much better than slipping on a banana peel. Seeing that she walked around unhindered the corner of her lips tugged up into a smile of satisfaction. She followed the attraction from the flames which she already has and it soon led her to a familiar looking lantern with a violet glow. However, there was a barrier preventing her from entering, one by a spirit beast, if she was correct it was made by Xiao Zi''s ancestor, same with these lightning bolts, although the lightning bolts were normal, the ones surrounding the lantern were purple, just like Xiao Zi''s. From what she deduced, her master must''ve scattered the flames and made the maps then handed them to others and erased her own memories so that those people would not have any way of knowing their whereabouts. Afterwards, those people killed her master and chased down the Lightning Purple Phoenix and Deep Sky Dragon until they reached Moonlight Continent, the Lightning Purple Phoenix must''ve visited and placed the lightning and barrier here as another precaution before it succumbed to it''s injuries. The legend about this place must''ve been spread by Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect. If she was right then, Xiao Zi, a descendant should have no problem with the barrier. "Xiao Zi" "Here master" A young man with long purple hair tied up and crystal clear turquoise eyes appeared. Spirit beasts only have one humanoid form, one which does not age, how unfair! Humans had little way of preserving their youth, though it''s a different story if it''s Zi Hua. "Can you go through this barrier and get that lantern?" "No problemo master" Xiao Zi then went past the barrier without a hitch. After Xiao handed her the lantern and they both disappeared into the Heaven-defying artifact, Zi Hua went to absorb it as usual and when she finished about a month later, she brought out the flame to float on top of her palm and a beautiful spiral flame appeared. ''1st, 2nd, 3rd...70th'' "Ugh! I''ve f*cking had enough!" Just as Zi Hua exited her room, she heard Xiao Bai''s scream and the sound of a book being thrown against the floor. ''Yup, she''s going through a rebellious phrase, better reprimand her or else she''ll think that she can do whatever and get off with it'' "Now, now, children shouldn''t swear" Zi Hua lightly reprimanded her, screaming back may upset her, although she puts up a strong front, Xiao Bai''s heart is very fragile, sensitive and emotional. ''You look a couple years younger than me though'' But of course she couldn''t say that out loud since we all know that you should NEVER EVER talk back, or else... she doesn''t want to know... maybe confiscating and banning sweets! T~T "But... this isn''t fair! Half of the books I''ve read in the past 3 months that have a strong female protagonist...wahwahwah!" 49 Ism Fed Up So Ism Gonna Throw A Tantrum "Come on now, stop crying and tell me what''s wrong" Zi Hua hugged Xiao Bai and slowly coaxed her, it was quite a queer site, a 15 year old girl coaxing a girl a few years older than her like how a mother would. "*hic* *hic*, I''m fed up of all these MLs!" Xiao Bai calmed down under Zi Hua''s coaxing. "The MLs are all so overbearing, they think that girls will fall in love with them after they cook the rice, where do they get this idea from!" "At first, when I read them, I was fine with them and I found their over-bearing attitudes cool and like a prince charming, there were even some tsunderes" Under Zi Hua''s tutelage, they had picked up a few otaku terms, Zi Hua had ''friends'' who had unique hobbies and mainly the otakus would share there knowledge with her so she subconsciously remembered. (A/N: It is my and those like me''s mission to spread the joy of being an otaku!) There were also those who read online novels and they often fangirl/fanboy about it to her with their fanfics and such, now that Zi Hua picked up novel reading she understood their thoughts, there were only stories and the non-fiction books here were pretty inaccurate. "But after reading so many, I got tired of them so I went in search of a different type of ML but all the romance ones I''ve read, 90% of them are the same type of ML, even for the really strong and courageous FLs, they were so docile towards the ML. I liked them at first and the novels are still really interesting and fun to read but... I''m fed up, this isn''t fair!" Xiao Bai was just like a child throwing a tantrum, Zi Hua''s collection of novels was quite a sight, even she herself had not finished all of them, she had just been buying all the novels that appealed to her. "Yes, yes, Xiao Bai I get you, but the authors have put their hard work into the novel and it''s really hard to think of a personality for an ML that fits with a FL, not to mention the time period this is and the masses'' beliefs" She had noticed it too, but even in her era it was similar, not to mention the patriarchal ancient era. "Why not this, you write your own book and then you won''t have any complaints because the plot will go however you want it to and what you say goes?" "How did I not think of that, thank you master, I''ll start right away" Xiao Bai leaped away to start her own novel after the enlightenment. "Wait! Xiao Bai, no more reading novels that include cooking rice! You''re too young for that!" Zi Hua didn''t forget to reproach the naughty child, despite how she looks she was still a young child, though mentally not, she biologically is. "Yes mom - I mean master" Xiao Bai ran off to her own rooms, Zi Hua had gotten them their own rooms but it might have been a bad decision considering that they are going through their rebellious phrase, though then again, children like to have their own rooms, somewhere to be their haven. "Xiao Hong, come on, let''s go" "Yay! Yes, master" Delighted that it''s request has finally getting fulfilled, Xiao Hong turned into her baby form and sat on Zi Hua''s shoulder. "Are the others not coming?" Xiao Hong knocked it''s head to the side in confusion. "They''re busy" Xiao Bai had her novel to write and Xiao Zi was reading his shoujo novels, yes shoujo, so what?! The two left Heaven-defying artifact, Zi Hua had gone out of Lightning Bolt Trials whilst wearing that suit beforehand so that she would have one less thing to worry about when she left later on. Zi Hua changed her appearance to that of a azure blue long haired youth who seemed cold and aloof with captivating amethyst eyes, luckily, thanks to the transformation technique, she didn''t have to bind her chest, if she had to, it would prove to be quite troubling considering her assets... 50 Deep Sky Dragon Sec Outside Deep Sky Dragon Sect, which unlike Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect which was on a mountain and Celestial Cloud Sect which was on the ground, it was situated in the middle of a vast lake which reflected the vast clear skies, stood a charming youth with some of ''his'' dark blue hair that covered the side of ''his'' face and the top half of ''his'' hair pulled up, a crimson bird pecked on ''his'' shoulder. "Stop, it is Deep Sky Dragon Sect beyond this point" Like at Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect, there were some disciples guarding the entrance and stopped them, deja vu much. Zi Hua took out the blue jade token and showed it to the guards "I would like to meet Tang Zen Zen" "Yes, yes, please wait, we will inform Senior Tang immediately" One of the disciples hurried away to inform Tang Zen Zen and had a respectful tone. "I didn''t think you would visit me this soon!" Tang Zen Zen went to greet Zi Hua personally and guided her to her own pavilion. "Zen Zen, you don''t want to see me?" Zi Hua joked and faked sadness. "Of course not!" Tang Zen Zen became flustered and quickly denied it. "Okay, okay, I won''t tease you now" Zi Hua gave a light laugh and changed the subject, Tang Zen Zen was like a cute rabbit. "The truth is that I came here in search of something, I would like to meet your Sect leader" She didn''t dally and went right to the subject, Zi Hua had already acquired the map from Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect and got the information on how to get her hands on the map, she only needed to meet the Sect leader. She didn''t want to waste anymore time, she was afraid that her master''s enemies may somehow find her so the sooner she finishes the less risk there is in finding the remaining fragments. "I''ll speak to my master about it and it should be no problem, just leave it to me" Tang Zen Zen''s master has a special position in the sect, he is the guardian and even the Sect leader shows respect to him, she patted her chest confidently. Thanks to her master''s position, no one dares to trespass here so she didn''t bother putting on the disguise, she didn''t have to be on guard all the time and even sleep with the binding on her chest like in Celestial Cloud Sect. "Zi Hua, please tell me what''s up, I want to help, it''s what friends do right?" Although it may have sounded a bit ironic coming from her but she was genuine about it. "Exactly, I want to help you too" Zi Hua arched her eyebrow. "I''ll tell you when the time is right, right now there''s nothing to be done about it" Tang Zen Zen''s eyes wandered around but she put on a serious face. "I''ll tell you when the time is right" This sentence made Tang Zen Zen pout in frustration but there was nothing to do about it, she had started it after all. "Okay, okay, I won''t bug you anymore, you can stay here, make yourself at home, I''ll go talk to my master" She could sense that they wouldn''t get anywhere if it carried on. "Thanks" "No problem" Tang Zen Zen then headed out the room. ''Seems that her master knows about her gender, but how did they meet? The guardian of Deep Sky Dragon Sect and Tang Zen Zen shouldn''t have been able to meet, oh well, she''ll tell me when she wants to'' Zi Hua wasn''t telling her about her own situation yet so it was only fair. But she really wanted to be truthful to her first friend that wasn''t her subordinate, her friend that was equal to her, however she knows that it isn''t the right time, if she told her, Tang Zen Zen won''t be able to help right now but rather she would stress out about it and even put herself at risk, plus Tang Zen Zen had her own set of problems to deal with. 51 The Third Map 1 Although the Sect leader was suspicious, he gave face to the guardian and wasn''t worried about any danger, if the guardian really wanted to take his position he would''ve done so long ago. "Greetings Deep Sky Dragon Sect leader" "You are?" "I''m sure Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect leader has already told you about me" Zi Hua had the flame floated above her palm, she was confident that the Sect leader would be informed, after all, it had been a month already. "Inheritor, it''s my honor to meet you" Although the Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect leader had spoken to him about the inheritor, she hadn''t elaborated on the identity of the inheritor. "Let''s get to the point shall we? I think you know what I''m here for" Zi Hua could sense that there were only two more flames in Moonlight Continent, although getting them sooner would mean less risk, she keeps on getting a gut feeling that she needs to head to Sunlight Continent recently. Not to mention that such traitorous and disloyal people do not deserve any politeness from her. "Oh, yes, of course, the deed we have decided on is very simple, we only require you to get overlord breaking pills" The Sect leader was clearly trying to make it hard for Zi Hua but he chose the wrong deed. "Here" Zi Hua casually threw a bottle containing 2 overlord breaking pills to the Sect leader, the Sect leader looked at it, dumbfounded. "Yes, yes, here is the map" The Sect leader was drooling over the pills, only few on the continent could make the pills and even if they could, the materials were hard to acquire, though Rarity Dew Auction House has no problem. He took out the map from the storage ring like what the Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect leader did, he didn''t mind giving away the original since those who were sent out has a copy. The Sect leaders from a long time ago were dedicated and loyal however, loyalty is hard to maintain for millenniums, the human heart is fickle, the Deep Sky Dragon Sect leaders had realized the potential worth of whatever the map led to and throughout generations had coveted it secretly, even their guardian did not know of it''s existence due to their greed, they kept it secret even to the Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect leader so that they could possess the treasure all for themselves. In front of greed and wealth, loyalty can waver. However, there was a miscommunication somewhere, they hadn''t mentioned that only the inheritor can possess it, it only said that the inheritor will appear. When the Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect leader told him of the inheritor''s appearance, he had tried numerous ways to locate the person, but thanks to the Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect leader''s suspicions, he did not know of the person''s appearance, making his search futile. When he realized that the inheritor had appeared he immediately gave a challenging deed for ''him'' to fulfill but who knew that ''he'' would complete it so effortlessly. Two more Martial Overlords meant that there was a chance for Deep Sky Dragon Sect to surpass the other two sects with that momentum, not to mention the fact that after such a long search there had still been no news from those that they had last sent out, the 2 overlord breaking pills had a higher value with how the situation in the search of the treasure was. He already had another copy anyways, so it was a win-win situation. "I''ll take my leave then" Although Zi Hua followed the criteria, after breaking through with the two pills, not only will their cultivation be shallow, it will stagnate as well. She wasn''t dumb, she could tell that the Sect leader was trying to make things difficult for her and Truth''s eye told her of his corrupt personality. 52 The Third Map 2 After she got her hands on the map, Zi Hua bid goodbye to Tang Zen Zen and left, then returned to her original appearance. ..... She entered Heaven-defying artifact to study the map and make preparations, the previous preparations proved to be useful in her last quest to the flame. "Xiao Shen, Xiao Hong, could you come and give me a hand here?" "Okay~" The replied simultaneously. "The map states that the fourth flame is in a snowy area however from my knowledge there are no such places in Moonlight Continent" She had intensively studied the topography of Moonlight Continent and there was no such place. "Hmm...?" "Sorry master, I don''t know, but maybe Xiao Bai will know" Xiao Bai was ice attributed so she would be more sensitive towards such things. "No worries, thanks, I''ll go ask her now" Zi Hua headed to Xiao Bai''s room, but inside she found a disarrayed-looking Xiao Bai with her head on the desk and ''I''m dead on the inside'' eyes. "Xiao Bai! What''s wrong?" "Master" Xiao Bai muttered weakly, she lifted her head slightly to greet Zi Hua with teary eyes. "Come on, let''s get you tidied up, then you can explain what''s wrong" Zi Hua had her take a bath and go through an entire relaxing spa routine before sitting down on the soft sofa to have a chat. "Now, what''s wrong?" "Master, I got a writer''s block! At first, I had loads of ideas but as I went further, I kept on meeting little hurdles but that wasn''t the problem! The problem is that I can''t decide on a personality for the ML!" "What''s the point of writing the novel if the main reason for me writing the novel isn''t working out!" Xiao Bai then broke down into a crying mess... "Dear, you can just take it slow, eventually you''ll be able to decide on one, you can just add the ML into the story when you do, this can let you show your readers that the FL is independent" "Oh, thank you master!" Enlightened, Xiao Bai brightened up. "Master, did you have anything you wanted me to help with?" Xiao Bai knew that her master wouldn''t take the initiative to visit her if she didn''t have anything particular to do, Zi Hua liked privacy and dislikes others disturbing her too much so she likewise tries to not disturb others, ''treat others the way you wish to be treated''. "Oh yes, the third map suggests that the fourth flame will be in a frosty area however there are no such place from what I know in Moonlight Continent" "Hmm... weird, the climate here is quite humid with high rainfall so there shouldn''t be any however..." "It is possible for there to be a underground ice cave due to external forces" "The problem is where though?" The two contemplated about it, but could not think of an answer, they hadn''t had many chances to collect information so their understanding of Moonlight Continent was much more inferior compared to their knowledge of Starlight Continent. "Oh well, thank you, Xiao Bai, I''ll go out and try to gather some information" The figure of Zi Hua disappeared and re-appeared back in the inn which she was staying in, in the cultivation world, many cultivators would travel around to gain experience so inns were abundant. There were also stray cultivators who worked independently or were on a journey as well as disciples who get sent on missions so to please those figures, the inns were quite comfortable but not extravagant since many cultivators saw little value in material things that had nothing to do with cultivation and the staff will not disturb the customers as to avoid interrupting their cultivation, they couldn''t afford affecting a cultivator''s break through. She then left the room, bedazzling everyone that caught sight of her. "Pretty lady, would you mind going shopping with me?" A flamboyant voice sounded from not far away the hallway, the owner of the voice headed towards Zi Hua. The crowd turned around to see who was the brave young master that dared to approach the beauty but were immediately perplexed, they don''t see this everyday in this kind of era. 53 New Friend 1 Contrary to the flamboyant voice, a innocent looking lady with translucent white jade skin, plump red lips and doe like eyes as blue as sapphire. She wore a white and green flowy hanfu which matched her smooth jade skin. "Miss, you are?" Zi Hua turned around in confusion. "Oh my, I have forgotten to introduce myself, excuse my manners, I should''ve introduced myself before asking a pretty lady like you out" The lady gave a sweet and playful smile. "My name is Xue Lian" (A/N: Xue means snow and Lian is lotus, shout out to AkikoMiku for suggesting Lotus) "A pleasure to meet you, I am Zi Hua, I have to say that that is quite a rare name that you have and I don''t see Xue as a surname often" Zi Hua didn''t mind the lady, she passed her assessment from Truth''s eye and she may be related to them... It''s just that she could not determine Xue Lian''s principles, beings who pass her assessment all have principles, their bottom line, they will always abide by their principles but Xue Lian''s seem uncertain, it was like a wave, her principles seem to fluctuate slightly based on her mood, her principles are a mystery but what''s was important to Zi Hua was that she abides by them. The slight fluctuations won''t make too much of a difference though, it just makes her quite whimsical. "Pretty lady, my clan''s a bit different, males take on Mu and females take on Xue, we do not have surnames" "What an interesting system" Now her suspicions were more of less confirmed, however she doesn''t know their situation and she don''t want to put them in any danger by revealing their existence. "Why thank you, now what''s your answer to my invitation?" Xue Lian''s eyes bent into crescents and her mouth became a curved line. "It would be my honor" If she hangs out with Xue Lian she may be able to dig more information out of her. "Let''s set off shall we" Xue Lian then grabbed her by the arm and led her outside the inn towards the market place. A variety of people were in the market place and a variety of goods were displayed in the city, earning it the name Mauve Merchant City, due to the vast amount of merchants in the city and the mallow flowers which bloom at the entrance of the city. Mauve Merchant City is also where the main Rarity Dew Auction House is situated, although lord breaking pills were rare in Cerulean Coral City, due to the dealings that Rarity Dew Auction House has with various experts, lord breaking pills will appear in their monthly auctions here at Mauve Merchant City, it is an excellent business opportunity for them since there was already a large inflow of merchants so most of the valuable treasures will end up being sold here. However to keep the power balance, they do not sell more than 2 lord breaking pills and 1 overlord breaking pill to each power from the Main Auction House, that was the reason why so many powers scurried to acquire Zi Hua''s lord breaking pill since they had used up their turns from the Main Auction House, though once they are sold who it ends up in the hands of is out of their jurisdiction... "The confectioneries here are delicious, they have dragon''s beard, mochi of all sorts of flavors and fillings, red bean paste fried mochi, egg cake, crackers, haw flakes, egg tart, buns, doufu hua, si mi lu, tang yuan, nian gao, rice cake, water chestnut cake, thousand layered cake, sugar-coated dried fruits, tanghulu, sculpted candy, red bean pudding cake..." And the list goes on, Xue Lian led Zi Hua towards the shop. Despite it being ancient-like some aspects here were quite advanced, most likely due to the existence of cultivation and cultivators, so the food was comparable to modern food. "Choose what you want, my treat" She didn''t mind being a spend-thrift, especially when it came to confectionery, money was of little value to her in the first place. "You said it" In the presence of such mouth-watering desserts Zi Hua threw away her face, what''s face, what''s face? Can you eat it? It seems like she had been interacting too much with Xiao Hong, talking about Xiao Hong... Back in Heaven-defying artifact, a red haired girl sat in a corner growing mushrooms, full of grievances. "Master, you forgot me!" Her cries were futile since Zi Hua had blocked the connection so that she will not be distracted whilst walking around like last time in Starlight Continent, especially since she had company. 54 New Friend 2 Zi Hua joyfully carried out a mountain of confectioneries, luckily Xue Lian had a fat wallet due to her own foodie habits and other reasons. ''The way to someone''s heart is their stomach'' But, of course, do not be bribed by bad guys through food, Zi Hua had already assessed her so it was no problem. Zi Hua wasn''t picky with the food she eats for meals, but she loved confectioneries since they reminded her of the happy times when her parents would get desserts for her and brother. When she had realized how much she had picked, Zi Hua had some conscience and offered to pay since she had quite a lot of money from selling those failures and currency was the same in the continents, but Xue Lian insisted on paying. Zi Hua relented to Xue Lian''s insistence and took upon the job of carrying all the ''loot'' to a place where they could eat them all. Thanks to Zi Hua great balancing skills, the mountain of food survived, she could consider being a circus performer as a back-up plan if she ever needs to. They settled for a nice meadow filled will mallow flowers near the edge of the city, thankfully they both don''t have hay fever and even if they did, cultivation would prevent any hay fever symptoms. It didn''t take that long for them to gobble them all up, most of which ended up in Xue Lian''s stomach, Zi Hua couldn''t compare to a true foodie. After they finished eating their fill, they decided to take a stroll to digest what they had eaten so back to the market they went! However, the two''s stomachs were like black holes, when they returned they found another shop then ate, then went back and found another shop, taking turns to pay and the cycle repeated until sunset. If this was a video game Zi Hua would''ve definitely acquired the title of ''Black hole foodie'' along with Xue Lian. "It''s quite late now, let''s head back to the inn, which room are you in? I''m in room 23" Xue Lian suggested. "Sure, I''m in room 15, not far from yours" "Yay, let''s hang out together again tomorrow" The two of them had opened up after ''a'' meal. "Sure, Nian Gao" Their wallets were still quite fat even after today''s quest. "Nian Gao? If that''s so then I''ll call you Doufu Hua" They merrily laughed together. Only when Zi Hua returned to her room did she realize that she had forgotten her objective throughout the day, the frightful power of delicious food. "Master~ You forgot me!" Xiao Hong''s pout face immediately entered Zi Hua''s view when she entered Heaven-defying artifact instead of the little dumpling jumping into her embrace as usual. ^__^)'' "Sorry, I''ll remember to take you next time, I was eating so I forgot" Her mind was focused on finding yummy food the entire day as well as reminiscing about the past. "Wahhhwahh, master you ate delicious food without me" Xiao Hong acted like a child throwing a tantrum and started crying, her master haven''t been giving them ''candy'' much lately and then she goes out to eat yummy food without them. Zi Hua saw it and was quite helpless, it was her fault so she had no right to make excuses. "Xiao Hong, I''m sorry, I promise that I''ll bring you guys outside tomorrow and treat you guys to yummy food, okay?" Zi Hua coaxed. "Really? Promise?" Xiao Hong''s tears immediately went away and her eyes twinkled like stars. "Promise" ''Why do I feel like I''ve fallen into her trap'' Normally it''s Zi Hua setting up traps for others but against her babies, she''s falling right into their traps. The power of cuteness. Xiao Hong smiled cheerfully and ran around celebrating. (A/N: My reaction when my WiFi came back after going down for 5 hours last week) "Xiao Shen, do you want to come?" Xiao Shen was much more sensible and Xiao Hong and Xiao Shen''s appearances swapping would make much more sense. "Okay!" It was in the Heaven-defying artifact all day so it would be quite fun to go out, he wouldn''t have to worry about others seeing him either since only spirit beasts and his master can see him since he''s an artifact spirit. "Have you found any clues yet?" She had Xiao Bai tell Xiao Shen about what she was told. "Sorry master, not yet" "Don''t worry, no rush" The nagging feeling to go to Sunlight Continent was still there but she had gotten used to it so it wasn''t much of a deal, she didn''t want the little dumpling to blame himself, she patted his head affectionately. After she had arrived in this world and had that dream, she could sense herself changing for the better, surrounded by those that were dear to her, if only they were here too... 55 New Friend 3 The next day Zi Hua remembered and assembled them all together, had them wear their bracelets and left her room, it was quite a peculiar sight, a 15 year old girl with two birds pecked on each shoulder and a white fox in her arms. Xiao Shen sat on top of her shoulders but they couldn''t see him. Xue Lian was already waiting outside her room and greeted Zi Hua when she came out, she didn''t ask about the three spirit beasts but her gaze lingered for a bit above Zi Hua''s head. "Come on Doufu Hua" "Okay Nian Gao" Passersby gave confused looks towards the address of the two which earned honey-sweet giggles from them. "Where should we go today?" They had only explored the east end of the market after yesterday''s adventure, proving how vast the market in Mauve Merchant City was. "After east is south, so south we go!" They headed off like explorers, well they were explorers, explorers of food and desserts. The south end was just as lively and instead of desserts it housed many restaurants with foreign delicacies thanks to the inflow of merchants from across the continent. Zi Hua wasn''t as fond of meals as she was for confectioneries but for the sake of her spirit beast and new found friend she didn''t object. Although Xiao Shen''s cooking was delicious, he didn''t have much knowledge of outside the Heaven-defying artifact so he could not make local/foreign delicacies from foreign places, it was a good chance for him to potentially learn some new dishes. "Master, I''ll go look around the kitchen for a bit" "En" Xiao Shen then hopped off Zi Hua''s shoulders and headed off, for a second, Xue Lian''s gaze darted over to where Xiao Shen was headed off to. "Let''s order shall we?" Zi Hua got the menu and scanned it, whilst having her three spirit beasts point to those that they want, it wasn''t rare for some rich young ladies and young masters to bring around their contracted beasts to show off so most places allowed them. "We''ll take..." The waitress had quite the hard time listing down the long list of orders. "Customers, are you sure you want all this?" The waitress asked, it would be a jackpot for them to order so many dishes, it was equivalent to all the dishes usually ordered in a day and their restaurant was one of the most popular in the south end. "Yes!" They answered simultaneously. "Thank you for your order! I apologize in advance but the dishes may take a while" "No worries" It was only understandable considering how much they had ordered. The waitress hurriedly scurried off to tell the chefs so that they could prepare them as soon as possible, luckily due to the rich business of the restaurant, they had hired quite a few chefs so that they wouldn''t make their customers wait for too long. After a little over half an hour, the dishes were delivered gradually one by one, those around them were astonished by the amount of food the two lean ladies could eat, the purple eyed one even gave a bunch to her spirit beasts, usually spirit beasts are seen as tools for battle and replaceable slaves but the young lady was treating hers so well. Seeing how well Zi Hua treated her spirit beasts, Xue Lian inwardly nodded, her whimsical decision to make this friend was worth it, though she wasn''t aware about her lack of common sense in her way of making friends. They happily ate and Xiao Hong forgot all about her master''s previous offense. ''It was worth leaving the room after all'' Both Xiao Zi and Xiao Bai thought, at this point they were both practically shut ins, although being a hikkomori may be leisurely and fun but they were still ''kids'' and should be running around ''according to norms''. 56 The Ruins 1 "Have you heard? A ruin was unearthed by some people from Deep Sky Dragon Sect near Emerald Eucommia recently but the news was leaked out due to spies! And although a large part of their powers is gone and they can only be regarded as a second rate power now, Celestial Cloud Sect is still participating. They are co-operating with Aboveboard Arcane Sect!" "Powers have decided to open the ruins on the 25th, the news was already out so Deep Sky Dragon Sect had had no way of stopping them and could only relent" "Really? That''s big news then, maybe we should go try and test our luck" "Stupid! Even if we get out hands on a treasure, sects like Sophists Sage Sect will hunt us down and this is exclusive information that I got from my brother in law''s sister''s 2nd cousin''s aunt''s husband, the place is said to be extremely cold so even if we go there we''ll just be frozen into icicles" The guy jokingly hit his companion''s head and whispered but it did not escape Zi Hua''s sharp ears. ''Ruins huh? I guess that Deep Sky Dragon Sect must''ve kept a copy of the map and continued their search, no wonder that Sect leader looked so happy, he had some brains after all'' It was likely that it was the flame fragment after she connected the dots it was quite obvious. ''Might as well take a look, Tang Zen Zen might be there'' It was currently the 16th so there were still 9 days and she could arrive there in 2/3 days so she has 6 days max. to prepare, cold... so insulated winter wear should do since she has a stronger constitution thanks to her cultivation. Now that that''s out of the way, she has to complete what she had forgot. "Nian Gao, you said that males take on Mu and females take on Xue, that is quite peculiar, is it some sort of tradition?" Zi Hua asked. "Uh-muh-bluh-muh" Xue Lian replied with her mouth stuffed with food. "Swallow that first, be careful not to choke" "Eheh-heh-heh" And she remarkably managed to choke despite Zi Hua''s warning, Zi Hua handed over a cup of water for her friend whilst the spirits beasts were engrossed in eating the delicacies. "Thanks, my clan is a bit special, it is more of a rule rather than a tradition" "Oh" "And males have different characteristics than females, particularly our eyes and hair" Now that explained the contrasting appearances of the two siblings. "Why do you ask?" "Just curious" "Then what about your family?" "They''re... quite far away" She didn''t want her friend to be guilty for bringing it up since she had brought up the topic first. "Oh" An awkward yet soothing silence covered the table but was unnoticeable due to the boisterous surroundings. "Nian Gao, I might have to leave for a bit, do you have any plans?" Xue Lian staying in the inn proved that she didn''t live here. "Hmm? Not really *shrug*, why don''t I go with you?" "Sure" Since she has already treated her as a friend, she didn''t mind revealing it, Xue Lian, unlike Tang Zen Zen, was quite strong and wasn''t burdened by anything from her attitude. Though, with the power in her hands she could find out if she did some digging however, Tang Zen Zen didn''t want to tell her so she doesn''t to respect her privacy. "We''ll set off in 6 days, don''t worry about preparing stuff, I''ll do it" "Okay, thanks" Zi Hua will have to replicate insulated winter wear from Earth which shouldn''t be too difficult with all the materials that she has however it may be quite difficult to think up a design, a cloak would be the norm considering this era but it might get in the way and designs from Earth are out of question. *Poke* *Poke* Zi Hua turned around to see Xiao Hong pecking her hinting for her to get more food, how did they finish all that so quickly!? "Waitress, 5 more plates of roasted duck please" "Oh, yes, of course, please wait" The astounded waitress immediately wait away. ''Woah, who knew those slender misses could eat so much but still have such a lean figure, maybe I should eat more and I might get a body like theirs'' The waitress thought, unfortunately for her, the rules that apply for Black hole foodies do not apply to her. 57 The Ruins 2 "Doufu Hua! Come on!" Xue Lian was banging on Zi Hua''s room door, waiting for her so that they could set off. "Wait, I''m coming" Zi Hua had eaten ''quite a bit'' of food in the past few days and had put on some weight so she slowly wobbled to the door with cute chubby cheeks that make you want to pinch them. SIKE! Who do you think Zi Hua is? She''s a Black hole foodie who has everything she eats disappear somewhere, her stomach is like a black hole which sucks in and compresses everything! Here''s what actually happens. "Doufu Hua! Come on!" Xue Lian was banging on Zi Hua''s room door, waiting for her so that they could set off. "Coming! Nian Gao ah, it''s only 5 in the morning right now" Zi Hua drowsily opened the door whilst rubbing her eyes, usually cultivators didn''t need to sleep much but she was a normal human previously and had gotten used to sleeping and such, her mind of a doctor tells her that it is necessary to sleep at least 10 hours a day. (A/N: Who actually does though? I only meet that goal when it''s the weekends and I sleep in) "I know that but early birds get the worm! Come one sleepy head, let''s get ready" Xue Lian ushered Zi Hua back into her room while helping herself in. Zi Hua went to the closet to bring out two fur layered hanfus, one was a hanfu of many different shades of purple layered over each layer with a fur neck warmer, the other a pink hanfu with an outer coat, both lined with fluffy fur at the sides. Both hanfus were covered with fur on the inside yet not to much to the point where it would look puffy. "Wahh, so pretty!" Xue Lian was bedazzled by the two beautiful dresses. Zi Hua felt that pink would look quite nice as it may add some color to Xue Lian''s jade white skin, but she still thinks that green suits Xue Lian best. Xue Lian gave of a calming yet cheerful aura akin to a lush green forest that''s full of wildlife yet so calming. Next time she should try having Xue Lian wear blue, like a lake since she fluctuates like waves on a calm sunny day. "Let''s put these on first, then when we get there we can put that on" Zi Hua then brought out a mint green two piece hanfu and a purple one that was the same style for them to wear on the way and had her put the other one away. It had flowy thin white and green/purple sleeves and a intricately embroidered waistband with ripples formed by the hem of the top part of the outfit and the hem of the skirt. Zi Hua had not only added the special fur but also some spiritual runes on those hanfus so it was more like an armament rather than clothing so it would keep them warm more effectively however, this place was far from cold as it was late spring so she prepared another outfit for each of them. "Okay~" They were both girls so they weren''t reserved and got changed. They then went outside to the inn''s stables to retrieve their horses, Zi Hua usually traveled with her spirit beasts but the place they were going to was a place where the top powers of this continent was gathering so she had to be cautious, the higher continents may have also heard this and sent someone down who was originally from here. The horses were two regular horses since tamed beasts were hard to come by due to the rarity of beast tamers and the amount of man power required to capture them, the two girls found no reason to contract a magical beast for just the sake of this occasion, plus, Xue Lian couldn''t. "Come on now, let''s head off" Xue Lian swiftly hopped onto the horse, whilst Zi Hua less impressively did so. In the modern era, there was no need to learn a skill such as horse riding and she didn''t have time nor the endurance to have horse riding as a hobby, riding on horses is by no means comfortable: she values her butt cheeks. Alas, she had to learn it for this occasion so she has been receiving private horse riding lessons from Xue Lian, who although has a alternative way, but for the sake of her own safety has to travel the normal way like regular folks. 58 The Ruins 3 "Why are you so excited anyways?" "Coz'' exploring places is fun, if you don''t have fun what''s the point of life" This struck Zi Hua, she should have more fun, Xue Lian was lucky to be able to have such a light hearted way of thinking when she had the brains, she''s actually quite intelligent despite how she acts. "Nian Gao, do you even know where Emerald Eucommia City is?" "..." Due to certain circumstances (eating) they had totally thrown that to the back of their minds. "Umm, let''s go ask around" Xue Lian''s eyes darted to the side and tried to switch the topic and end the awkward silence caused by their gluttonous foodie selves. "That won''t work, most people know that the ruins have been founded near Emerald Eucommia City recently and due to our ''shopping sprees'', we are well known around here, they might get suspicious, I still want to return here" No where else could compare to the variety of food available here. "True, but what should we do then?" Zi Hua tried to recall the maps she had had burned but they weren''t very useful since the city names change over time. The maps her master made were quite magical, they would change along with the topography change due to erosion and such but it does not do the same with the cities. "Hmm..." "Wait, weren''t there maps being sold in the market?" "Oh yeah" Come to think of it, when she was passing by that shop she had a nagging feeling, she should''ve listened to it but oh well, at least the predicament is solved. They went back to the market and do not belittle a merchant''s passion on making money, it was so early yet they had already set up their stalls. Zi Hua brought the map along with some desserts that they couldn''t resist buying along the way and left the city with Xue Lian. "Doufu Hua, why are you going to the ruins?" Xue Lian suddenly asked, she had just tagged along on a whim. "To avenge my master" "Oh?" "But would your master like you to live a life of vengeance?" "..." She hadn''t thought about that, now that she thinks about it, her master had only told her to continue her legacy and ascend to godhood, not take revenge... Zi Hua had suffered a lot of indignation and grievances, after such experiences it would be impossible to retain a mind and heart free of vengeance so it was ingrained into her. "I - ...I don''t know but this is what I deem right, it''s the retribution they deserve" She had practically committed her entire previous life for revenge so she only knows that, it was what she deemed right, after all retribution wouldn''t come on it''s own accord. "As long as you are content it is fine" Although she was rather whimsical, it also meant that she has a sophisticated understanding of the human nature from idling, what''s right and wrong are for you, yourself, to decide, you may be swayed by others to think something else but in the end you had been willingly swayed. Different people have their own different opinions, but some are just so disagreeable, take Sophist Sage Sect for an example, although they are called hypocrites, which they are, but those that are calling them hypocrites are hypocrites themselves, everyone in this world has done an act of hypocrisy at some point, no matter how big or small yet they condemn Sophist Sage Sect and not themselves. To others they are the bad guys but to them, everyone who opposes them is bad. "Mm" Zi Hua gave a placid reply. The two rode towards Emerald Eucommia City whilst taking stops at a city to rest during the night whilst conveniently trying out some confectioneries, however the cities couldn''t compare to the wide variety in Mauve Merchant City. Zi Hua had told her spirit beasts beforehand that she couldn''t bring them out since they would be rushing to their destination, her spirit beasts were very understanding and even Xiao Hong didn''t make a fuss. By the time they had arrived, most inns had been booked full by various sects leaving them no where to stay. 59 The Ruins 4 "Doufu Hua ah, where are we going to stay? The inns are all full, don''t tell me that we have to stay on the streets" Zi Hua''s eyebrows knitted together, disgruntled. She hadn''t taken that into account since she had Heaven-defying artifact as last resort and she usually only gets an inn to lessen the chances of it being found out, but Xue Lian was here and she can''t let anyone know about Heaven-defying artifact. How careless of her... "Let''s continue searching, there will definitely be one with vacant rooms" With so many inns due to the vast number of cultivators travelling regularly, there has to be some vacant rooms left. However, they had underestimated the greed those powers had towards the ruins. "Why aren''t there any vacant rooms!?" Xue Lian plopped down onto the floor tiredly, they had gone around the entire city with no good results, power level: 10%, low battery. Zi Hua pondered for a bit, she couldn''t intrude on Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect since humans are after all, selfish creatures, she herself not exactly exempted from that fact, they would want some treasures for themselves. If she stayed with them and she were to be found out that she found anything she would have to give it to Lightning Purple Phoenix Sect, she valued her principles and it would be quite shameless to be so thick-skinned as to intrude on them but not give any treasure. It would be even worse if it was Deep Sky Dragon Sect. The previous secretly introverted girl wasn''t ready to put on such a shameless act... yet. She still feels shame (except when it comes to desserts). "We might as well set out camp then" They had brought some stuff for camp just in case they couldn''t find a city to stay during the journey, that had proved to be useful now that they were in such a situation. "Whaaattt! Noooo~ I want my nice bath" She hadn''t bathed since yesterday and had wanted a nice relaxing bath with flower petals, she had specifically brought the flower petals in the city on the way. "Then what else can we do?" Zi Hua shrugged helplessly. "I guess I have no choice but to go to him for help" Xue Lian muttered reluctantly. ''Father and mother will get angry if they find out that I stayed at his place though'' "Him?" Zi Hua replied in confusion. "Let''s go to Rarity Dew Auction House" If she remembered correctly, he had left Mauve Merchant City to come here. Zi Hua nodded and led her horse to follow Xue Lian. When they arrived, they went in unobstructed, people could tell that such beautiful girls were of extra-ordinary background. Something as superficial as beauty surprisingly makes good use. Xue Lian found the branch manager and showed him a tablet, which the manager then courteously led them to the top floor. "Esteemed personage, please enter" After saying that he left. They opened the door to find a beautiful ''woman'' with long silky black hair and the hair near his face neck length languidly laying on a couch. "What brings you here?" The beautiful ''woman'' asked. "Qian Yang, I wouldn''t come here if I didn''t have a place to stay and I need some more money too" Well, she still had quite a bit of money but having more won''t hurt. "Didn''t I already give you some before I left?" "Hmph, it''s almost gone" The ''woman'' then casually threw a pouch towards Xue Lian. "Thanks ''MISS Qian Yang''" Xue Lian stuck her tongue out cheekily. Upon closer observation the beautiful ''woman'' was actually a seductively feminine man. He was clearly annoyed, so much to the point that veins could be seen on his forehead but as he was already used to it he didn''t explode, it would be futile anyways, he''s tried making her stop using that form of address multiple times previously but to no avail, so he could only ignore it as if she had never said that, she was technically saying that he''s so beautiful that he could pass as a female anyways. "Yeah, yeah, you can leave now, there''s some rooms next to this one, just choose two with your friend, but not No.1, that''s mine" His gaze stayed on Zi Hua for a moment before turning away to hide the ripples of emotion in his eyes and ushered them away. Zi Hua then gave her thanks and left with Xue Lian. 60 The Ruins 5 "Hmph, can you believe it? That lazy guy is actually the legendary owner of Rarity Dew Auction House, who has branches all over Moonlight and Sunlight Continent!" Xue Lian said as she rolled her eyes. "Oh" "How did he get so powerful with that kind of lazy attitude?" Xue Lian continued "Are you okay? You seem a little dazed" "Yeah, I''m fine" For some reason, that guy gave her a nagging feeling. "Did you know? That guy is even said to be friends with the young master of the Tian Family!" Xue Lian had long realized that Zi Hua was someone with remarkable abilities so she knew that Zi Hua would have at least some sort of knowledge about things like that. So she just continued to rant about the guy as if she was trying to say ''I would never like that kind of guy''. ''Tian Family! It couldn''t be!'' She hadn''t collected information about Sunlight Continent yet and the memories she got from her master are incomplete. "Do they have amethyst eyes?" "Yup, that reminds me, when I first saw you I had though that you were from the Tian Family, but there''s no way someone of the Tian Family would be wondering around outside for so long" Zi Hua replied with silence. ''It couldn''t be, it must be just a coincidence'' She couldn''t get her hopes up or else she would be even more heart-broken if the news was wrong. She hadn''t told Xue Lian her surname since she had thought that Xue Lian didn''t reveal her surname. Well, nothing is confirmed yet so she better keep those thoughts to herself. They chose a room next to each other''s. The two of them had rushed here so there was still a day before the 25th, it was currently the 23rd. Xue Lian got her nice hot bath and a peaceful night of sleep, Zi Hua... not so quite, the possibility of her family being here kept her up, she was anxious to meet them again. Thankfully, cultivators didn''t have to sleep that much and had a stronger body so it didn''t affect Zi Hua the next day. Zi Hua suggested for them to go around the city to gather some information which Xue Lian agreed upon that idea, however to keep their advantage, powers had strictly controlled the outflow of inside information. Apart from information such as it will be cold and the location of where they''ll meet, that they already knew, they couldn''t find any other news. "Doufu Hua, we''ve been going around the whole day with no results" Xue Lian melted onto a bench, exhausted. Since they had arrived here they had constantly faced challenges, making Zi Hua feel helpless. It would be so much easier if she just revealed her power and used force but she has to bide her time until she''s strong enough. She knows what she is doing is worth it, if she hadn''t... she doesn''t dare try to imagine the circumstances that she would be in, being constantly chased down by others. Plus, she can''t sneak into any of the sects'' places to get information since if Rarity Dew Auction House know of the ruins, powers from higher continents may do too and send someone who was originally from here back down. "Let''s just carry on going around and see" Xue Lian got up and soullessly swayed around on the streets with a depressing aura, not knowing that her friend had left. "Hey! Peasant, get on all fours and apologize to Senior Meng" Due to her depressed state, Xue Lian had accidentally bumped into someone and had fallen over. The person, Senior Meng, who was bumped into didn''t bother to hide her contempt, since she had come here, due to her talent everyone gave way to her so she became arrogant and proud. Back in Starlight Continent, even though she was the Eldest Young Lady of the General''s Manor, people looked down on her for being the daughter of a low ranked concubine (a former maid who climbed into her master''s bed) who died of child birth but when she was found out to be a genius and got noticed by Sophist Sage Sect from a higher continent, everyone started fawning her, boosting her ego greatly. Even the madam, her ''mother'', and her other siblings had to give way to her. Her mother had given birth to her not long after Zhang Ling Xin became the madam and she was given to Xia Fei Yan''s mother to take care of. But she hated that Xia Fei Yan even more so than the siblings of the main wife, she didn''t care much for her birth mother who left her alone in a den of scheming vipers to fend for herself, but she loved Xia Fei Yan''s mother who brought her up so kindly despite she not being her biological child. But Xia Fei Yan took away that love from her! She hated Xia Fei Yan''s mother for loving Xia Fei Yan, she felt that Xia Fei Yan''s mother had abandoned her. 61 The Ruins 6 "I''m sorry for bumping into you" In her depressed state, Xue Lian didn''t register what they said and only followed what was ingrained (aka drilled) into her mind since young and apologize then got back up and started to leave shakily. Xue Lian usually wouldn''t be so depressed but she had stayed in Mauve Merchant City whenever she wasn''t at home so she was used to eating desserts but there wasn''t much confectionery in Emerald Eucommia City due to it being a city that relied on the embroidery industry. "Peasant! Come back here!" The people from Sophist Sage Sect didn''t take the exquisite clothing that she wore into consideration since beautiful clothing was plenty in this city that was full of talented tailors. Although it was prettier than the ones that they were used to seeing around here. Seeing that the girl wasn''t replying, they resorted to force but when the disciples attacked her, they missed. Xue Lian had sensed the danger and avoided it but had almost fallen over. Zi Hua knew why Xue Lian was so depressed so she went across the city to get some confectioneries since the girl was only in such a state because she had come here for her sake, oblivious to the situation her friend was in. "I apologize since it was my fault for bumping into you however, what I did was no where near the extent which I have to kneel down on all fours to apologize!" Despite her carefree attitude, as the next clan head, she had her pride, she wouldn''t let others trample all over her. "How dare you!" Currently, everyone here was from some sect due to the ruins so they just turned a blind eye to the ruckus, if they got involved they would definitely get berated by their elders. But before anything else could take place, a feminine figure stood in front of Xue Lian, blocking the unreasonable people. "Since when did Sophist Sage Sect become so daring, brave enough to bully my people right in front of me" A languid voice rebuked them. Sophist Sage Sect''s people toned down upon seeing the emblem on his waist, fearing that they would offend the man further. The emblem symbolized the owner of Rarity Dew Auction House, so they knew his identity immediately. Those that were brought here weren''t some mediocre disciples, they all had a rather high position in the sect so they knew that even the previous 3 now 2 first rate powers wouldn''t dare offend Rarity Dew Auction House despite it being just a commerce chain reliant organisation, at least on the surface. "Sir, seeing that she is from Rarity Dew Auction House we will not press on that matter, however she could''ve hurt Senior Meng" Although they had said that they wouldn''t press the matter for the sake of Rarity Dew Auction House but they were clearly doing so, were they trying to slap their own face or Rarity Dew Auction House''s, haiz, some people ah. They turned around to leave with a harrumph. "Did I say that you could leave after causing trouble for my people!" The man coldly said. He had never been lenient on his own people not to mention some strangers who had hurt her! Plus her father was scary, he always had that dominating killing intent far surpassing anyone else he has met, although it was only obvious considering that he was clan head, if he found out that she had suffered even the tiniest grievances he would be in a lot of trouble but even without that fact, he would still unconditionally protect her. He had been so surprised when her father actually suggested such an agreement. But then again, their clan was in decline and needed to expand their branches even if it meant breeding with humans, that would be better than having their clan cut off, but they could not integrate into human society without his help. In return, they would owe him a favor and would wholeheartedly complete it as long it was in their means. A favor from the mighty Ice Forest Qilin clan was priceless. 62 The Ruins 7 "Sir, you''re clearly trying to make trouble here, it was her who was in the wrong" "I wonder who is the one who''s actually making trouble" "Then what do you want from us" "Kneel down and apologize!" The man released his aura, suppressing the disciples there. "YOU!" One of the disciples turned red from anger and had a finger pointing at him. "Put down that finger or else I''ll cut it off" Seeing that there was no other way out they could only bear with it and lower themselves. (A/N: In some parts of China it is considered rude to point your finger at someone) ''B*tch, just you wait'' "WE APOLOGIZE" They slipped this out through their gritted teeth as they knelt on the ground, no matter how humiliating it was, they wanted to keep their lives and had no other choice, they could sense that the man wasn''t merely all talk he really would carry out such ruthless actions. "You can leave!" He waved them off and the Sophist Sage Sect disciples could only leave, humiliated. "Thank you but I could''ve dealt with them by myself and who''s your people!" Despite what she was saying Xue Lian was fuzzy on the inside and touched by his actions, he had acted so overbearing for her sake. "Deal with them and get found out? There are some ''foreigners'' here right now, I''m not the only one. I had promised your father to take care of you" The man lifted an eyebrow at her, at this moment he looked like a actual guy and less feminine. Xue Lian had nothing to say to his first comment but she had a feeling that the second comment sounded a bit...weird? Or at least it should have. She turned around in a huff but her ankle gave out, usually that kind of fall wouldn''t have hurt her at all, however she had been spacing out and didn''t pay attention, everyone makes mistakes. Even the so called ''perfect'' Zi Hua would too, though she had long shed that title. Just when she thought that she would hit the ground she was caught by a pair of slender yet surprisingly strong arms into a princess carry. "Put me down, I can walk by myself, it won''t take long before it heals" Her healing abilities were superior than others and it will only take a day for it to heal and be as good as new. Following her request, he let her down carefully and let her walk by herself then retreated to the side with folded arms. Although it was difficult she wasn''t about to take back her words, so she slowly struggled and wobbled like a new born fawn. The man watched from the side in amusement, his lips tugged up into a small cheeky smile. Seeing the girl''s helpless situation, he wasn''t as heartless to not help since it was her after all and he knew the girl wouldn''t hurt her pride to take the initiative to go back on her own word for something of this caliber, so he took the initiative to scoop her up back into a princess carry. This time she could only bury her head in silence to hide her embarrassment, she wasn''t able to walk so she could only let him carry her. The mighty young clan head had to rely on a human... They made a beautiful picture together, their skin were both equally fair and smooth as white jade, the man looked feminine but his aloof aura suggested otherwise, but others could clearly sense the care he had for the girl, the girl was a fierce yet innocent looking girl who had buried her face from shyness. Epitome of a beautiful couple. He took her to his office where he was at when they first arrived and set her down to get some bandages, there was no point in eating pills since she would heal soon and she hates the taste and texture of pills despite being a gourmet so he didn''t force her. The taste wasn''t that bad, it was just due to the mix of medicinal herbs that the smells had merged together to created a pungent taste; others would even find it aromatic since it proves the authenticity of the pill. Of course, the pills that Zi Hua had made as sweets were carefully blended together so they were savory. 63 The Ruins 8 "Why are there others here, Qian Yang?" Xue Lian asked whilst swinging her uninjured leg as Huang Qian Yang searched around for bandages. "For the same reason as you of course, no matter how much you like food, there''s no way that you would come all the way over here for that" Xue Lian had nothing to say since Huang Qian Yang had seen through her lies. "Hehe, I went out today to gather some information but with no success" "Of course, those sects are protecting the information they have like their lives. What do you want to know?" He finally found the bandages and headed over to her. "Eh?" She hadn''t expected him to be so generous. "Are the ruins really some place full of treasure?" "From the information that I had my subordinates get personally, yes and no" "?" Confusion was written all over her face. ''Cute'' When others were around he would be unassuming and nonchalant but when it was only him and her, he would be gentle and caring. Love is not something that is explainable, you can fall in love over the simplest things but your feelings can develop so deep after time. That was his case of love. "I wouldn''t come here if it was just a normal ruin, I can''t tell you since this is for a friend of mine but it will be dangerous and there''ll probably be only one treasure" Hearing that he wouldn''t tell her why Xue Lian felt a bit suffocated but her reasoning told her that she should be understanding. "If you want to go, I know I won''t be able to stop you but be careful" However, her discontent faded away after hearing his worry for her. "Don''t worry, I''ll be fine, you be careful too" Xue Lian wasn''t shy and was quite straightforward most of the time, Huang Qian Yang knelt down to bandage her ankle. "En" Huang Qian Yang was likewise moved by her care. "What are you doing?!" She jolted awake fully on guard when she saw him reach out for her ankle. "Bandaging for wound, silly" He replied expressionlessly. "Who''s silly?" She didn''t reject him since she knew she couldn''t do it herself that well and didn''t want the previous scenario to repeat itself. "You who else?" Huang Qian Yang smirked provocatively. "You''re the silly one!" She was the mighty young clan head! How dare he call her silly? She going to lead the clan in the future, let''s see if he still dares to call her silly when he sees her admirable self ruling above her clansmen. Xue Lian suddenly had a strong feeling of wanting to prove herself to him. "There. Try not to put pressure on it. I''ll help you to your room" "En, thanks" She replied obediently, she was helpless right now. Just as he carried her out the room, the branch manager just so happened to come to report the accounts to him and saw the scene. The smart guy immediately turned around to not disturb them, he decided to leave before he had to be told to, an image really tells a thousand words, just seeing the scene he had caught on. He had never seen his master be so affectionate towards a lady before. Although Huang Qian Yang looked weak and easily manipulated he was far from so and instead was nonchalant, lazy-looking and aloof most of the time, staying clear of other people. The only person the branch manager knew who his master was close with was the Tian Family''s young master. The employees were from Moonlight Continent but Huang Qian Yang had made sure to have all the branch managers be his men from Sunlight Continent. He didn''t want any spies sneaking by his side, the fact that he had branches in Moonlight Continent is no secret. Huang Qian Yang set Xue Lian down on the bed and told her to call him if she needs anything. ''Oh crap, Zi Hua is still outside'' At this moment, Zi Hua timely knocked on her door. "Come in" "Nian Gao, are you okay? I found out that you got injured" Zi Hua looked with an expression full of worry. 64 The Ruins 9 "Don''t worry, I''m fine, despite how I look, my body is durable, it''ll heal by tomorrow" Xue Lian patted her chest confidently. With this assurance from her, Zi Hua could finally breathe a sigh of relief, she had been worried when she heard that Xue Lian got carried back, thinking that those people had somehow miraculously managed to injure her. Luckily, Xue Lian was fine, she didn''t have friends previously so all the more she treasured her subordinates, her spirit beasts, Xiao Shen, Tang Zen Zen and Xue Lian. "Don''t push yourself tomorrow, I''ll call you out for dinner later" "Okay" Zi Hua then left the room. ''I''ll make them pay tomorrow'' How could she take the fact that others purposely made it hard for her friend lying down plus she had previous scores that she had to settle with that Xia Meng Meng, no matter how strong Xue Lian was, it would have been difficult for her to escape the tricky situation if Huang Qian Yang hadn''t arrived in time. Hmph, they were both friends with Xue Lian but that guy had got to her first, just watch, she''ll be with Xue Lian more often than him. Zi Hua didn''t really know how to socialize when she wasn''t following her psychological understanding so she got a bit jealous towards Huang Qian Yang. When she had ''awakened'' she had decided to erase all those physiological tricks from her mind. It turns out Zi Hua is rather possessive and competitive, though, she knows when to stop so she shouldn''t become a crazy yandere. Similarly, Xue Lian didn''t know much either, or else why would she have used such a way to invite Zi Hua to hang out. It had sounded more like trying to pick her up rather than trying to make friends with her. ..... The next day Xue Lian was jumping around cheerfully with her ankle as good as new, she was in a good mood and joyfully donned into the special pink hanfu Zi Hua had given her previously. Her cheeks turned red from the stuffiness so she took the outer coat off and just wore the hanfu. With her cheeks slightly flushed contrasting against her jade like skin, she gave of a bashful appearance. "Doufu Hua!" This time she didn''t wake up as early since they wouldn''t be going to the meeting place anytime soon, the allocated time was 3 in the afternoon so they had plenty of time to prepare, it was only 9am right now. "Morning, is your ankle better?" Zi Hua opened the door, she was donned in her purple hanfu, when she saw Xue Lian she couldn''t help but give her a pinch on the cheek. Although Xue Lian was older than Zi Hua, Zi Hua has always acted older than her age and took on the older sister role. "As good as new" Xue Lian did a few jumps to prove it to her. "Great, let''s get something to eat" "En" Just as they were heading out, they bumped into Huang Qian Yang. "Qian Yang, do you want to join us for breakfast/lunch?" "En, sure" He had nothing better to do anyways, he had long finished the preparations for the ruins. Other sects were all preparing for the exploration so the restaurants were empty, they immediately got a table despite the crowded city. "Waitress, we will have..." Xue Lian then went on with her orders. "Don''t eat too much or else you might get a belly ache later" Zi Hua reminded. "Okay" They ate their fill but Xue Lian had eaten over half the food they had ordered. ''This is what she calls not eating too much?'' Huang Qian Yang could feel his eyes twitch. "Bill please" They called for the waitress to settle the bill. "I''ll pay" "No I''ll pay" "I''ll pay" "No no no, I''ll pay" And they kept on arguing though Xue Lian arguing with Huang Qian Yang was pretty pointless since she was using his money in the first place. "I insist" "If you insist" The two girls gave a satisfied look, their little scheme had succeeded. It wasn''t really about the money but rather the fact that he had fallen into their trap. Xue Lian was the first to suggest this as a prank and Zi Hua happily agreed to it to get her revenge, but Xue Lian doesn''t realize that this wasn''t only this ''trap'' of hers that he had fallen into. 65 The Ruins 10 When it was about time they parted ways to prepare, they wouldn''t work together in the exploration since Huang Qian Yang couldn''t disclose anything. Many people had already arrived by the time Zi Hua and Xue Lian went to the meeting place. Zi Hua looked around to see if Tang Zen Zen was there since it would be a good chance for her friends to meet but she couldn''t find her with the entourage from Deep Sky Dragon Sect, who were in charge of organizing. It was both good and bad, she couldn''t meet Tang Zen Zen but Tang Zen Zen wouldn''t be dragged into the mess if she really did find the flame fragment and got found out. She couldn''t sense it from here so she could only confirm the existence of the flame fragment when she enters the ruins. Suddenly, she could feeling an intense hostile glare towards her direction, she turned around to the direction of the source to find Xia Meng Meng glaring at Xue Lian as if she had just murdered her entire family. Though, she didn''t realize that there was actually someone who did that right next to Xue Lian. Xia Meng Meng couldn''t make a ruckus in these circumstances but once they entered... Zi Hua could guess what they thinking, if it was merely bumping into her she wouldn''t have been so vengeful however that dumb Huang Qian Yang had humiliated her in front of all those people from various powers, she couldn''t swallow that bitter pill. Huang Qian Yang was trying to protect Xue Lian and get them back for her but he really didn''t take this into account, love can be blinding (in more than one way), he usually wouldn''t make such a careless mistake. (A/N: To all the third wheels out there, you will know what it means by more than one way) However, Xia Meng Meng really didn''t stop to think that she deserved it since Xue Lian had only accidentally bumped into her and apologized yet those people with her had been so unreasonable and she had just stood there in agreement with their actions, the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree, she was no different than her sisters. If Xia Fei Yan hadn''t died she might''ve ended up like the rest of her sisters, however even if it was so, Zi Hua was someone who drew the line between debt of gratitude and vengeance and believed that there wasn''t a definite right and wrong in this world, everyone has the right to have their own beliefs. "Ahem! Deep Sky Dragon Sect has found a ruin recently and decided to gather the sects together for an exploration" The Sect leader''s voice echoes throughout the venue. He clearly claimed that Deep Sky Dragon Sect was the one who found it so they had ownership for it. He wouldn''t have allowed them if the news hadn''t spread out due to those two b*stards, when he finds them... But what''s done is done, it was the place from the map that their lord had gave them for safekeeping and after so many years of search, they had inadvertently stumbled upon it, such a place would definitely be dangerous so the more people the better and if there really is any mishap, it would be a chance for the other powers to be weakened. "We will bring you to the ruins so please follow along" They hadn''t explored much since the various powers had been keeping an even closer eye than usual on them so it was also their first time doing a proper search. A large group of people followed the Sect leader, from elders to geniuses to wondering cultivators. Not long later, they reached a snow covered plain, Xue Lian put on the extra layer, the others had similarly brought extra layers but they would be no where as effective as the two ladies'' clothes in keeping warm. The ruins were underground but due to the entrance being opened, the places surrounding it had been covered in snow. 66 Trap 1 "Everyone, you are advised to stay in small groups, you may explore the ruins however, Deep Sky Dragon Sect will not be responsible for any casualties" Most people were cautious and did not rush in, they observed those who went down first and only followed after when they did not sense those that went down already to be in any danger. There were many twists and turns in the ruins and it was like a maze and dungeon combined together. Zi Hua and Xue Lian cautiously tread around the ruins, Zi Hua had some knowledge about traps and such but it didn''t prove to be very useful when faced with the technology of another world. Each group was separated by the various twist and turns so no two powers were together apart from those who were collaborating. However, a certain group was following Xue Lian and Zi Hua, the two had sensed them but didn''t pay any mind since it could just be a coincidence, unfortunately when Zi Hua extended Truth''s eye she found that their assumptions were incorrect. ''Heh, people like you are easy to deal with because you come to my doorstep'' Xia Meng Meng and the third young master, Xia Liang Yu, doesn''t know about the death of General''s Manor yet due to information being practically impossible to go through the continents. However, once they find out they will definitely try to make trouble and it would raise the attention of others, something which she does not want right now. Just as they reached a dead end and was about to turn back around to walk another way, several figures blocked their way. At the back of those figures was Xia Meng Meng and a sinister looking man with upturned eyes and a spine-chilling smirk. "Today is your doom, I''ll make you regret what happened yesterday" Xia Meng Meng haughtily said whilst clinging onto the man. The man looked at her tenderly. "Meng''er, these pests will not leave this place alive, this is what they deserve for going against you" Zi Hua stared coldly at the pair of lovebirds, she had assessed the man and found that he was at least decent and on normal circumstances they would''ve not bothered with each other however thanks to him being on the enemy''s side she will have no choice. "We''ll just have to see who''s grave this is going to be" Xue Lian casually said, unfazed by her situation. "Even when death is upon you, you do not know when to retreat, men charge!" Xia Meng Meng ordered her men attack Zi Hua and Xue Lian. However, against one overpowered spirit beast and the aberrant Zi Hua, how could these measly people be their opponents : they were dealt with in seconds, before Xia Meng Meng had finished saying ''charge''. Xia Meng Meng''s blanked out from shock not believing what had just unfolded and the man beside her''s face turned grim. "Who are you?" He spat out. "Hah, shouldn''t we be asking you that, why would someone from Sunlight Continent be here?" The man wore a rectangular-ish tailsmen on his neck, suggesting that he was from Sunlight Continent. Huang Qian Yang also wore one however his was in the form of gloves that didn''t cover his fingers and had a ring connected to it on his middle finger. The man immediately went on guard and hid Xia Meng Meng behind him to protect her. "Ladies, we apologize for attacking you" At this point Xia Meng Meng had lost all the will to go against them, if she really had been stubborn, her life would''ve gone very differently. In Xia Li''s courtyard there was only Zhang Ling Xin and Xia Fei Yan''s mother, her mother had been accident so she could''ve easily gotten close to her elders and gotten a better life due to the little competition even before she was recruited however she had been meek by nature and had only gotten her arrogance from the flattery, she had practically just hid for her whole life within the courtyard and kept to herself. "My apologies, you had made your stance clear so there is no going back" Xue Lian then rushed towards them, spirit beasts have always been generally stronger than humans of the same rank so he was no match for her, they were finished swiftly. However, the moment she turned around to go back to Zi Hua''s side, a trap was triggered... 67 Trap 2 "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!" They were both surprised by the sudden fall, just after Xue Lian had finished them off, she had accidentally kicked a stone whilst walking back to Zi Hua causing the ground beneath their feet to disappear. Zi Hua hadn''t been paying attention so she wasn''t prepared, thankfully Xue Lian was there to catch her, it''s just that... A qilin appeared and swept Zi Hua on its back and slowly floated down to the bottom. "Nian Gao?" "Sorry for triggering the trap but aren''t you surprised?" The qilin disappeared and Xue Lian was back. "No worries, who would''ve known that there would be a trap there and I had a hunch about your identity" Zi Hua had known that those two siblings were half spirit beasts due to their peculiarity when she looked into their talent and then realized that Xue Lian held some sort of connection to them. "So why didn''t you try to capture me?" "Why would I? Your my friend and I already have spirit beasts, plus if you can turn into human form it means that you at least Low Staged Celestial rank, I can''t take you on alone" Zi Hua replied. "Haha, you''re more knowledgeable than I though you were and it seems thatI didn''t choose the wrong person to make friends with after all" "I had just reached Low Stage Celestial rank not too long ago, about 30 years ago, I''m almost 125 in spirit beast years but in human years I should be almost 25" Spirit beasts have longer life spans than humans so their age would be divided by 5 to get their human age. Zi Hua was quite surprised when Xue Lian said that, although ones egg rank would play a big part in their growth, many do not reach it, only the top members of the clans do. Although they will get stronger as they age, the older you are does not guarantee that you will be stronger than those younger than you even if you were from eggs of the same rank. Reaching Celestial rank before 200 years old would be a genius among geniuses of geniuses, although it couldn''t compare to her dears who reached it in a couple of years. Spirit beasts grow stronger much slower than humans so this was extremely impressive, it was the same as a Martial Sovereign at Exceptional State at the age of 25 when you compare it to humans. "Now that you know my secret, mind telling me about yours?" Xue Lian lifted an eyebrow in questioning. She could tell that Zi Hua was hiding a lot of things from her, although everyone has their secrets hiding everything from friends isn''t nice. "I guess you knew" Xue Lian was really smarter than how she looked and acted. "Promise me not to tell a soul" "Promise, but you know I won''t because you won''t tell anyone about my secret, right?" "I won''t tell" "My master is the true owner of what''s inside this ruin, the flame fragment, my master has told me to retrieve them so I can protect myself after her passing" Zi Hua was genuinely touched by the care her master had shown her, her master had given her all those treasures so that she could protect herself when the situation calls for it. Earlier she couldn''t sense the flame due to the vastness of the ruins however now she could sense the general direction. Although they couldn''t really sense it thanks to the clothes but the temperature has dropped drastically compared to before. "I wonder what big figure your master was when she was alive to have a higher continent''s people coming down here for a flame fragment" Xue Lian was a spirit beast who''s clan had been rather recluse the past few thousand years until recently so they didn''t know the details and only the overall picture regarding matters of the outside world as well as bits and pieces that they came across. Zi Hua gave a feeble smile, how shocked would Xue Lian be if she knew the true identity of her master? However she couldn''t reveal since it may bring danger to Xue Lian if it were to get out in anyway. "Sorry for getting you dragged into this, you can leave now if you want" Zi Hua stared into Xue Lian''s eyes nervously waiting for an answer. 68 Trap 3 "Hmph, Doufu Hua! Don''t you dare look down on our friendship (formed from food), you said last time that you still need to get revenge, your enemies are my enemies, how can I leave when you have not completed your revenge yet? I won''t leave even if you chase me away, you don''t call me Nian Gao for nothing!" The edges of Zi Hua''s eyes were brimmed with tears, clearly moved by her friend''s little speech. "Thanks" They stared at each other awkwardly for a while, now that all that touchy, cheesy stuff is out off the way what should they say now? "I can feel that the flame fragment is near, let''s head right" Zi Hua took the initiative to break the awkward silence. Xue Lian followed Zi Hua''s lead and they took a few more turns until eventually, they actually noticed the temperature drop. If it wasn''t for the clothes, they would''ve have been freezing and shaking uncontrollably by now. "Doufu-fu-fu Hua-ua-ua, how-ow mu-much further-er?" Even Xue Lian was having a bit of trouble with the cold in her human form now, she had started shivering and jittering. (A/N: Me when it''s winter, it''s so cold where I live T-T) "Just around the corner" However, who would''ve known that just when they turned to enter the room the flame fragment was in, someone else had also entered at the same time. The other party''s leader was a young man in his late teen, the third young master of the General''s Manor, son of Zhang Ling Xin, that came here due to the family pestering Xia Meng Meng to bring him over. Zi Hua recognized him at first glance. Zi Hua really has some dog luck to meet both her enemies which she has to get rid of in a day, fate can be miraculous. "Who are you!" "Nian Gao" Zi Hua gave Xue Lian a glance. "En" The two went to eliminate them, trusting their backs to one another, although she was care-free, by no means did it mean that she was lenient, Xue Lian had been taught since young to succeed the clan chief and had learnt to eliminate weeds at its roots, ruthlessness wasn''t rare in such a society, ''kindness upon ones'' enemies is cruelty upon oneself''. Zi Hua had long hardened her heart for her revenge, even if it meant hurting some innocents, she has her mind set on revenge and nothing will get in her way, she doesn''t care if she is labelled a criminal or demon. She''s spent enough time caring about unnecessary others'' opinions of her. With the other party in no condition to resist they were finished instantly. "Ewie, now I''m all dirty. Sorry Zi Hua, the clothes you made for me..." Xue Lian sobbed. "Don''t worry, just insert some spiritual power into it" Xue Lian followed what she said and was amazed. Spirit beasts also have spiritual power and break-through using Qi however their spiritual power is attributed, Xue Lian''s was ice, this was partly the reason for the spirit beasts'' advantage. "Zi Hua this is amazing!" Xue Lian''s eyes shone. Zi Hua had made the clothes using the fabrics that her master had left for her. After they cleaned themselves up, Zi Hua went to get the lantern and put it away. "Thank you for accompanying me to find this" Although she could''ve done all this by herself, it was touching to know someone was willing to assist her. "What are you saying? There''s no need for thanks when it comes to this kind of stuff" Xue Lian gave a cheeky smile, showing her canine teeth. "Let''s leave this place now" However, due to some stupid idiot somewhere in the ruins, it started collapsing. Rumble! "HURRY! Get on!" Xue Lian transformed into her spirit beast form and floated away. ''This ain''t some adventure in a classic fantasy world dungeon scenario so why is this happening!?'' ''A crumbling ruin is just so basic and cliche'' Thankfully, after they had fallen down, the route to the ruins had taken them closer to the surface so they broke through the ''roof'' and went out, Xue Lian changed back before anyone noticed. "Phew!" "That was a close call" 69 Only Realizing When Its Too Late... 1 @@ Zi Hua and Xue Lian sneaked away amidst the chaos undetected and safely returned to Emerald Eucommia City. "Where''s Huang Qian Yang?!" Xue Lian suddenly jolted to realization. "He also went to the ruins today..." "Let''s go back and search, he might''ve gotten trapped in the rubble, he''s wearing a tailsmen and can''t use his powers to the full extent!" Xue Lian panicked and immediately went back to search. Unfortunately, she couldn''t find him even after she wondered around the place several times and asking those who weren''t grieving. "Where could he be?" She despaired. Although he was strong he was restricted by the tailsmen, he would have trouble escaping. Only when faced with grief did she realize his importance to her. His cold attitude towards others that contrasts with his warm actions towards her... His willingness to give into her whims... She realized that she misses him... She realized that she...loves him.@@ 70 Only Realizing When Its Too Late... 2 Huang Qian Yang did not return until late that night seemingly lifeless. "Master, do not be so hasty to panic, Miss Xue might be fine" The branch manager consoled, he felt that it really was a pity, it was a once in a million years occurrence that his master is intimate with a girl but it seems that it''s impossible between them. "I shouldn''t have left her to her own devices" He regretted it, he should''ve kept her by his side, if he catches that idiot responsible for the collapse... that person will know the meaning of a life worse than death. What he regretted even more was that he didn''t and won''t ever get to express his feelings for her at this rate. Huang Qian Yang was asked by his friend to check out the situation with the ruins since he was relatively familiar with Moonlight Continent but after he had confirmed that other powers from Sunlight Continent had made a move and was about to leave to discuss further measures, the ruins started collapsing! He didn''t bring many men with him but thankfully he was near the surface and managed to escape safe and sound with his men. However, when he came out, he was met with various people grieving and countless heart-breaking scenarios went through his mind, ''she should be strong enough to escape'' he reasoned with himself ''but what if she was several hundred miles deep in the ground'', despairing thoughts went through his mind and he was on the verge of insanity. Emotions such as panic and excess worry can really mess with/cloud a persons judgement but if it''s from love, it just shows the amount of concern they have for the other party. He still hadn''t confessed to her... Hadn''t requested her hand in marriage from her parents... Hadn''t grown old with her... He dug into the piles of rubble with his men and explored the entire area underground but couldn''t find a shadow of her. It was only after numerous persuasions did he return, a ray of hope lit in his heart by the possibility of her being back in the Auction House. Unfortunately, to his dismay, what greeted him was a desolate room, even the girl who was with Xue Lian had disappeared. At this moment he didn''t care if that girl with Xue Lian could possibly be from the Tian Family or the persecution he would face from her clan for his failure in protecting her, only anguish and grief filled his heart. He condemned himself for not being there to protect her. Love is like a black hole once you get sucked into it you will just keep falling deeper and deeper and once you pass a certain point there is no escape. Just while he was going through his internal torment, a sound of sobbing was heard. "That stupid Huang Qian Yang, he should''ve just stayed in Rarity Dew Auction House lazing about like usual instead of going out!" A familiar voice cried. "X-xue Lian" Huang Qian Yang''s voice was shaking from relief. "Qian Yang!" Xue Lian immediately ran away from Zi Hua''s shoulder hug and into Huang Qian Yang''s arms. "Idiot! You were fine all this time, you made me worry for nothing!" "Where were you, I''ve been looking for you" Huang Qian Yang asked whilst embracing her. "I''ve been going around looking for you, now what were YOU doing?" Xue Lian replied whilst throwing an accusing glare at him. "Digging in rubble trying to find you, we must''ve missed each other" Only now did Xue Lian notice the dirt covered clothes he was wearing. Xue Lian had been rushing around whilst disregarding her surroundings and everything else, desperately dragging Zi Hua along giving the two no chance of noticing Huang Qian Yang. "Sorry, I didn''t mean to blame you, forgive me okay?" Xue Lian blushed out of embarrassment from blaming him. A brazen thought popped into Huang Qian Yang''s head, a sly smile appeared on his face. "I''ll only forgive you if..." He paused to add suspense, contemplating on whether he should or not. "I''m really sorry, I''ll do anything for you to forgive me" Xue Lian felt really guilty when she blamed him despite him disregarding his usual manner of doing things and dug in the rubble to search for her. 71 Marry Me "Marry me" Hearing her words, he threw away all thoughts of dilemma. "Okay - wait what did you say!?" "Marry me, you were the one who said anything" "But-but..." Xue Lian couldn''t find words to retort. Her face was as red as a tomato. (A/N: Basically as red as mine when I get hit in the face with a football (soccer ball) Others, including Zi Hua, had tactfully retreated to one side. Setting aside her slight jealousy towards Huang Qian Yang, she truly supported the couple. She could tell from the look of desperation that Xue Lian had on when she couldn''t find him that Xue Lian really cared about him and loved him. "...Ok" Xue Lian muttered in an almost inaudible voice but Huang Qian Yang was able to pick it up. He joined in with turning into tomatoes. He hadn''t been too sure of her answer and had even prepared himself to face rejection but she had agreed to him so easily. "Can you say that a bit louder? I can''t hear you~" He teased. "I said okay!" Xue Lian shouted, embarrassed. She doesn''t want to lose him, if getting married to him meant that they could be together and she wouldn''t have to leave him then she wouldn''t reject it. It''s seems that following him to Moonlight Continent for fun was worth the trip. "I love you" Huang Qian Yang was overcome with emotion and tightly hugged Xue Lian. Poof! *Sizzle* We have one brain-fried spirit beast in the house. You could practically see the steam going off Xue Lian''s head. She was too shocked and flustered by Huang Qian Yang''s confession that she couldn''t even think straight. "Congratulations!" Seeing that Xue Lian couldn''t react and it was quite awkward, Zi Hua tuned in to congratulate them. She had had enough of third wheeling already. Seeing that Zi Hua had taken the lead, the branch manager followed and applauded. Xue Lian came out of her trance and gripped onto his clothes and dug her face into his chest out of shyness. Although the steps were done in the wrong order, the message had gotten through. "Let''s go and have a feast to celebrate" Suggested Zi Hua. "En" Zi Hua walked ahead and the manager returned to his post to carry on doing work, how sad, he couldn''t go celebrate, but he had to keep up his professionalism. The two held each others'' hand and walked together, Xue Lian couldn''t put the happiness she was going through into words and neither could Huang Qian Yang. The two walked a few steps behind Zi Hua. "I love you too" Xue Lian whispered. "Let''s go visit your parents once I''m finished with the business here, I want them to give us their blessing" Huang Qian Yang replied. "En" She agreed whilst blushing. During the feast, the two had a lovey dovey atmosphere and kept on giving glances at each other. Making Zi Hua wanting to dissolve her friendship with them, she regretted suggesting a feast and putting herself under the torture. With no choice, Zi Hua called out her spirit beasts and had them turn into their human forms to ease the atmosphere. The two did not question their appearance since they had an unspoken acknowledgement of Zi Hua''s mysteriousness, Zi Hua knew this which was why she allowed her spirit beasts out. Xiao Hong was delighted to be able to come out, the other two... not so much. They would much rather stay in their rooms but still came out since Xiao Hong wanted them to. Zi Hua was really thankful that there weren''t any phones in this world or else those two who''re going through their rebellious phase won''t even have any actual human interaction and even when they''re next to each other, they would be texting to communicate. Xiao Hong acted like she hadn''t eaten for months and gobbled the food up, contrary to usual, Xue Lian didn''t do so and was instead too busy immersed in sending love-filled glances. Zi Hua was only interested in desserts so she didn''t eat much. Xiao Zi and Xiao Bai had been rather occupied (aka reading and writing) and had only realized their hunger when they were presented with all the food so they hungrily ate but couldn''t compare to Xiao Hong, if Zi Hua didn''t call them out they''d probably fainted from starvation without realizing. Xiao Shen had found new inspiration and motivation in inventing his own recipes after the previous outing so he wouldn''t have realized. At first, the three spirit beasts happily volunteered to try them however after a few times, they had asked for mercy so Xiao Shen didn''t bother with them anymore and didn''t bring his ''creations'' ahem poison ahem ahem for them to try. ..... After that, they returned and Zi Hua entered Heaven-defying artifact to absorb the flame fragment as usual. 72 Return At the foot of Wan Shou Mountain a young girl stood in a violet and white hanfu which had a patterned middle bit hanging from the waistband and long white sleeves that flowed into purple. Several hundred shadows rushed down the mountain towards her. "Welcome back master!" They had sensed her aura and immediately rushed to her location. "I''m back" Replied Zi Hua, she had decided to bring forward her plans on taking them to Moonlight Continent since, after she visited the ruins, she hadn''t found any leads to where the map to the remaining flame in Moonlight Continent could be. So she thought that the map may be in Sunlight Continent instead and returned to Starlight Continent to finish some matters. "Let''s head up the mountain first" She had teleported to the foot of the mountain instead of the base to test if they could sense her from such a distance. The group of people headed up the mountain even faster than they descended under Zi Hua''s lead. Zi Hua had preferred transparency from day 1 so she didn''t call specific people to talk in private but rather just in front of everyone. "Tell me the progress of the original members please, Nia" "Yes master, Anemone and I are now high stage Martial Kings on the verge of break through, the other ten Light Phantoms are now mid stage Martial Kings, others range from low stage Martial Kings to low stage Martial Overlords" "Good" Zi Hua was happy with their progress over the last almost two years since Light Phantoms had been officially founded since it would have been hard for them to advance in a place with such little Qi. The 12 Light Phantoms although seemed to have not progressed much, have actually had the most progress since they are higher in cultivation which makes it more difficult to break through. "Anne please tell me the progress of the new recruits" "Yes master, their progress throughout these almost two years is comparable to the original members progress, however there are two who have significantly surpassed expectations, Mu Qing, Xue Ying, please step out" "Greetings master" "They are now on the verge of breaking through to Martial Overlord" "Good" This was within her expectations since they were half spirit beasts. Those with half or less spirit beast blood will take on the form of humans and age according to their human cultivation level, but they will not be able to transform into spirit beasts and those with a higher bloodline will progress in cultivation quicker. However, as long as a half human and full spirit beast have a child that child will be counted as a spirit beast and be no different than usual spirit beasts apart from the fact that they have some human blood in them. "Continue working hard, don''t become conceited, there are always those that are stronger than you" "Yes master" "Likewise, for others, instead of spending your time hating them or being jealous, you should instead use this time to catch up or even surpass them by working hard" "Yes master" Several dozen voices said. "We''ll be leaving this place soon, I''ll leave the preparations to the 12 Light Phantoms" "Yes master" After that was over with, Zi Hua went to her quarters and entered Heaven-defying artifact, she could sense that she was about to have a break-through. These few months were quite frustrating, what would''ve usually taken only one or two months took several, however it was a valuable experience to not take her rapid progress for granted and go through some hardships as well as understand her own helplessness and how weak she actually was. She couldn''t reveal her powers because she wasn''t strong enough... Couldn''t get revenge for her master because she wasn''t strong enough... With new found motivation Zi Hua started cultivating... BOOM! "Master finally broke through to Mid Stage Martial Honor!" Cheered Xiao Hong, she could recognize the sound of a break through easily, since her master would always break through in Heaven-defying artifact as to not get found out. "Of course she would, now when will you three break through, after so many years you three have only broken through to Mid Stage Celestial rank" Questioned Xiao Shen. Faced with this question the three spirit beasts'' eyes started darting around the room. "Hehe~, we''ve been kinda busy" BUSY PROCRASTINATING! In actuality, their cultivation speed is already considered unbelievable but definitely not to their fullest potential, Zi Hua hadn''t said anything since they were still children and should enjoy their childhood, they have more than a long enough lifespan, but that didn''t mean that they could skip out on cultivation all together either. Rising in ranks as a spirit beast is significantly more difficult than rising in human cultivation but they were part of the inheritance for a reason if they weren''t talented then they wouldn''t have been in the pagoda. 73 Little Prince And Stupid Prince 1 Dog Year, 5th month, 28th day "I''ll be back by tomorrow" Zi Hua told her subordinates that she would be leaving and teleported to the top floor of the Light Phantom Hall in Nan Xia Empire. Back at the base, some were preparing for the departure whilst others... not quite so. Zi Hua sneaked out of the place unnoticed and then secretly sneaked into the palace. ''Nan Xia Emperor, you really need to upgrade your security'' First, she paid a visit to the emperor, who was currently in his study going through scrolls and paperwork. "Nan Xia Emperor, I trust that you remember me" A voice out of nowhere rung throughout the study after throwing a logo of the Light Phantom Sect on his desk. It was rather plain but memorable, it was just a purple flower and white flower with the words Light and Phantom on it. "Exalted one, of course" The emperor immediately discarded his paperwork and adopted a respectful demeanor when he saw the logo, Zi Hua had had her subordinates take care of the matter back then, but the emperor knew the one behind their actions. "And I trust that you have taken care of my nephew" "Yes, yes" He hurriedly answered. "Good, here''s your reward, keep this up" A pair of daggers were impaled into the desk, almost breaking it in two. "Thank you exalted one, this lowly one does not deserve, does not deserve!" His eyes glistened as he ogled at the pair of daggers greedily, he could tell with a glance that its quality surpassed anything money could buy in Starlight Continent and it was even more valuable that others of its grade considering that it was from Light Phantom Sect. "I''ll be taking the little prince out for a little trip today" "Yes, yes" Zi Hua then left the study and headed to the little prince''s palace. "Pretty sister!" The little prince immediately recognized Zi Hua. "What a smart boy, you still remember me" Zi Hua picked him up. "Of course, I won''t ever forget you!" "Aww, thank you cutie pie, as a reward I''ll bring you out for a day out, where do you want to go?" "I have to stay in the palace though" The little prince''s head drooped down like a downcast puppy. "Don''t worry, I''ve told your grandpa already" "I want to go to Dong Ting Empire''s capital, I heard that their climate is really different from ours, but it''s really far and everyone says that it''ll be dangerous for me to go" The little prince became happy but slightly dejected again as he spoke. "With me here it won''t be dangerous at all, close your eyes" The little prince did as Zi Hua instructed and when he opened his eyes again, he was greeted with an entirely different scenery. "Woah!" His eyes sparkled in amazement. "Come on now, let''s go to the capital" Zi Hua had teleported them to the lake where the flame fragment was in. "But before that, change into this" She brought out a black and white kunfu outfit for the prince to wear. It would be easier for them to blend in if they wore less extravagant clothing. Zi Hua took out a portable changing room for him to change inside. The little prince was amazed by the act of Doraemon. (A/N: This character from a famous anime show, it''s something I used to watch) "Everything that happens today will be our little secret, don''t tell anyone,okay?" Zi Hua put her index finger on her lips and winked. "En!" The two changed into civilian clothing, Zi Hua wore a purple hanfu with a white waistband and short white cardigan, the top piece was a lighter shade of purple than the skirt, creating a balanced contrast. "Let''s go, while we''re in the city call me JieJie okay?" Zi Hua reached out her hand to hold the little prince''s. "En" The capital wasn''t too far from the forest, it was only about a 15-20 minute walk away. They paid and entered the city, Zi Hua''s wallet is a seemingly bottomless pit, even after the expenditure in Moonlight Continent, she still has lots to spare. "Where do you want to go first?" "The market!" "It should be that way" Last time when she had stayed here, she had studied the city so she more or less knew here way around. Along the way they got a few stares but the two just ignored the attention from passersby. They headed to a toy stall first. Xing Wu Xun was fascinated by the toys, he studied all day long everyday, since being uneducated while living in the palace was practically seeking for death and the emperor wasn''t as crazy as to ''decide'' to hand Nan Xia Empire over to a foolish and pampered prince, not that he had a choice in the matter so he could only do what he could to make sure Nan Xia Empire would be in good hands. 74 Little Prince And Stupid Prince 2 In the end, Zi Hua bought a few bamboo dragonflies for him. It was the best choice, other toys such as kites weren''t convenient to play with inside the palace and musical instruments were plenty. "JieJie, let''s go to the snack stall" Xing Wu Xun happily led Zi Hua around, after the event he trusted no one apart from the pretty sister who was the only one who had showed him care, he could tell that his parents never truly cared for him and only saw him as their heir and his grandpa only cared for him for the sake of appearances. (A/N: The term he uses here is JieJie which means older sister however it doesn''t necessarily mean that they are blood related, I remember when I would have to call people big brother and big sister and it would get so confusing to me) Zi Hua got them each a steam bun with salted egg yolk filling, it was fresh out of the steamer so you could still see the steam rising up from it. They blew it a bit and ate happily. Xing Wu Xun had some filling on his cheek so Zi Hua gently wiped it off. They walked around a bit and bought some stuff here and there until late in the evening. It was a great day for the little prince, palace life although full of luxuries was stressful, but the little prince was determined to become a great emperor that could bring his people joy, however he was after all still a child and deserves some slack. Likewise, Zi Hua had enjoyed the day too, back on Earth, her father had been the oldest child and was left to become independent to support his younger sibling when he was only a teenager, her father then later started a company. Her mother was of unknown origin and was actually opposed by those around her father due to that fact but her father still went through with their marriage, so apart from that ungrateful family, she had no other relatives after the accident. It had become quite a shock and trauma for the previous well loved ojou-sama to have people''s backs turned on her and left with no support. So Zi Hua views Xing Wu Xun as half of a relative, Zi Hua knows that she can''t take him with her, she believed that his rightful place was in Nan Xia Empire. "Missy, how about you come with me, if you do your life will be full of luxury" A half drunken man with some guards came out of a bar and approached Zi Hua. It was non other than Xing Tang Ji, the same Second Prince which Zi Hua had ''taught a lesson to'' when she previously went to the capital. After his cultivation was destroyed, it was the same as crippling his prospects for the throne so he threw his life away, philandering and fooling around with no consideration to consequences. Although his son had become a fool, he was after all his flesh and blood so the emperor gave the financial aid that the prince needed, even if he had become the shame to the imperial family. Other princes had gone to confirm on whether his cultivation was actually destroyed or if it was just an act to have them let their guards down, but didn''t bother with him after confirming it since he wasn''t any threat now. His courtyard was full of concubines and wives, it wasn''t rare to see him coercing a young girl into his courtyard. It just so happened that he has some rotten luck for this time''s young girl to be Zi Hua... "I refuse" Zi Hua out rightly said. 75 Little Prince And Stupid Prince 3 "Do you know who I am?" His face warped maliciously. "The Second Prince" Zi Hua had recognized him, but she won''t give him any trouble unless he asks for it since she had already taught him a lesson. As the old saying goes, never trouble trouble until trouble troubles you. With, of course, trouble referring to Zi Hua. Truly a stupid prince. "Then you should know that there''s only two options, to agree or agree!" "Or I can choose the third option, refuse" Zi Hua paid little attention to him and only nonchalantly replied, not bothered. "Guards" His guards had become accustomed to his antics and no matter how disgusted they were, he was still a prince and they had to follow orders, so they repeated their actions familiarly and walked up to the girl. "Close your eyes" Zi Hua whispered to the little prince. The little prince did as she said... Let''s just say that the citizens woke up and left their houses the next day to be greeted with the scene of the Second Prince beaten up into a pig face and tied to the top of the palace. (A/N: Readers are you satisfied now? And no, he was not naked, Zi Hua is not so brazen) The prince didn''t dare to leave his residence for the next week after he was finally rescued by some guards, but he realized that he could not visit a brothel or his women''s courtyards like before ever again... After Zi Hua dealt with him, she left the ''crime scene'' with Xing Wu Xun and returned to the palace. "Bye bye" "Pretty sister, when will I see you again?" The little prince tugged her skirt with the look of an abandoned puppy. "Sorry, but I''ll be leaving this place very soon, I don''t know when I''ll return, but promise me that you''ll become a good emperor that makes his people happy and respect women, okay?" "Okay, I''ll listen to sister and remember sister''s teachings" "Good boy" It pained her to leave the little prince but the child was still young and didn''t possess thetalent of Mu Qing and Xue Ying so he won''t be able to survive the challenges he would have to face if he followed her. This would likely be the last time the two of them meet, she doesn''t know if she''ll ever return here after leaving. Zi Hua had come back to meet the child one last time, she had quite a good impression of him after all and she was technically his ''aunt''. ..... Dog Year, 5th month, 29th day The next morning Zi Hua teleported away back to the base, however when she opened the dormitory doors, she was welcomed with a surprise. "Happy Birthday master!" Everyone cheered. Zi Hua was stunned. "Please excuse us for our impudence, but we wished to congratulate master so we had asked Mister Zi previously" "Thank you" Zi Hua was speechless, in the 7 years that she had been in this continent she hadn''t celebrated her birthday once and had only told her spirit beasts the day that she had arrived here offhandedly a while ago. Xiao Zi had told them that date since he didn''t have the heart to pour cold water over their eager faces. It just so happened that she had arrived in this world on her birthday, arriving in this world is probably the best present she has ever gotten. Zi Hua never really celebrates her birthday since she had never done so after starting to live with ''them'' and didn''t develop a habit of doing so. "Please sit down master" Zi Hua was given the seat of honor which was situated right in front of the stage, getting the best view. Her subordinates had put all their effort into making the best party so these fighters had learned to cook and decorate, jobs which were usually completed by Zi Hua''s armaments. That day was a wonderful day, people performed their talents on the stage which earned laughs from the audience. Then they ate the... unique tasting food and retired for the night, no one bothered to clean up since they would be leaving this place and the dorms will be burned down. 76 Mirgrating The next day everyone gathered together along with what they needed to bring. "Is everyone here?" "Yes" "Good" After that flames ignited on the dorms and surroundings, although they were high quality armaments they couldn''t resist the flame that Zi Hua had collected and it wasn''t even the full extent of the flame''s power yet. The group then disappeared from their original spot. They immediately reappeared in a similar looking place except that it was in the heart of a forest rather than the peak of a mountain. Zi Hua had decided that this was the most suitable place after careful consideration so she made some improvements to the original design and built it here. "From now on you will be focusing on training, stay here, food will be created by the armaments like previously in addition to ones that do the chores" Zi Hua had based these armaments off robots from her world. The kitchen department had its own farm which was also tended to by armaments. Zi Hua was probably the only one who would use armaments in such a way. She had also had her spirit beasts give ''a little warning'' to those who inhabited the forest. "Yes master" They went and arranged the stuff they brought with them and continued on with their daily lives. Their adapting ability was really astounding. Zi Hua found no reason for them to reveal themselves to the world so she planned for them to stay here and train. It was equipped with everything they needed and they weren''t isolated alone either. Of course, Zi Hua wouldn''t imprison them so they could leave if they wanted to without having to worry about the spirit beasts thanks to the spiritual imprint however what Zi Hua didn''t know was that these workaholics wouldn''t even consider leaving. For the next few days, Zi Hua went out to the forest regularly to have ''friendly exchanges'' with the spirit beasts to get control of her new powers, it was much more stronger than previously. Once she made sure that they were settled in, she made preparations to leave. "Anne, come here for a sec" Anemone followed and went over to Zi Hua. "Master?" "Anne, I don''t know the specifics of your past but do you have the resolution to go to Sunlight Continent once again?" The flashes of emotion from Anemone''s eyes whenever higher continents were mentioned did not miss Zi Hua''s observation. Zi Hua had originally though she was from Moonlight Continent but seeing that she was fine when they came here last time, she thought that she may have had Starlight Continent parents and they went to Sunlight Continent but returned due to various reasons. Anemone paused for a bit, not expecting her master to know, but not long later a confident and determined smile crept onto her face. "I do master" "Good" "You won''t need to go yet but I''ll be heading there" Zi Hua then told the rest and departed the next day, she headed straight for Sunlight Continent. In a certain city in Sunlight Continent, there was an icy looking girl of 16 years old with a fringe, she was dressed in a white and purple layered hanfu with wavy sleeves that had slight ruffles, several lace ribbons hung around her waist and her waist band had a floral pattern embroidered on to it. Zi Hua had changed her appearance however her eyes were still the same, she seems to have lost the ability to change them since a while ago. Passersby did not dare approach her do to her icy aura. Zi Hua had arrived in Chen City, governed by the Chen Family. It wasn''t too difficult entering the city since travelling between cities are common, Sunlight Continent works a bit different compared to the other two lower continents. 77 Sunlight Continen Unlike Starlight Continent which is ruled by countries or Moonlight Continent which is ruled by countries on the surface but is controlled by sects behind the scenes, Sunlight Continent is ruled by families and clans whom each governs an area usually the size of a city. However, contrary to those in Moonlight Continent, people usually learn by their clan teachings, independently or more often than not, by attending an academy. Academies are special existences, apart from the teachers and staff there, there''s no fighting power, their sole purpose is to teach, however few dare to offend them. Once the students graduated, the academy had no say in choosing where they end up for them unlike in sects where the disciples have their movements dictated, academies provided a lot more freedom. The teachers guide the students in their cultivation in return for entrance fees, the students originally from families will be indebted to them for the valuable experience and teachings and those that enrolled solely based on their talent (scholarship), even more so. Many clans invest or as they say ''donate'' to the academies due to their excellent graduates, those who''re not originally tied to a clan will be roped in, boosting their power. Before a power offends them, they must consider the backing from various families and experts. However, this only applies for the top academies. So every year, there will be a academies meeting to determine the rankings, though the top three has always remained the same for decades, most likely due to the cycle of more talented students going to the top ranked academies. Each academy will send students to compete in not only cultivation but also in the professions. Zi Hua had gathered that much from the idle chatter in the tea houses. Not only are the powers different here, the lifestyles are different too, Starlight Continent is the most similar to Earth but as she went higher, she noticed that people tended to rely on martial arts and professions more in their daily lives. Though it was only obvious since there was better access to such things in higher continents. After getting the information needed, Zi Hua decided to join an academy first, they will likely have a map and if she wants to infiltrate into families that would be a starting point. However, this time she won''t stand out, she was within her enemies'' range after all. In addition, staying low wouldn''t bring others'' guards up towards her. She''ll limit her cultivation to High Stage Martial Practitioner with the help of her improved restraints which she has made into bracelets so she can hide it under her clothes, each person will be judged by their aged compared to their cultivation level, a 25 year old here would have to be a Martial Spirit to be considered slightly above average, so since she was 16, being a High Stage Martial Practitioner was not exceptionally shocking and would be above average, good enough for others to not find trouble with her. Getting into the top academy would be rather difficult considering her level after restriction and the second academy was extremely far so she chose the third ranking academy. The reason why Zi Hua didn''t choose to enter by her profession was because people with professions were usually from large families who had materials provided to them and she had no known origin, plus numbers in the professions department were few, making the members memorable and well known. The entrance fees were considerable high, but for the sake of allowing those with less prominent backgrounds enter there was a scholarship system, Zi Hua had planned to get a scholarship since although that amount was no problem for her, it would be suspicious if some ''no name'' girl could bring out the money. After accomplishing her aim, Zi Hua left and headed to the city, by foot. It wouldn''t be too surprising to find Primordial Land''s people here and if they saw her spirit beasts they would notice their true selves. Zi Hua was not willing to take such a risk by putting her and her spirit beasts in danger and would much rather spend some more time traveling. 78 Sanguine Scholar Academy The third ranked academy, Sanguine Scholar Academy, was a few cities away so by the time Zi Hua reaches it, she would be just in time for the entrance exams that were held on the 1st day of the 7th month. By the time she had arrived, the city was filled with people looking to enter the academy. Academies, like schools on Earth, enroll students every year so there was a steady inflow of students and entrance fees, however unlike schools on Earth, students aren''t separated by age but rather cultivation and when they entered the academy. Since she wasn''t with anyone this time, Zi Hua decided to skip searching around for an inn and just stayed the Heaven-defying artifact. She had Xiao Shen wake her up at dawn, placed a white blind fold around her eyes that was made of a material that had the same effects as the one she used as Blind Butterfly (she can see through it but others can''t), then headed out to the entrance exam point. This reminded her of her university entrance exams, minus the nervousness and all. She wore a rather plain outfit, though ''plain'', it would be about what a commoner family would be able to afford for special occasions, and of course she had made it herself with the special fabrics. After wearing the specially made clothes, Zi Hua felt uncomfortable wearing anything else. She wore a white top piece that flowed down from the front towards the back which had purple lined edges and patterns at the chest and shoulders paired with a separate purple skirt that, as usual, reached the ground; the outfit was then nicely tied together by a patterned waistband. By the time she had arrived, several lines were already present, the several lines added up would surpass the line that Zi Hua had seen for her Light Phantom Sect''s test. Zi Hua joined one of the lines, however just after she did, a group brazen people pushed right in front of her, thinking she wouldn''t realize since she ''couldn''t see'', but seriously, even if she couldn''t see she would''ve felt it when they pushed her -_- But before Zi Hua had the chance to voice out her opinion, a childish voice arose. "How can there be such shameless people in the world, for you 20 year olds to push in front of a teenager!" The little girl with demeanor that just screamed oujo-sama boldly stepped out in front of them with her hands on her hips. "Where did this wretch come from, daring to go against this young master" One of the culprits voiced out. "Gentlemen, who did you just call wretch, I hope you were not referring to my little sister, if you were, I''m afraid we will have scores to settle" A young lady with mint green hair and amber-brown eyes elegantly stepped out from the side, her demeanor, just like the other girl, screamed oujo-sama however the younger girl was more brash whilst she was calm and refined. Zi Hua had developed a habit of checking every person she comes into contact with using Truth''s eye so she checked the two sisters. Although the younger one was rather bold and nosy, she isn''t bad at nature; apart from being a bit too rash she''s fine but after all, youngsters will be a bit rash. The elder girl was calm and collected but is the type to be able to conceal her thoughts through a smiling mask when needed. But the most important factor was that they were extremely loyal, especially to each other, Zi Hua approved of the two in her heart. "Who do you think you ar-" The same man wanted to speak again however, his companion quickly covered his mouth. "Miss Anqi, of course not, this is just a misunderstanding, our sincerest apologies, please excuse" The man recognized the elder girl''s mint green hair and hurriedly apologized then scurried away with his companions, who had their legs shaking after realizing the two''s identity and reprimanded the guy who was being a blabbermouth internally. The elder girl''s gaze lingered on them until they joined another line without pushing in, though it wasn''t necessary, the group wouldn''t risk offending another prominent clan member for pushing in. 79 Anqi Sisters "Feng''er don''t be so reckless next time okay?" The elder girl turned around to the younger girl. "Yes, Qing Shan Jie" (A/N: For the sake of clarity, for those that are actually sisters, it''ll be Jie but for the non related ones it''ll be JieJie) "Thank you for helping me, allow me to introduce myself, I am Zi Hua, feel free to call me what you prefer" Zi Hua cut in and said, even if she was meant to stay hidden, she would always say her name is Zi Hua to those who had helped her as a basic sign of respect, plus she was proud of the name that was given to her by her parents. But she had decided not reveal her last name since it seems that the Tian Family is quite influential from what Xue Lian had said and she didn''t want to arouse attention. "No problem, I am Anqi Qing Shan and this is my younger sister Anqi Feng, Zi Hua you can just refer to us with what you prefer" The elder girl introduced. The Anqi Family was an influential family that was known for their refining and use of hidden weapons, cultivators would rather not go against an Anqi Family member since they could be attacked without noticing the attack, not knowing the cause of their demise. "Nice to meet you, Zi Hua JieJie" The previous gallant and bold girl was no where to be seen but was replaced by a sweet and bubbly girl. "Likewise" Zi Hua flashed a smile which caught them off guard since they didn''t expect that someone with such an ice block face could smile. "Would you mind if we tagged along with you?" "Of course not" Answered Zi Hua. The two then lined up behind Zi Hua, there were many lines so no one had lined up behind Zi Hua. After that, Anqi Qing Shan scrutinized Zi Hua, her clothing clearly suggested that she was from a commoner family however her bearing and attitude suggested otherwise. It turns out that Zi Hua couldn''t get rid of her bearing as a former oujo-sama, she was after all the daughter of a rich family, worst of all she doesn''t realize it, but it doesn''t seem like it''ll create too much of a problem. Previously, whenever she did under cover missions on Earth or hid her identity here she had never needed to hide her bearing since she would be disguised as a upper class'' employee who was expected to have a poised bearing or a mysterious and powerful person. Though she could just brush it off as it being part of her nature or others could think it''s from her arrogance since her cultivation would''ve earned praise and admiration from commoners. After about 3 hours they finally reached the exam point, during the period of waiting, the three of them talked and got to know each other better. During this period, apart from her initial assessment of them, Zi Hua found a new phrase to describe each of them. Anqi Qing Shan - Sly sis-con Anqi Feng - Delinquent oujo-sama "Oh, it''s my turn, see you in the academy" Zi Hua said and then entered the tent where the exam is supposed to take place. A strict looking examiner waited inside the tent. He checked Zi Hua''s bone age then asked her to show her power, he nodded his head as he jotted the information down. "Name and background?" "Zi Hua, I am a girl from a neighboring small village" Apart from the cities, there were also some small villages, Zi Hua chose this background since if she said a city they wouldn''t be able to find her in the city records and could become suspicious of her and they couldn''t really go through every neighboring village and guarantee that the uneducated villagers'' words were correct and not misinformation. The examiner paused and looked up at her, his face showing a slight change of emotion, he hadn''t expected her to come from such a humble background yet have above average cultivation, most others with the same age and level as her are all from large families and have been fed with lots of cultivation aiding things from young. If she was compared to them, her talent would be slightly higher. P.S. I''ve decided to add in a ML (reluctantly - after the constant comments, LOL) but it will take another 20 chapters or so, so please be patient, he will not be the usual over-bearing ML (it would be slapping my own face if he was after Xiao Bai''s rant chapter), I am a single potato so it may not be very accurate(?), but I''ll try my best. Warning: ML''s character development will be rather slow. Notice: Zi Hua will not turn into some obedient and helpless woman. 80 Tough Love "Congratulations for getting a scholarship, this is your pass, school starts on the 7th" A academy like theirs didn''t need to be stingy about the number of scholarships and new students so the students would be directly told the results, this was much less nerve-racking than waiting for a entire week or more to get the results like back on Earth, plus Earth''s system wouldn''t work here since they couldn''t send the news to the participants with their current technology. Communication was severely lacking. Zi Hua was given a tablet, there was no plastic in this world so many things were made of ceramic, stone or metal. "Thank you" Zi Hua received the tablet then walked forward to leave the tent from the exit flap but just as she was leaving the examiner opened his mouth. "Be careful of bumping into others, there are many influential young masters and misses around, that is, if you really can''t see" "Thank you for the reminder" The examiner''s words reminded Zi Hua that from others'' point of view, she was blind, yet she was going around fine. Pity there weren''t the materials to make colored contacts in this world, she wouldn''t wear them unless she had no choice back in her old world since it irritated her eyes really badly, but it was better than putting on a futile act of being blind like she was now. The only reason she was able to make the blind fold was thanks to the runes but unfortunately, there was no material suitable to replace plastic for making contacts. (A/N: Not exactly the plastic used for water bottles but a different type of plastic, I''m too lazy to explain, just google it) Plus she didn''t want to risk damaging her vision, for an observant person like her, removing her vision was like taking away a fish''s fins and gills. She left immediately and returned to Heaven-defying artifact. "Master~" Xiao Hong approached Zi Hua coquettishly in her baby form. "No" Before Xiao Hong said anything she outright refused. "Why?" "Because it''ll be dangerous, we''re not in the lower continents any more, the Primordial lands'' people can reach here" She knew what Xiao Hong was thinking, Xiao Hong wanted to join the academy too but it was too dangerous, Xiao Hong would be recognized rather easily due to her aura, she''s still young and has not yet learned to hide her aura fully. "Okay" Xiao Hong''s feathers drooped down to emphasize her disappointment. Zi Hua didn''t want to refuse Xiao Hong but she had no choice, she would much rather put herself at risk than put her spirit beasts at risk. She hadn''t found out which powers were under her enemies'' control yet due to her subordinates being in Moonlight Continent. Xiao Hong understood that Zi Hua only did this for her sake so she didn''t fuss about it any longer. "I have a few days until school starts, so during this time, to make it up to you, I won''t leave and we can play, okay?" Xiao Hong''s mood immediately lifted, even Zi Hua couldn''t comprehend Xiao Hong''s ability to change her mood so quickly. "Yay!" Xiao Hong went to call the others out to join since the more the merrier. Zi Hua made some board games as well as a set of cards and some fake notes. For the next few days, they played all sorts of games and had a good laugh with some friendly competition. After the couples of days, Zi Hua decided to allocate a special area in the Heaven-defying artifact to playing games since Xiao Shen had to repair the place quite a few times when they became too emotional and enthusiastic. If they were to play next time, Zi Hua would make sure that they were in a place that was isolated and away from building and the treasures, thankfully this time they were quite far away from where the treasures were kept or else Zi Hua''s ''warehouse'' would have become a lot smaller. 81 First Day 1 Zi Hua being the former good student, woke up early on the 7th and headed to school extremely early. When she arrived, the dorm head was already there waiting so she approached her and got her room and timetable straight away without having to wait after showing her pass. In order for students to have privacy and avoid conflicts, each student got their own rooms with two sets of school uniform to change into. Another reason why Zi Hua chose this academy was because their uniform was white lined with purple, it just feels wrong when she''s not wearing purple or white. It was just an really weird and extra habit which she had. Zi Hua burned the set provided for her and put on the replica made from the special fabric instead. Another weird and extra habit. Zi Hua stayed in her room whilst the others arrived one by one, the academy allowed the disciples a day to settle in. Whilst in her room, Zi Hua wondered, couldn''t they just send the ones that had passed straight to the dorms while the other tests were taking place to settle in? Oh well, she couldn''t understand the thought processes of ancient people. Zi Hua slept in the room instead of going back to the Heaven-defying artifact, she had played enough games to last her for a lifetime, she''d rather just let the four of them play among themselves. The next day, Zi Hua followed the map that was on her timetable and got to lesson, she had to first memorize the map before heading out though since she was supposed to be unable to see, which if you didn''t know, meant that she shouldn''t be able to read the map. She was also supposed to be a commoner which meant that she should be too afraid to approach those important figures from influential clans to ask for directions. Like the previous day, Zi Hua also arrived early but only 10 minutes this time, so she went to find a seat at the back to diminish her presence, at the opposite side of the windows since that would decrease her chances of being spotted by someone who was walking by and possibly catch their attention. Classes were separated by cultivation level, her class was for the Martial Practitioners, consisting of just over 40 students. Not long after she arrived, other students did too and maybe due to fate ( the plot) the Anqi sisters were in the same class as her and approached her after spotting her on their way in. Despite their difference in age, they were in the same class for cultivation, Anqi Feng was a genius among geniuses, being only 13 years old this year yet already a High Stage Martial Practitioner, Anqi Qing Shan was rather average and was at the same cultivation rank despite being 19 years old, but her forte lay in something else. "Hello Zi Hua JieJie, what a coincidence!" Being the bubbly girl she is, Anqi Feng immediately went over to Zi Hua but was careful not to be loud since she didn''t want to bring any trouble to Zi Hua by attracting attention to her, she knew that many people wanted to approach her and her sister due to their background, people would much rather be the Anqi Family''s ally than foe, but it was exactly due to that that she disliked most aristocrats. If she was loud, others would get displeased with Zi Hua for being friendly with them, especially because she could be easily bullied due to her impaired sight. For most of these proud young aristocrats, losing to a commoner in any way would be a great insult to them, even if it was for something as obscure as making friends with somebody, they felt that a mere commoner should be incomparable to their great selves. It was practically an in born trait for aristocrats at this rate, it was so common, almost as common as foolish and ignorant antagonist such as those that have appeared thus far in a certain author''s novel. (A/N: Totally not talking about this novel) 82 First Day 2 Anqi Qing Shan followed behind as usual with her signature neutral smile. "Hello Zi Hua" "Good morning, we''ll be classmates from now on" Zi Hua replied. "Yeah" "Oh, I''ll excuse myself so you two can talk" Although Anqi Qing Shan was reluctant to part with her sister but she had to socialize with others, her sister not socializing could be brushed off as going through her rebellious phrase but she could not, plus it would be good for her to form some friendly connections to steady her standing in the family. Anqi Qing Shan was not the jealous type unlike a certain subtly jealous protagonist so she didn''t mind leaving her dear sister with someone else, it''s not like that person was some Haruhi 2.0, right? (A/N: You''d get this if you''ve seen Ouran High School Host Club and if you haven''t you should totally check it out, it''s a really funny anime and manga) She left to approach the other young masters and misses. However, they did not have too much time to chat before the teacher arrived. The students all sat down sensibly since they should get on their teacher''s good side so they can learn to the fullest and have more guidance, they couldn''t complain to the academy after all if they felt like they were being neglected because of the various complicated relations and backings the academy had. Their families wouldn''t be willing to incite trouble upon themselves. The teacher just so happened to be the examiner that Zi Hua met during her exam. A wave of deja vu washed over Zi Hua. ''Are you serious!'' One of her professors from her university was also the examiner she had in her previous life. "Good Morning, from now on I''ll be your teacher, I am Peng Yi Lang, you may all call me Teacher Peng" The teacher stood at the front of the class and introduced. (A/N: I only realized what ''Teacher Peng'' could mean after I had written it, not intentional, Lol) "Greetings Teacher Peng" "Today we''ll be starting off with some practice battles to show each person''s progress in the fields" The class then left and headed to the field whilst other classes were listening to their teachers'' lectures. Teacher Peng then brought out some chopsticks with numbers on them at the bottom part which was hidden by the container and told them to choose one each and they would have to spar against the person with the same number as them. Zi Hua got paired with a tan looking guy that had a large build, if she could choose a phrase to describe him then it would be ''Muscle Head''. Surprisingly, he was actually only 15, a year younger than Zi Hua despite how he looked, the sparring was not organised to be fair and many had to fight with someone a minor rank or two above them but Muscle Head was actually a High Stage Martial Practitioner too, a genius! Despite it being only one year, that difference can clearly show the gap between each person''s talent. Muscle Head ahem I mean Zhao Lao Hu is the sole heir to the Zhao Family Patriarch, he has demonstrated his cultivation prowess from young and his seat is set. The Zhao Family is known for their low key approach to things and is a rather detached family. His family had decided to send him to the academy to help him cool down and develop a calmer temperament since Sanguine Scholar Academy, as its name suggests, is the most intelligence-based academy out of the top three and it''s reputed for the intellect of its students during battle. Their number was five so their match was the fifth one, whilst other matches were going on Zhao Lao Hu approached Zi Hua, Anqi Feng shielded Zi Hua when she saw him approach, ready to defend her. 83 First Day 3 "I look forward to our match" He did a respectable salute and then left, contrary to what they were expecting. Zhao Lao Hu was a steadfast, straightforward and honest person who wouldn''t look down on a opponent even if they were ''blind'' and fight them seriously which was rare in such a world full of scheming people trying to toot their own horns and make themselves seem superior. Usually, any other opponent would come to make fun of Zi Hua and show off their power at the same time. The two''s impression of Zhao Lao Hu skyrocketed. When it was Zi Hua''s turn, many expected it to be boring so they didn''t pay much attention since a genius versus a blind girl would wield rather obvious results, that is, if it isn''t the aberrant Zi Hua. The academy had only overlooked her disadvantages and allowed Zi Hua''s entry due to her potential and the possibility of her being cured. Since with her talents she should''ve been stronger if it wasn''t for her ''humble background''. They were unaware that they were being tricked by Zi Hua. "Let''s have a fair fight" The two did a respectful bow to each other and took on a fighting stance. The two stood in stalemate waiting for the other to move, Zhao Lao Hu became impatient and charged towards her. He threw a punch at her head which she dodged by ducking and then aimed a punch at his jaw to counterattack which he missed by a hair''s breath by speedily doing a spin. Zi Hua had restricted herself to High Stage Martial Practitioner which greatly confined her powers but it was still enough to overwhelm Zhao Lao Hu due to her fighting experience however that would cause too many problems so she had to hold herself back even further. Fights between Martial Practitioners mainly consisted of close combat most of the time due to their inability to use spiritual power efficiently so it wasn''t much different from a brawl. They exchanged a few more punches and kicks until Zi Hua gave the finishing blow by kicking him in the solar plexus. She didn''t finish the fight quickly but dragged it on so that Teacher Peng wouldn''t pay too much attention and expectation on her. However, she still defeated Zhao Lao Hu despite the fact that it would draw attention and dislike to herself, it was the respect she was giving him in return for his, by actually putting up a fight, since he had taken her seriously as an opponent. Though that was all she could do, she would''ve preferred to fight with her full power like he did to her but it just wasn''t possible. If she had let him win by not even trying it would''ve been her insulting him since it was basically saying that ''You can''t beat me unless I go easy on you'' and belittling and looking down on him. "That''s all, next pair" After the finishing blow was thrown, Teacher Peng announced the end of the match. The other students were surprised by the outcome and many felt a blow to their arrogance since Zhao Lao Hu was one of the strongest in their class yet was defeated by some no name girl, which meant that they would receive the same or an even worse outcome if they fought against her, they couldn''t accept that a no name commoner was better than them. Since it was only an friendly exchange without any hostility, Zi Hua went up to him and gave a hand to help him up. "Good match" "Likewise" Zi Hua was lucky to be paired up with someone that had good sportsmanship, most other young masters and misses would''ve held a grudge against Zi Hua for damaging their self inflated ego. Zi Hua then returned to Anqi Feng''s side. 84 First Day 4 "Woah, Zi Hua JieJie you were so cool when you delivered that kick!" Anqi Feng exclaimed with shining eyes. "Thanks, just call me Zi Hua no need for the honorific" Zi Hua gave a smile, which enthralled Anqi Feng. "Okay then, if you say so" Anqi Feng obediently agreed. (A/N: Qing Shan, your sis is bout to be stolen!) Unfortunately, not everyone had the same thoughts as Anqi Feng, being from influential clans made all those aristocrats think that they were superior than commoners but that way of thinking was being challenged today, which raised jealousy and discontent among Zi Hua''s new classmates. Anqi Qing Shan, who was with the other aristocrats, had also been watching, the battle had made her reevaluate Zi Hua. Zi Hua wasn''t as simple as she seemed, though she wasn''t the only one who thought so, not every aristocrat was stupid and conceited, but since she and her sister had already befriended Zi Hua she could only observe what happens next, there''s no use crying over spilled milk after all. If she was alone she would''ve most likely slowly distanced herself from Zi Hua since she didn''t want to be caught up in strife and was a rather calculating and cunning woman, someone like her wouldn''t sacrifice herself for a mere stranger, if she was such a selfless person, she wouldn''t have survived till now, however her sister seemed to be quite fond of Zi Hua so being the doting sis-con she is, she can only go on with her sister''s wishes. Most others that are like Anqi Feng would''ve perished however, Anqi Feng has her sister watching over her and cleaning up her mess due to her indulgence. The two sisters have always relied on each other for survival in this cruel and selfish society. Zi Hua watched the spars and observed everyone one of her new classmates. She hadn''t been fully willing to join a school again due to her not so pleasant past experiences but she had concluded that it was something that she must overcome. "That''s it for today, please make sure to arrive in class on time again tomorrow" After they were dismissed, Zi Hua went back to the dorms. The students here were all in their youth so obviously, to prevent any ''accidents'' males and females stayed in separate dorms and were strictly forbidden to go to the other gender''s dorm, ''accidents'' could get very complicated when it involves the clansmen of influential families. There was a bath in each room and there was a menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it was a top academy where aristocrats study at after all, it had to have luxury service for its students. The prices for all of these were included in the entrance fee which made the staggering fees less unreasonable. Schedules are different everyday so sometimes students wouldn''t eat lunch and eat dinner when they went back like today however most of the time there would be a break between lessons to eat lunch. When Zi Hua got back, she first had a refreshing shower then donned in a loose robe that would be more comfortable for sleeping and had them bring in the food, she wanted to try the luxury food here. And it didn''t fail her expectations, the Char Siu was perfectly seasoned and had a nice red glow to them and the sweet and sour ribs gave a nice aftertaste, when eaten with rice the aromas mixed nicely together, of course to have a balanced diet you can''t miss out vegetables, so she ordered a plate of steamed bok choy which fitted together pleasantly with the heavy flavors. (A/N: Are you drooling? If not, feel free to google the foods :) ^-^) After eating, Zi Hua lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Reality was finally sinking in, she was in the prison called school yet again, images of the past flashed through her mind, making her get shivers down her spine. She shut her eyes to calm herself and when she opened them again, a resolute gaze replaced the fear, she was no longer the her from the past, she should not get caught up in the past and move on to the future, the brilliant future that was awaiting her. Although she does not dare get her hopes up, she was planning on going to the Tian Family and check if she really had some relation to them: maybe her family was in this world too. But that would be after she gets the flame fragments, she needs to finish the matters at hand first, plus, if she goes and her speculations are wrong she wouldn''t be able to endure the disappointment, it''s better to leave herself some time to dull down the excitement and mentally prepare herself first. 85 Jealous But Smart Too The next morning Zi Hua went into class like normal but she could feel the change in the atmosphere when she entered, giving a helpless sigh Zi Hua decided to just leave it, she had made her decision on showing respect to Zhao Lao Hu so there was no going back. Although Zi Hua had made up her mind on going to a school once again but scars aren''t easily healed and she still has some lingering anxiety. Despite having some dissatisfactions, the proud young masters and misses found that Zi Hua was too lowly for their great selves to deal with so they didn''t bother with her, plus Zhao Lao Hu was more talented than her and it was only the matter with experience and time. They weren''t stupid, Zi Hua was a scholarship student, going against her was equivalent to disrespecting the academy. They would much rather spend their time studying than bullying some commoner who didn''t deserve their time lest they get berated by their elders for wasting resources and slacking off. Although arrogant and spoiled, it didn''t mean that they were uneducated like those from the Xia Family that Zi Hua had previously faced in Starlight Continent. (A/N: If you don''t remember, this is referring to the General''s Manor) Teacher Peng arrived in class and started talking about some stuff that went in a quarter of the class'' right ear and out the left ear. Today, they had nothing after the lesson just before lunch break so after eating lunch, Anqi Feng arranged to go shopping in the city with Zi Hua. The city was located just outside the academy and merchants often went in and out of the city to profit from the wealthy young aristocrats that liked to splurge. It was the same city which the entrance exams were held but it was less crowded now and composed of mainly the academy''s students. "Where do you want to go first?" Zi Hua inquired. "Let''s go to the market!" Despite referring to it as a market, it was actually full of valuable stuff, it was just that due to the large number of merchants vying to sell their goods here, the shops have all been taken and those who did not manage to get a shop opened stalls in the market. Students all had varying schedules so there were also others from other classes and year groups here. A year group was actually not based on their age but rather when they entered the academy, each year group had a class for each cultivation level. The two walked around the stalls, they had wanted to invite Anqi Qing Shan but she was preoccupied with the mandatory duty of mingling with other aristocrats. "Zi Hua does anything catch your attention? If you like anything, I can buy it for you" Despite her complicated situation within her family, the two sisters were treated extremely well thanks to their talent and the clan was not stingy about giving them money and resources, that was also how they managed to pay the entrance fees without notifying their clan to get the money for the fees. "No, it''s fine, you should just get what you like, I have what I need already" Zi Hua didn''t want to impose of Anqi Feng since her situation was not what Anqi Feng thought it was, she was becoming guilty for deceiving such a sincere and genuine girl. "Oh, ok then, but if anything that catches your fancy I''ll buy it for you" Anqi Feng didn''t want to press the matter further since Zi Hua was being considerate when she was rejecting her. If Zi Hua was some gold-digging b*tch then Anqi Feng would''ve gotten extorted from. Anqi Feng''s naivety reminded her of her cute little Xiao Hong, making Zi Hua view Anqi Feng as her unofficial daughter. 86 Shopping 1 After touring around the market and finding nothing likable, they went to Rarity Dew Auction House, the merchants who did not have a store but didn''t want to sell their goods in the market would sell them at Rarity Dew Auction House. "Zi Hua, let''s go get a room" Unlike other branches, this branch her didn''t have any normal seats and only had private rooms, the rooms are ranked like any other branch. Red was the lowest, which, at this particular branch was the place that any customer could go to, the rooms ranged from red to purple but only the owners'' acquaintances could go to the purple rooms. The Anqi Family only had a few tokens for indigo rooms which one of them was given to the Anqi sisters, showing their high standing in the family. Anqi Feng showed the indigo token to the manager. "My apologies Miss Anqi, but I''m afraid all out Indigo rooms are filled and the system in our Rarity Dew Auction House does not allow me to give you a different level room" The manager apologized, Anqi Feng seemed crest-fallen and was rather embarrassed since she brought Zi Hua here yet she could not get them a room. "Manager would this be okay" Zi Hua handed the manager a purple token, when Xue Lian got told that Zi Hua was heading to Sunlight Continent, she wanted to join her but Huang Qian Yang had stuff to complete in Moonlight Continent and she didn''t want to leave him so she had Huang Qian Yang give a purple token to Zi Hua so if she meets any trouble she can seek help from Rarity Dew Auction House. The purple token does not only allow her to get a purple room but also gives her some authority over the auction houses. "Of course esteemed guest, this way please" The manager then led them to a purple room, the manager didn''t suspect Zi Hua being a fake since the purple tokens were all branded with his master spiritual imprint. "Wahh, Zi Hua, how did you get that token, even my clan doesn''t have one" Anqi Feng was amazed, she has never been in a purple room before and only indigos and below. "Well it''s complicated but my brother-in-law left it for me, please don''t tell anyone else" Huang Qian Yang could be regarded as her brother-in-law since she regards both Xue Lian and Tang Zen Zen as her sisters, her thoughts trailed off to Tang Zen Zen. The two haven''t met each other for almost a year now, Zi Hua was worried on how she was doing since when she went to visit Tang Zen Zen previously she was told by the disciples that her and her master had gone on a trip. Albeit suspicious Zi Hua couldn''t really do much right now with her matters needing to be settled and plus the stone hasn''t gotten smashed so it should mean that she''s okay. When she finds the map for the remaining flame fragment that was in Moonlight Continent, Zi Hua was planning on meeting up with Tang Zen Zen. "No problem, I won''t tell anyone, but your brother-in-law must be close to the owner" Anqi Feng promised, she understood that it would cause inconvenience for Zi Hua if people found out about her relations to a powerhouse like Rarity Dew Auction House. She wasn''t suspicious on why Zi Hua had to get a scholarship despite having such a strong brother-in-law since, for example, those from the Anqi Family branches may not be able to pay for the fees despite being part of a family as influential as the Anqis, she understood first hand how complicated family relations can get. "You could say that" Her brother-in-law was not only close to the owner but he was the owner. Zi Hua only revealed this to Anqi Feng because she knew that Anqi Feng wouldn''t think too deep into it due to her naivety and she didn''t want the girl to be stuck in the awkward situation. She also believed that Anqi Feng would abide by her promise, apart from maybe telling her sister, but Zi Hua didn''t mind that, Anqi Qing Shan was bright enough to know what to do and Zi Hua could tell that Anqi Qing Shan had some guesses about her identity, her sister telling her about her relation with Rarity Dew Auction House would probably be an adequate answer for her. After all, no matter how smart Anqi Qing Shan was, she wasn''t experienced enough and didn''t even have any leads to Zi Hua''s true identity, her current thoughts were only speculations and inferences. Zi Hua made sure to leave no trails of connection to her being the Supreme Sovereign''s disciple. A/N: (Another rant, feel free to skip it tho) I feel like I''ve been complaining a lot lately despite trying to have a positive outlook, it might be stressing me out, maybe I should stop forcing myself to have a positive outlook, but anyways, my English teacher transferred schools so we got a new one but the new one is always leaving me out T-T, I had my hand up for like 5 minutes but saw that he was busy telling someone off so I sat quietly waiting but after he finished, someone else put their hand up and he immediately let them speak the looked over me and IGNORED ME then let someone who was a table away from me speak, this wasn''t the first time either, he always ignores me until last to speak and always has this ''Can''t be bothered'' look when it''s my turn and when we were handing our work in, he came around my table, collected the people around me who were finished''s work and ignored me, so then I saw others going up to give their work to him so I walked towards him, BUT then he started telling off the class again so I had to just stand there holding up my work, he didn''t give me a glance! But when someone else went up he looked at them and collected their sheet THEN collecting mine after finishing his sentence to the class! What did I ever do to him to deserve this rudeness? (Btw, for your info, I''m a good gal, I behave in class, like ACTUALLY behave) Plus he tells the class off every 10 minutes, we''ve barely been learning, he rants more than me, LOL 87 Shopping 2 The auctioneer showed various goods, all extremely valuable. However, the two just stared at them not interested, they didn''t have anyone that they needed to show off to and they would be in the academy for ages so they found no use in the majority of the items. "This is a pair of twin butterfly hairpins made of ore extracted from Ice Frost Forest rocks!" "Each of the two twin butterfly hairpins are advanced rank armaments capable defending against attacks below Martial Grandmaster!" The audience did not suspect the words of the auctioneer since Rarity Dew Auction House was known to fully verify the authenticity of their goods before selling. Although Martial Grandmaster was not extremely strong, but for students in the academy that would mean being practically invincible due to the graduation requirement being Martial Master. A pair of delicate translucent hairpins with a wing on each lay on a tray covered by a cloth to add suspense and more excitement when it''s revealed during the last few bids, when placed together they formed a butterfly. "Zi Hua, lets get them, we can have one each" "Okay then" Zi Hua didn''t reject her this time since Anqi Feng seemed to like the hairpins very much and it would be awkward for Anqi Feng to buy them if she rejects the gift. "The starting bid is 1,000 gold" Unlike in Moonlight Continent, this was not valuable enough to be exchanged for other treasures, at least not in this particular branch which was full of influential people who had seen plenty of valuable treasures, it was still within the reach of currency, which made merchants love the city. "But Zi Hua, if I get that, won''t they realize we were in the purple room when we call out" The people here were all students of the academy apart from a few merchants or teachers, it would be rather easy to connect the dots. "I''ll just call the manager then" To ensure their purple guests privacy, there was an option of having someone else shouting for them in a lower room, the life of luxury. "Manager, I''ll leave this to you then" As expected the manager got the butterfly hairpins for them at the price of 1,900 gold coins. Anqi Feng handed the money over and then happily left, they weren''t worried about other people finding out since the manager had told the auctioneer not to reveal the hairpins'' appearance when it was being auctioned as per Zi Hua''s request. "Zi Hua, here''s yours" Anqi Feng handed one of the hairpins over to Zi Hua. "Thank you but it''s fine, it''s much better to give it to your sister" It would also be too eye catching for her to wear something so expensive looking with her current situation, plus others may try to find trouble with her with the excuse of ''sweeping away a gold digging b*tch''. "If you insist then" Anqi Feng didn''t want to make it hard on Zi Hua seeing that Zi Hua was being so considerate and she realized she may have been a bit insensitive since Zi Hua wouldn''t be able to put on accessories by herself since she ''couldn''t see''. "Let''s head back now" They had bought something already and it would be unlikely for something else to catch their eyes. Anqi Feng went to find her sister to give her the hairpin and Zi Hua returned back to the dorms. For the next few days, nothing much except the usual happened, however Zi Hua was getting increasingly bored with the school days, what they were teaching were stuff that she already knows so she just sits in class, staring into space. ''I''m going to have to put up with this for another year at least'' She''ll have to ''become'' a Martial Master to graduate so she was planning on taking her time with investigating the academy first whilst just being between Anqi Feng and Anqi Qing Shan''s cultivation progress but it may take longer than she had planned, at least seem longer with how boring life was. Though she has to rise to Martial Master within three years to guarantee her entrance to a top family since the scholarships only lasts for three years and if they don''t graduate by then they will be kicked out and deemed as a failure for not meeting the requirements despite being given the opportunities. 88 Transfer Student 1 Just like any other day, Zi Hua arrived in class and sat at the back of the classroom, however when Teacher Peng entered the classroom, a beauty entered the classroom with him. Zi Hua assessed the beauty, she seemed like someone gentle from her looks and she was, she wasn''t a white lotus like those b*tches from the Xia Family which let Zi Hua breathe a sigh of relief, those white lotuses were annoying, they just irritated her. Despite that though, she has a weak personality, the type to obey and do as those who have power over her say to do. "The academy has decided to do a transfer student program with the Primordial lands and we have the honor of having the transfer student in our class, make sure to treat her well" Teacher Peng said. "Nice to meet you all, my name is Song Yin Jun, I am from Music Valley" The girl introduced. It just so happened that Xiao Hong was bored and was observing her master''s life. "Wah, I never thought that there would be someone with an even worse naming sense than master" She cried out in surprise. (A/N: Yin is from YinYue which means music and the Yin sounds like Ying which when paired with Jun sounds like YingJun which means handsome) Which bit about her was handsome? She looks like a delicate flowers! But Xiao Hong wasn''t the only surprised one, everyone in the class was surprised too but for a different reason. The Primordial lands were viewed as the apex existence and they had little direct public contact with the lower continents. Though behind the scenes, many powers in Sunlight Continent were at their mercy. Those who''s families were close to Music Valley thought of ways to approach her, whilst those whose family''s superior were unfriendly with Music Valley thought of ways to keep their distance and those who had no relation to the Primordial Lands either thought of ways to boot-lick her or stay on her good side. Song Yin Jun''s appearance made Zi Hua speculate and try to see through the Primordial lands'' intentions. ''Are they aiming for the map?'' The 8 Valleys and Three Provinces had joined hands to face her master so Zi Hua''s revenge will be aimed at the entire Primordial lands in order to eliminate them fully. Although she has no right to dictate others'' life and death but in a world of the law of the jungle, it was either they get killed or she does because she clearly understands that once they find out about her seeking for the flame fragments even without knowing about her relation to her master they will chase her down. For the remaining hours of the day, Song Yin Jun was welcomed by the class and had gotten to know others. Zi Hua kept her guard up, even if she knew that Song Yin Jun wasn''t bad at heart, she couldn''t go easy on her since although Song Yin Jun wouldn''t take the initiative to harm Zi Hua with her nature but the people back at Music Valley may. Zi Hua was becoming increasingly anxious and planned to bring forward her plans of retrieving the maps and flame fragments. She was also worried about the maps'' guardians giving it to her enemies since a good ancestor does not guarantee good descendants and even if the descendants guarding the map are good, it couldn''t be guaranteed that accidents and betrayals won''t occur. ''Times change, so do people'' It seems that the Headmaster of Sanguine Scholar Academy may receive a visitor tonight. "Zi Hua, that girl seems interesting, let''s go and say Hi" Anqi Feng brought Zi Hua out of her thoughts. "Sure" Zi Hua although wanted to stay low-key it would be even more eye catching if she did not approach the transfer student when everyone else in the class was or at least observing from the side. 89 Transfer Student 2 She followed Anqi Feng to where Song Yin Jun and the rest of the class was when class was over. "Hello, nice to meet you, I''m Anqi Feng, this is Zi Hua" As the class introduced themselves in groups, Anqi Feng and Zi Hua introduced themselves together. "Hello" After Zi Hua said her greetings, she moved out of the way with Anqi Feng to let others'' introduce themselves and leave as little impression as possible. "Zi Hua, are you not going to talk to the new student?" Anqi Feng questioned in confusion as Zi Hua pulled her out of the crowd. "Miss Song has just transferred here and is busy with others, she''ll most likely be staying here for a while so we''ll have plenty of chances to talk to her in the future" Zi Hua reasoned. "Oh yeah" Anqi Feng found what Zi Hua said to be reasonable and agreed. "Let''s go get something to eat" Apart from the room service for meals there was also a canteen for snacks and such, their class had finished just after lunch was over and it would be a while until it was dinner time. After they ate, Anqi Feng wanted to go to the market again with Zi Hua but Zi Hua rejected the offer saying that she wanted to take a rest so Anqi Feng could only go by herself. Zi Hua headed back to the dorms so she could enter the Heaven-defying artifact and prepare some stuff just in case something happens when she pays a visit, she had learnt her lesson after that underwater battle. She hadn''t been idle during the night for the past few days and had gone around scouting so when she decides to make her move she will know her way around, it''s only that she did not expect herself to be making a move so quick. Zi Hua concluded that the transfer program must''ve been arranged a long time ago since she had not found any suspicious people while scouting around the academy. This showed that the Primordial lands'' people were already here and have been stretching their claws to this place for a long time already, Zi Hua couldn''t rest her heart knowing that the map was within the Primordial land''s reach. She had originally planned to just leave it until she was about to graduate to take the map so she will lessen her chances of being caught however it would be safer for the map to be her hands. Unfortunately, she still had to infiltrate into the Clans so she couldn''t just drop out to collect the flame fragment once she has the map since the academy does not allow their students to have absences unless they are ill, if they want to leave classes for another matter the only choice would be to drop out. Her plans were once again disrupted! When the moon rose into the sky and night arrived, Zi Hua transformed herself to male so she couldn''t be tracked to her current identity by spiritual power since her spiritual power changes with the help of the transformation technique. She then headed to the headmaster''s office to start searching from there, she wasn''t planning on greeting the headmaster since he may be on the Primordial lands'' side from the situation with the transfer program and the Primordial lands'' being able to contact him, however when she arrived she found that the lights were still lit. Zi Hua hid by the windowsill like those spies from spy movies that you often see and listened in to their conversation. She peeked inside the room, only to find Song Yin Jun and the headmaster talking face to face with light-hearted expressions. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. 90 Transfer Student 3 "Headmaster, I hope we will have a great co-operation, after me, my father hopes that more transfer students may also come, if this turns out to be good, we will allow some of your students to transfer and learn within the Primordial lands, Music Valley is looking forward to our long-term co-operation" Song Yin Jun said with a smile. "Haha, of course, of course, likewise, but when will the academies'' students be able to start going to Music Valley?" The headmaster laughed heartily, he had landed on the jackpot, Sanguine Scholar Academy has always been the last out of the top three academies but once the word gets out that they have an exchange program with the Primordial lands, students will be flooding in. Although some families had ties with powers in the Primordial lands, they were usually very lowly ranked in the eyes of that power. Sanguine Scholar Academy had been set up by the legendary Supreme Sovereign''s sworn brother yet was ranked 3rd, 3rd! Not 1st! Unfortunately, he did not know that the Supreme Sovereign which he so admired due to the influence by the academy''s founder was killed by the same Primordial lands which he was trying to partner up with, if only he knew... ''Ignorance is a crime'' Seeing the headmaster''s manner of speech, Zi Hua reckoned that he had been swayed by the attraction of power, but also could tell that Music Valley''s intentions were not that simple since they were trying to be friendly with a mere headmaster. Despite the information she has at hand being far from enough, she wasn''t willing to put her subordinates at risk especially with her current situation going on where she can''t grow stronger due to the restriction/mission from her master. It seems that she''ll have to do some interoggating. From what she can see Song Yin Jun wasn''t lying about the co-operation just to scam the headmaster so it that would most likely mean that they are trying to pry some information out of the headmaster by gaining his trust. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Zi Hua waited outside until they finished their conversation and the headmaster returned to his own pavilion, the dorms paled in comparison to the headmaster''s pavilion. When the headmaster got back, Zi Hua made sure no one was around and then left the darkness. (A/N: This reminds me of my science class where for some reason the sun always shines on only one side so when people walk over to the dark part that doesn''t receive as much sunlight (the side of the class that I sit) people start saying ''Welcome to the dark side, join us'', Lol) "Headmaster, I would like you to explain some parts which I am confused on" A figure clad in a purple so dark that if one does not look twice they would mistake it as black melted out of the darkness. "Wha- Who''s there?!" The headmaster turned around warily, glaring at the figure who had appeared inconspicuously, unnoticed. However, the next moment he had a knife at his throat. "Answer my questions or else..." Zi Hua purposely trailed off her sentence, this was what she found the most effective when interrogating those who were not trained in keeping their mouths zipped, when their life is threatened, they panic and lose their composure and ability to judge, falling right into her trap. Cold sweat dripped down from the headmaster''s forehead, the academy being so influential had little to no threats so his job solely consisted of overseeing the academy, having no experiences of such situations. "Ye-yes, please spare me!" He still had a long life to live, his lifespan had just extended and he was still waiting for the next headmaster to be appointed so that he could live the rest of his life peacefully and luxuriously after retiring. "Good, answer my questions and you will be safe, whether or not you tell others, I do not care but answer my questions truthfully and no harm will befall upon you" "First, I would like to know..." 91 Founder 1 After Zi Hua got the information she needed, she let the headmaster go as promised, finishing him off will not be as beneficial as letting him live, he was not the actual big shot after all. What a pity, her efforts in scouting around the academy were going to waste! Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. After Zi Hua left, the headmaster checked that she had left and then called out his spirit beast and rushed out of the academy, along the journey, he re-evaluated what happened and found that he could''ve fought back or called out his spirit beast to fight back, once the commotion is noticed others will come to his aid, pity he had been too panicked but there''s no use crying over spilled milk. The headmaster had led a rather sheltered and pampered life thanks to the founder and would''ve lived like a second or third generation rich young master if he was on Earth, just like now, instead of trying to think of a way to amend the situation he had caused, he rushed to the founder as the first thing he did. After all, who would dare to provoke Sanguine Scholar Academy. He had given away information and was afraid of the consequences that it would bring, so he had gone to the founder to sort things out for him. "Founder!" He knocked on the door to a rather lavish house, well lavish when compared to other houses in its vicinity, it was the house that Sanguine Scholar Academy''s founder had retired to. The founder wasn''t his master, so he had always called him founder. "Come in" The founder albeit annoyed by the disturbance knew that the headmaster wouldn''t come to disturb him in the middle of the night for no reason so he let the guy in. The founder despite being several thousand years old already, looked no different than a scholarly man of almost 30 years old age. The two sat face to face around a table. "Now, tell me what brings you here" "Founder, I have failed you, an unknown person had infiltrated into the academy and threatened me, due to my incompetence I had revealed all the information the person had asked for" The headmaster said, he dared not bluff things or tell a lie. "Don''t worry about it, I''ll sort it out, now, return back to the academy" The founder ordered. Hearing the founder''s words, the headmaster finally relaxed and was less tense and obeyed the orders. The founder had purposely chosen such a spineless person to be the next headmaster so that he wouldn''t create trouble but it seems that the headmaster was a bit too spineless. "Now, visitor, do you mind showing yourself?" The founder turned his head to Zi Hua''s hiding space. "I apologize for the intrusion founder" A purple eyes girl appeared into view, Zi Hua didn''t mind appearing in front of the founder since she could tell from Truth''s eye that the founder was not someone who would''ve betrayed her master and it was known that the founder of Sanguine Scholar Academy was a someone whom was close to the Supreme Sovereign. "Don''t be so formal as to call me founder, my name is Murong Jun Yian but you can call me uncle-master" "!!!" Zi Hua was not expecting the founder to realize who she was so quickly. "Don''t be so surprised, the person who had threatened the headmaster was male however the person who pays me a visit is female, the Primordial lands people are cowards and are too afraid to act due to ''those people'' so it can''t be them, the only other answer would be my sworn sister''s disciple, after all she is gone and she''s the only one in the world who knows the transformation technique, apart from you of course. Not only that, although others may not recognize, I, the creator will recognize the fabrics I created with a glance" Zi Hua became confused on what he meant by ''those people'' but she decided to focus on the matter at hand first. "It seems that I underestimated the person who could stay my master''s side" Zi Hua said and brought out the flame to confirm his guess. "Take a seat, you wouldn''t go through all that trouble of interrogating the headmaster then following him to my place for nothing" Zi Hua took his offer and sat down. 92 Founder 2 "I''ll get straight to the point, I''m here for the map" "Of course I''ll give it to you, but would you mind listening to this old man''s story?" Murong Jun Yian answered. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Sure" Zi Hua didn''t reject his offer, after all, he was her master''s sworn brother, her uncle-master, she had to show him some respect, though she didn''t feel it was quite right when he referred to himself as an old man, which part of him looked old, if he wanted to, his could''ve probably passed off as someone in their early 20s. "It was a sunny day when I met your master, the sky was clear and the sun shown vibrantly, but paled in comparison to your master''s radiance" First sentence in and Zi Hua was already regretting her choice due to the cringe. "It was love at first sight, we became friends and went through many trials and tribulations together, unfortunately for me, the person whom I fell in love with was a workaholic and dense, she only knew to get stronger but I still loved her, since I couldn''t become her lover, I became her sworn brother to protect her from the shadows, though in the end, I failed to do so" "After I had gotten the news that she got attacked, I wanted to avenge her, but I found a message that she had left me, she said that I should not seek for revenge, it will only do harm to me, I didn''t want to disappoint her wishes yet I wanted vengeance so I decided to start a academy to build power by recruiting a group of experts and only take action when I have reached High Stage Complete State, after 2000 years, I am now at Mid Stage Complete State, but it will take a while until I reach my goal" Zi Hua could sense his self blame as he continued his story. "She left a map for me to give to her inheritor" Murong Jun Yian retrieved a map from his space ring and handed it over to her. "I can tell that you are not someone who will take your master''s grievances lying down, so when you are ready for revenge don''t forget this old man" "Of course, uncle-master" "Thank you for sharing the story with me, since I have completed what I need, I shall not intrude on you any longer" The quicker she gets away, the more brain cells and ear cells she''ll save. "Haha, like master, like disciple, both only caring about work, goodbye now" And with a flash, Zi Hua disappeared. Now that she had gotten the map, she teleported back to the dorm room. Teleportation although useful when travelling wasn''t efficient during missions since when she teleported to somewhere, she couldn''t analyse the surroundings before she arrives so it may cause her to be found out. Zi Hua studied the map and memorized it before burning it like always. It would be some time until she could leave the academy and when she graduates, she has to join a family, putting her in a difficult situation. She could''ve ask her uncle-master to give her leave but that could potentially reveal her identity or cause suspicions on the headmaster''s side, plus if she leaves and return, it was arose the suspicion of her classmates. Zi Hua wasn''t about to let the headmaster find out about her identity since if anyone threatened him like Zi Hua did, he would spill it without thinking, spineless people like him will repeat those mistakes over and over again. Zi Hua carried on with the boring days for a while until the 11th month arrived and she found out that disciples were allowed to leave for two months starting from the 1st of the 1st month for New Years, Zi Hua hadn''t known this and was delighted, but she wasn''t the only happy one, the other students were too, except from Anqi Qing Shan and Anqi Feng. 93 Damn Morals Just like any other day, Zi Hua was returning from her classes but on the way back to the dorms, she found a figure unconscious on the floor. She glanced over and found that it was Song Yin Jun, she wanted to leave but her morals as a doctor said otherwise, plus the girl wasn''t bad, it''s just that she was born in the wrong place, so Zi Hua picked the girl up into a princess carry and lay her down on the bench by the path, they technically knew each other so Zi Hua couldn''t just treat her like a stranger, though it would be another story if she had found some random total stranger lying on the floor but her morals just wouldn''t allow her to leave the girl like that, the girl was innocent, only cruelly dragged into this conflict, this was the least she could do. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. No matter how much Zi Hua hardened her heart to hurt innocents, she was still human, a doctor at that. She felt guilty that she may one day kill that girl with her own hands when the girl did not willingly go against her, picking her up from the ground and making sure she wasn''t dead was the least that she could do, plus her death would obstruct Zi Hua from further finding out about the Primordial lands'' plans. As Zi Hua checked her, her eyebrows scrunched together, Song Yin Jun''s health was peculiar, not like anything she had seen before. Her constitution was weird, she wasn''t poisoned either, her body was weak yet she was fine most of the time, she would get better by herself however, it wasn''t good for her to unpredictably faint all the time, if it was in a battlefield, that could cost her her life! But Zi Hua and her were on opposite sides in the battle, so it wouldn''t be wise for Zi Hua to help her, but her mentality of a doctor won''t allow her to leave the girl like that, she never did anything wrong and was innocent. Zi Hua was stuck in a dilemma, however just as she was stuck in her inner struggle, Song Yin Jun woke up. "Huh, where am I?" "You fainted on the ground, so I carried you over here" Zi Hua explained. "Thank you, but I''m fine, sorry for the bother" Song Yin Jun sat up and then tried to get on her feet but swayed unsteadily. "Do you want me to help you back?" Zi Hua went to help her, she wasn''t as cold-hearted as to just leave a patient alone, unless they were someone who she hated. "Don''t worry, I''ll be fine, this happens regularly, I''m used to it" Song Yin Jun said weakly, she was clearly not fine, she couldn''t even stand up properly. She would be fine anyways since the people that her father had stationed around her would return once they finish searching through the headmaster''s office. Zi Hua really didn''t want to get involved but... Damn morals! Oh well, this way it would be easier for her to get close to Song Yin Jun to get information if she needs to. "I''ll help you back, I was heading to the dorms too anyways" Zi Hua led her back to the dorms not realizing that far away someone had found out something about her that even she her self had not yet discovered... After that day, Zi Hua and Song Yin Jun didn''t have much contact apart from seeing her in class, Zi Hua decided to observe and be clear of the situation first before helping Song Yin Jun, after all, with Song Yin Jun''s personality, she isn''t someone who would like to be part of a scheme, Zi Hua had to get to the mastermind first and acquire information, as the old saying goes ''knowledge is power''. She won''t recklessly charge in, that day when she visited her uncle-master, even though she had hid her presence, he still detected her, which made her understand that there are many out there who are stronger than her, if she makes a move now, it would be courting death. During the day, Zi Hua would go to class, then in the evening she would go into the Heaven-defying artifact and cultivate. After several cycles of this, Zi Hua finally managed to breakthrough to High Stage Martial Honor just before the two month break, this time, surprisingly, was quicker than when she went from Low Stage to Mid Stage since she had actually cultivated regularly. The experiences of struggle allowed Zi Hua to not take her talent for granted and understand pains and struggles, a truly valuable lesson. In a blink of an eye, vacation was about to arrive. (A/N: I wish, more like the end of vacation was about to arrive, it feels like ages until breaks arrive) "Zi Hua, do you have any plans for the break?" Anqi Feng asked as Zi Hua, her and her sister sat around a table in the canteen, her sister finally got a break from entertaining those people thanks to most of them following Song Yin Jun around all day like baby ducks. "Not really, I only have one thing that I have planned, though that would take me at least a month" "After you get stuff done, would you mind if we join you for the vacation?" They didn''t pry on her privacy. It wouldn''t be wise for them to return ''home'' after finally breaking free from that place, at least for now. "Sure, where will we meet?" Zi Hua didn''t mind, once she finishes her business, she didn''t have anything planned. "In Calming Sky Inn" It would be better for them to not leave the city for now, it would be safer than leaving. "Okay then, but I might take a while so" 94 Death Canyon Zi Hua removed her disguise, it felt slightly weird whenever she was in a different appearance since she wasn''t herself, then headed off to the location of the fifth flame, Death Canyon. Like its name suggests, Death Canyon was known for it''s danger, vicious spirit beasts and deadly plants habituated there. No soul has managed to enter and return alive. Death Canyon was a phenomenon, different climates and ecosystems all coexists there, you wouldn''t be able to see the mixture of such variety anywhere else, however roses have thorns. The beautiful scenery contained hidden dangers which one could lose their life to at any moment. Thankfully, Zi Hua had the Heaven-defying artifact for safety measures, she could return there if needed, however she did not want to rely on it this time, in case she ever gets into a situation where she cannot enter it, she will be more prepared, she has always preferred to be overly cautious than let her guard down and potentially get herself into a tricky situation. Zi Hua didn''t allow her spirit beasts out even after they repeatedly pestered her so that they will be able to help her, but in her past life, she only relied on herself, so it was rather difficult to change old habits, plus the less people, the less risk of getting separated or dragging each other down, if she brings one of them, she would have to bring the rest, she would rather have them stay safe in the Heaven-defying artifact. "Master, we''re not babies anymore!" "Exactly, stop babying us!" "Until you stop babying us, we''re not speaking to you!" After that, the three slammed the door in her face, Zi Hua could only sigh helplessly, at least now they won''t carry on pestering her to go out and potentially end up in danger. Though, she felt bad about rejecting their care and concern but she was also concerned about them. Zi Hua had no choice but to head to Death Canyon whilst leaving the situation unsorted. Zi Hua wore a purple hanfu with white lining that reached up to her knees and had one side of the hanfu wrapping over the other side. She stepped into Death Valley and recalled the map, she first headed to the tropical part of Death Valley which was the first place she had to pass in the route she had planned to reach the flame. It was a tropical rain forest, lush with greenery, but lots of hidden dangers amidst the various colors. *CLAMP* A plant that resembles a certain torture device which contains spikes appeared. Zi Hua quickly moved to the side when she noticed the rustling, thank goodness that she did, if she had been late she would''ve been squashed into bits. However, just after that, a neon yellow plant angrily spat acidic liquid towards Zi Hua, it turns out that she had stepped on its stem. ''Whoops'' Zi Hua decided to float instead to prevent herself from provoking any plants again. Her flying technique did not require her to expend any spiritual power so she wouldn''t have to worry. Zi Hua cautiously ventured around, this was already part of the safest route yet there''s so many hidden dangers, but it does bring her back to the time when she had to assassinate a mad scientist and had to pass through the scientist''s tropical greenhouse which was full of scientifically modified plants, although her research was not looked well upon, a group of researchers from a organization took her work after her death and used it to develop a cure for certain diseases. Whilst advancing through the rain forest, a brilliant idea popped into Zi Hua''s head. If she doesn''t survive this, it would be pity for the plan not to be put into motion, so she has to survive. When dusk fell, Zi Hua brought out the cooking stove armaments that she had made as well as some already prepared food by Xiao Shen, all she had to do was cook it, from the storage ring that she created beforehand. After eating, Zi Hua set up her tent and the portable shower, after taking a nice shower Zi Hua retired for the night and fell asleep but still stayed alert in case any spirit beasts or plants decide to approach her, after all, nocturnal animals hunt during this time. As midnight approached, Zi Hua suddenly jolted up and opened her eyes wide, exhibiting the ability she had gained through the tedious missions which she had had to stay in ambush whilst being alert towards her surroundings for days. Something or more specifically, someone was approaching. AUTHOR''S NOTE: VERY IMPORTANT 1 more chapters to go until ML appears! Remember how I said there''s gonna be a surprise? Well, some of you may have noticed the '''' around the word nice. Since I am such a ''nice'' author, I''m going to edit this novel and not update for about 1-2 months! I have actually been thinking about editing the novel for a while and was originally planning on doing that when I reached Chapter 100 but then, I thought ''Why not do it right before the ML appears'', so here it goes. But don''t worry about the novel changing too much since it''ll only be MINOR EDITING which will be focusing on SPAG and inconsistencies, THE PLOT WILL NOT CHANGE. It would be much appreciated if you point out any thing that you would like to be edited, though, I may not change some because it will change the plot. Please be nice with the phrasing, my fragile heart can''t take downright hate (haha, I know I''m asking for a lot, being needy, nitpicking and exhibiting a terrible attitude) Some may think that 1-2 months is too long but there''s almost 100 chapters, ikr, I can''t believe that myself, I can''t believe I have written so much over the past 5 months (I started this novel on the 1st of January 2019). Editing them all will take a lot of time especially if I''m going to fix inconsistencies. THIS NOVEL WILL NOT BE DROPPED, so please do not leave me *insert GIF which I wish I could*. I know this is a long wait so I would like to thank you guys for staying with me and not abandoning me as well as all the support I have been given in the past 5 months. Thank you!!! I will be editing the chapters on another platform before posting all the edited ones all at once so no I am not procrastinating (okay, maybe 9/10 times you think that) And if you still haven''t caught on, THIS IS THE END OF VOLUME 1!!! I have made a discord server to commemorate the completion of Volume 1 so feel free to join: https://discord.gg/D2GjKx3 Please read the stuff on the ''intro'' chat channel thingy! On the server you will be able to interact with me and other readers as well as see the times that I am procrastinating, great right? Also as per the request of a reader, here is a mini character profile for Zi Hua. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Name: Zi Hua Supreme Sovereign''s disciple Age: 15 and a half (I know that there''s some confusion regarding her age so I''m going to make some changes during the edit to fix that) Gender: Female Spirit Beasts: Xiao Hong, Xiao Bai, Xiao Zi 95 Sleeping In The Same Ten A/N: Sorry there was a mix up for some reason, please comeback to this chapter after Fighting Side By Side (3), after this chapter then read Predicament (1) and continue as normal When they finished eating, they tidied everything away and took turns taking a shower. Zi Hua had asked Xiao Shen to duplicate the portable showers, but he said that he could only duplicate them if they were inside the Heaven-defying artifact, Zi Hua was obstinate on not using the Heaven-defying artifact so she dropped the matter. The two cleaned off all the sand and dust then entered the tent and closed the flap to block out the wind and cold. The tent had good insulation so it was warmer in there but was still cold, Zi Hua had thought about wearing the special clothing that she made for her and Xue Lian, but it wouldn''t be comfortable to sleep in them so instead she took out a big, snugly and cozy blanket. The blanket had no problem covering both of them so Zi Hua didn''t have to worry about He Li being cold. (A/N: Ooo, you''re worried about him. Xiao Hua and Xiao Li sitting on a tree~ K- Okay I''ll stop, how old am I, 5?) Zi Hua set an alarm so that they will wake up early the next day to head off. The two lay on the mat laid on the floor back to back, perhaps due to the cold temperature or their lack of sleep from the two previous nights, they were particularly sleepy and quickly dozed off. However, the next morning when they woke up from the alarm, they found themselves snuggled in each others'' embrace, most likely due to the low temperature throughout the night. Zi Hua had her arms wrapped around He Li''s torso with her face in his chest and He Li had his arms wrapped around her waist. "Wahh" When the two realized their close proximity, they quickly separated with tomato-like faces. "I-I''ll go make breakfast!" Panicked, He Li quickly made an excuse and exited the tent. "Wait! The cooking wares!" Zi Hua miraculously managed to registered what he said and passed him the equipment. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Thanks" After he got them, he rushed out, he felt so awkward. After a while, Zi Hua left the tent and tidied it away whilst He Li was busy cooking breakfast. The two quietly ate breakfast as if nothing had happened then went on their merry way as usual, erasing the scene from that morning. When Xiao Shen and Xiao Ling came out, Xiao Ling noticed that the two were acting slightly off so she asked Xiao Shen, who was on night watch, about what happened, after all, one of them had to keep up with the events so they will be able to plan better. "What happened?" Xiao Ling inquired. Xiao Shen then whispered the events into Xiao Ling''s ear, when Xiao Ling heard what had happened she had a foolish grin on her face and occasionally let out a few giggles. ''My, my, they''re making progress so quick, really a fated couple'' Zi Hua noticed the two''s actions but didn''t think much of it apart from thinking that Xiao Shen must''ve said a joke. The desert was much more vast and hard to navigate in than the rain forest so it took longer to travel in. Unfortunately (fortunately), the had to spend another night together in the tent, Zi Hua had really wanted to make another tent but that would require the Heaven-defying artifact and she did not want to break the challenge she had made for herself. They repeated the previous night''s actions and then entered the tent. "Um... sorry about this morning..." He Li apologized. "N-no, it''s fine, it''s partly my fault too" Zi Hua quickly replied, the two sat there silently, replaying the scene from that morning in their minds. "Let''s go to sleep" He Li broke the silence whilst having a flushed face. "Yeah" The two lay down as far as they could from each other to prevent that repeating but due to the tent and blanket it was no farther than a meter. 96 New Companion 1 IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please don''t hold too high of expectations A man clad in black and purple appeared out from the trees, he immediately spotted Zi Hua and stood there vigilantly. "Who are you?" The man questioned. "Before asking who someone else is shouldn''t one introduce oneself first?" Zi Hua opened her mouth and rebuked. "Apologies then, my name is He Li, you?" "Zi Hua" The two of them did not mind giving their names since the other party''s existence in Death Canyon proved that they were not your run in the mill cultivator, even those above Martial Sovereign may not dare to enter Death Canyon and manage to last for a day unscathed, as long as their interests don''t conflict, it would be best to stay on each others'' good side. "So... where you from?" Zi Hua asked. "Starlight Continent, but I left there about 10 years ago, you?" "Same but I haven''t left for that long" "Oh, I don''t see people like me and you a lot" "So you left when you were 8?" Zi Hua managed to get his bone age with the help of Truth''s eye. "Yeah, how did you know?" Zi Hua was about to reply but got interrupted, but she was not the only one that got interrupted. ''Master, let me out please!!!'' This time it was not Xiao Hong but rather Xiao Shen. ''Xiao Shen, this guy is dangerous'' ''Don''t worry trust me, master'' ''Okay then'' Zi Hua relented, Xiao Shen never asked for much and was well behaved and sensible so Zi Hua fulfilled his request. (Xiao Hong: What is this favoritism!?) Meanwhile, another similar conversation was taking place. ''Master, let me out please!!!" ''Xiao Ling, this lady is dangerous'' ''Don''t worry trust me, master'' ''Okay then'' It was surprising how similar their conversations were. He Li allowed her since she rarely asks for anything. Immediately, two children, a shota and loli, appeared. "Xiao Ling!" "Xiao Shen!" The two kids immediately ran towards each other and gave each other a big hug. "I missed you so much" Xiao Ling cried. "Same, we haven''t met for a million years!" Xiao Shen agreed. Their masters stared at them, dumbfounded. "You can see them?" The two asked simultaneously. Who would''ve known that such a fated meeting would occur. "Oh, sorry master, let us explain" "In the beginning of time, the Heaven-defying artifact was created, however it split into two to represent Yin and Yang" "Correspondingly, two artifact spirits were also born, Xiao Ling represents Yin and I represent Yang, our masters will be the opposite gender" The two explained, however, they left out something crucial and started scheming the two''s fate together. The two owners of the Heaven-defying artifact are fated to be... All they needed to do was to do a little scheming to bring the two together. Hehehe~ "Oh" The two got a hold of the situation after the explanation. Xiao Shen and Xiao Ling sensed each other and were eager to reunite so they didn''t leave the time to explain just then. "If I had known that we were so similar then I would''ve not been so reserved" He Li said upon his realization. "Since both of our artifact spirits are close then I won''t dally anymore and get straight to the point, what are you here for?" He Li questioned. "I won''t lie to you, Xiao Shen''s previous master which is also my master (shifu) was the Supreme Sovereign, my master had scattered the flame fragments which she had told me to collect by finding the maps, I''m here for the flame fragment, now you?" Zi Hua didn''t hold back and told someone apart from those who had a contract with her, her entire situation for the first time, their spirit artifacts made them be fated to not be at each other''s throat since she could tell that both of them cared about their spirit artifacts greatly. (A/N: The context in ''Xiao Shen''s previous master'' refers to owner whereas in ''my master'' it refers to shifu which means a master who teaches you) "Also, to answer your earlier question, I used something called Truth''s eye to attain your bone age" Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Warning: The next several chapters will be super cringe worthy and cheesy. THERE''S AN IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE END OF ALL THE CHAPTERS, IF AT ANY POINT WHEN READING THROUGH THE 20 OR SO CHAPTERS YOU FEEL LIKE IT''S TOO CRINGY FOR YOU PLEASE AT LEAST GO TO THE LAST CHAPTER, IT''S IMPORTANT. 97 New Companion 2 "Phew, I had thought we were here for the same thing, my master who was also the previous master of Xiao Ling, was a introverted hermit who stayed Starlight Continent. He brought me under his discipleship and then passed on the Heaven-defying artifact when he went, he told me to go to several places to retrieve his legacy so I''ve been rushing around to find them" Likewise, He Li did not either. "Wanna stay together? It would be better since we could help each other in this horrendous place that our masters made us come to and I don''t think you can bear to separate those two either" Zi Hua looked over towards Xiao Shen and Xiao Ling who were catching up to each other on what had happened in the last million years. "Might as well" "Which direction are you heading towards?" "East" He Li brought out a map and pointed to his destination. "Same, mine is further so we''ll go to yours first" Zi Hua offered. "Are you sure?" "No worries" She didn''t mind since it was for Xiao Shen''s sake. But what the two didn''t realize was that catching up on what has happened was only a secondary target and the two artifact spirits'' actual objective was to have them stay together, you couldn''t blame them for taking advantage of their owners kindness since that was half of the truth since it was their secondary objective. After the whole situation was cleared up, dawn had already arrived so they set off, they were cultivators so they had no trouble not sleeping the normally needed amount. After another half a day of travelling, the scenery changed slightly, although it was still a rain forest the trees were less densely packed together than before. Just before they reached the desert, Zi Hua slowed them down. "We should be reaching the desert soon, did you bring anything special to change into?" Zi Hua stopped and turned around to ask. "No, do I need to?" He Li perplexedly asked. ''I almost forgot, he''s never seen a desert'' Zi Hua had the urge to face palm, how could she forget? There''s practically no deserts in this world so not to mention preparing, people here probably don''t even know what a desert is. "Do you know where we are heading to?" Zi Hua carefully asked, trying not to make it sound rude. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "A sandy place?" ''How did this klutz survive all this time!'' She subconsciously looked towards Xiao Ling. He Li was actually not stupid but he had been living with his hermit master who deprived him of his common sense. Though if not for her previous life, Zi Hua would probably be no better than him. If it was for his babysitter ahem I mean artifact spirit, who knows what would''ve happened to him. But it seems that someone else will be looking after him now... "A desert is sandy but it is also exceptionally hot and has a low humidity, the rainfall is practically zero, during the evening, the temperature drastically drops" Seeing his clueless self Zi Hua couldn''t help but have the impulse to help him. She explained the properties of a desert to him based on her previous life''s experience. "I''ve brought lots of water in my storage ring so we don''t have to worry about staying hydrated, come to think of it, where have you been resting?" Zi Hua just realized, he knew that she took a break in her tent but last night, he was not resting but rather advancing through the rain forest. "I''ve just been sleeping on a tree whenever I need to rest, after all, if I rely on the Heaven-defying artifact too much it will be rather problematic if I meet a situation where I can not access it" The two had the same trail of thought. 98 New Companion 3 "There are not many trees in the desert so it''s much wiser to set out camp" "I''ve got a few sets of clothing, so you can borrow one of mine, but I''ve only got one tent, I guess we''ll just have to share the tent then" Zi Hua offered, their artifact spirits were friends so the two didn''t need to be reserved and should help each other instead, however Zi Hua was obstinate on not using the Heaven-defying artifact so they will just have to share the tent. "N-no, it''s alright, I can just stay outside" He Li became flustered, although he lacked some common sense he was not that dense, he knew a bit about relationships between men and women. "Don''t underestimate the temperature at night, it''s better to have something blocking the outside weather" Seeing Zi Hua insistence and indifference to them sleeping in the same tent, He Li didn''t carry on rejecting her or else it will seem like he''s avoiding her. Nothing will happen, everything will be fine... "Okay then, thank you" "Change into this first" Zi Hua threw a set of black and purple outfit to him, it was originally something she made for Xiao Zi when making her own so that she could take it out straight away if a situation which requires it arises, she also made a set for Xiao Bai and Xiao Hong. "Here?" "Where else?" Zi Hua was rummaging through her storage ring trying to find the portable changing room and her outfit so she didn''t pay too much attention to what He Li said. "Found them!" Zi Hua found what she was looking for and turned around and was about to give the portable changing room to He Li but found him without his shirt on. Her faced reddened, comparable to Xue Lian''s tomato face. If there was a tomato face contest, the competition''s judges would have a very hard deciding on the winner between Xue Lian, Huang Qian Yang and Zi Hua. "Wha-what are you doing?!" Zi Hua covered her eyes with her hands but could still see him through the gaps between her fingers. "You told me to change here?" He was slightly embarrassed too but due to his lack of common sense he did not get flustered despite it being the first time someone apart from his master and artifact spirit seeing him shirtless. "Yeah, but in the changing room" Zi Hua pointed towards the changing room that she had brought out whilst trying to cover her face with her other hand. He Li could feel his face heating up, how embarrassing, he misunderstood what she meant. Meanwhile, the two cheeky brats who purposely did not clarify everything for He Li stood by the side watching with wide grins and crescent eyes. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. ''Why am I so flustered? I''ve seen a guy shirtless before, like, like... that time when I went to the beach with my family'' ...when I was 5 years old... ''Get yourself together, this isn''t you usual you'' While He Li was changing, Zi Hua gave herself a talking, trying to pull herself together. *Badumph* *Badumph* However, her blush did not fade until after 5 minutes of self talk. Poor Zi Hua, the woman who had lived two lifetimes without experiencing a single romantic scenario, no one wanted to approach her due to ''them'' and after she freed herself, although approachable, others always felt that she was out of their league. She had never had the time to spare to think about romance whilst growing up do to her situation, so she had no idea what the hell was happening to her. To be honest, she never did anything a teenage girl would usually do apart from studying, she never went out shopping with her friends or went to watch movies with her friends, she... didn''t really have friends... She spent all her time trying to free herself from the cage she used to call home. 99 New Companion 4 Meanwhile, during the 7 minutes that he was changing, He Li was also going through an inner contemplation. His master was a hermit, so as his disciple, He Li had little human contact, little was an overstatement, his human contact was practically zero and would be zero if not for him speaking to his master, the waiters at restaurants and asking a stranger once for direction. After his master left, he was busy going around collecting the inheritance as per his master''s wishes and cultivating. The two innocent bunnies are literally a match made in heaven (-defying artifact that is). (A/N: Nice pun right? Okay, who am I kidding? I can''t do puns, but He Li can do Z-... okay I won''t) They were rather lucky that Zi Hua had a previous life, or else both of them would be as clueless as each other, at least Zi Hua has friends now and some knowledge of relationships from her time studying, unlike He Li who only knew a tiny bit from the time when he found a book on the floor at a inn that he was staying at. ''What was I thinking? To change in front of her? Wahh, how will I face her when I get out? Why does she have male clothes with her? Is she together with someone?'' Although he felt a bit uncomfortable thinking that the thoughtful girl would be with someone else, the innocent and pure-hearted guy didn''t know how he should face her after having such a stupid misunderstanding, especially if she was with someone already... (A/N: Yeah, she''s with someone right now alright, with you) After he changed into the black and purple outfit, he gathered his courage and went out, by then Zi Hua had gotten back her composure. "Does it fit?" "Yeah" "I''ll go get changed then" Zi Hua then entered the changing room, He Li moved farther away to where Xiao Shen and Xiao Ling was to give Zi Hua some space. Zi Hua wore a a purple top piece that trialed down with long sleeves that fitted tightly on her wrists and flowy purple pants that wrapped tightly at her ankles and boots. (A/N: Apparently, you shouldn''t wear white when it''s hot) He Li wore the same but the pants and boots were black instead, the two looked like a couple when wearing the matching outfits. Zi Hua then brought out two veils to cover their faces and masks that covered their eyes to protect themselves from wind and sand but still allowed them to see. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Both outfits were made from UV protective fabrics so it was much more efficient than wearing other clothes in the desert and the full coverage would protect them from sun burn. She also gave him several bottles of sunscreen which she had create using a combination of plants. "Apply this regularly on your skin, it will protect you" Xiao Shen and Xiao Ling didn''t have to wear them since they were spirit bodies and wouldn''t be affected. They had been rushing through the rain forest so they had managed to get through it in such a short time period but it would be much harder to get through the desert due to the heat, they will have to take regular breaks, so the two decided to spend the night in the rain forest before heading to the desert. The clothing didn''t cause any trouble for them despite them not being in the desert so they kept it on, the clothes were made from the special fabric that her master left for her so they could clean it with spirit power. Zi Hua then made sure that she had prepared everything in her storage ring so that she would be prepared for tomorrow, it would be bad if she suddenly found that she was missing something when she needed it, if she was missing anything she would at least know and have time to think of an alternative. 100 New Companion 5 The two artifact spirits returned to their Heaven-defying artifacts ''reluctantly'' when it started getting dark since there was not a place for them to stay, seeing the two''s reluctance, Zi Hua and He Li knew they had made the right choice in staying together, not realizing that it was only half the truth. He Li had a storage ring which was given to him by his master so he brought out some ingredients from it. "What''s that?" He Li inquired after seeing the stove. "Oh this? It''s a stove, it''s portable and doesn''t require a fire to be lit" "Woah, could I borrow it? I''ll cook tonight''s dinner" He Li offered, he liked cooking thanks to his hermit of a master treating him like a chef half the time, he eventually got used to it and didn''t mind. "Sure, thanks" Zi Hua wasn''t too good at cooking either, since she had arrived here, she had always eaten food made by others apart from last evening, the food she made was... lets just say ''slightly'' worse than the food made by her subordinates. "Thanks" He Li then started to cook, whipping up several dishes of food. Zi Hua was enticed by the aroma, she had always thought that Xiao Shen''s cooking was the best despite his self-made recipes being rather... no comment, but now she was drooling from just the smell of the food. "Thank you for the food!" The two started eating, Zi Hua found herself eating much more than usual despite not being too big of a fan of food and usually preferring desserts instead. "That was delicious!" He Li was suddenly feeling shy from the compliment(s), his master had always called his food mediocre so he had always tried to improve his cooking. "Thank you, but my master''s cooking is even better" His master loved delicious food and could make it but was always too lazy and told him to cook instead. If his master was still alive and met Xue Lian, the two of them would probably become good friends. "You can go take a shower first" Zi Hua took out the portable shower and offered. "Thank you, I won''t be reserved and take the offer" He didn''t have all those stuff like Zi Hua so he had only cleaned himself by pouring water over himself and didn''t get the luxury to have a proper shower for the past few days. After he had a shower, Zi Hua did too, by the time that they were both finished, it was already dark. "I''ll go hop into a tree and sleep, we''re not in the desert yet" He Li quickly said, his brain was getting fuzzy. "Wait, you''ve been lucky the past few days that you''ve been here but there are plenty of poisonous insects and plants" Zi Hua was worried that he would get poisoned, if he did Xiao Ling would be sad, although she had antidotes to the poisons but it was better to be safe than sorry, that has always been one of her mottoes. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "The tent is spacious so it won''t be cramped" Hearing this He Li had no choice but to agree, he didn''t have the heart to reject her kind intentions. They wore the outfits that were meant to wear in the desert to sleep since it can be cleaned with a bit of spiritual power and it was rather comfortable. The two went inside the tent, there was a comfy mat of the floor as well as pillows and blankets, the tent was spacious and if needed, could fit three people with space to spare to store other things. Zi Hua and He Li slept back to back. *Badumph* *Badumph* They were so nervous that they could hear their own heartbeats, thankfully (or not) the two were back to back so they couldn''t see the redness on each others'' faces. 101 Fighting Side By Side 1 Zi Hua and He Li stayed silent throughout the night but had gotten a practically sleepless night yet again. They still had to deal with sleeping in the same tent in the desert, don''t tell them that they won''t be getting a wink of sleep. When they saw the first sun rays of dawn, the two got up and exited the tent. "Did you get a good night''s sleep?" He Li asked as he appreciated the sunrise. "Yeah" Zi Hua lied through her teeth, she didn''t want to hurt him by saying that she didn''t get enough sleep because of him. Wait, why couldn''t she sleep last night? It was not because of him, it must''ve been because she was used to sleeping alone, that must be the reason! Zi Hua reasoned with herself, forgetting that she used to suffocate ahem hug her three spirit beasts to sleep when they were young, she wouldn''t mind cuddling their baby forms to sleep nowadays but it''s a pity that they won''t allow her, haiz, they''re going through their rebellious phase. "Let''s get going" The two of them called out their artifact spirits so that the two of them could ''catch up'', after all, a lot of things happen in a million years, not realizing that the two were planning some ''fated meetings''. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Though, their experience was very low since their masters often never met or didn''t need them to interfere since by the time they had planned everything out, their masters would have developed feelings already. Zi Hua and He Li tread across the rain forest and entered the desert, the blazing sun was merciless and had it not been for the special clothing, the two would''ve probably gotten a heat-stroke already. Zi Hua brought out two water bottles from the storage ring and handed one over to He Li. Luckily, she had decided to bring a pile of water bottles instead of one which she would refill, or else she may have had to indirectly kiss him. Once someone reaches Martial Overlord, their bodies will be able to absorb everything they consume more efficiently, abandoning the need to excrete, females would also not need to bleed monthly for the sake of fertility, which was a huge sigh of relief for Zi Hua. (A/N: Who else wishes that was true? T-T) After a while of walking, they slowed down and decided to take a break, Zi Hua brought out a massive black umbrella and stuck it into the ground to block out the scorching heat. It also reminded her that she had brought a few more black umbrellas in her storage ring, she had made plenty since umbrellas were prone to breaking especially since the desert was rather windy. The two had had to clean their clothes with spiritual power every so often to get rid of the sweat and sand, thankfully the clothes could be cleaned with just a tiny bit of spiritual power. The veils and masks protected their faces and the tight sleeves prevents sand from entering their clothes. Whilst scouring through her storage ring to find the other umbrellas so she could block out as much sunlight as possible during their rest, Zi Hua did not notice something approaching, she should''ve made the storage ring have sections to organize her stuff. "Careful!" He Li reached out to Zi Hua and pulled her 15 yards away. Two massive spirit beasts arose from where they were. A gigantic centipede and behemoth scorpion emerged from the sand, the two engaged in a fierce battle. They were probably below the surface just before this which explains why they had not seen the spirit beasts from afar. "Thanks, I owe you one" Zi Hua breathed a sigh of relief, she really should pay more attention to her surroundings like how she did when she half-slept. "No worries" He Li looked down and said. "Could you let me down now?" Zi Hua blushed, to bring her away from the battle, He Li had picked her up into a princess carry. "Ye-yeah, of course" He Li had realized what he had done and hurriedly let her down. Zi Hua averted her gaze from him, she had seen others being princess carried but has never got princess carried herself. Zi Hua observed the two spirit beasts fighting and contemplated, how troublesome... If those two spirit beasts were to carry on fighting, it may attract other spirit beasts, especially with the scent of blood, that would block their advance through the desert. 102 Fighting Side By Side 2 "What level is your cultivation?" "High Stage Martial Honor, my master restrained my cultivation to Martial Honor until I am able to gather all his inheritance" He Li answered. "Same, our masters are birds of the same feathers" ''Of course, your masters should have been a fated couple, so are you two'' Innately thought their two artifact spirits as the two listened in, Xiao Shen and Xiao Ling are spirit bodies so they are only an image and weren''t really there, like ghosts of sorts, so they weren''t affected by the sudden appearance of the spirit beasts. "Those two are Mid Stage Saints so if we work together it shouldn''t be too much of a problem" Both of them were far from ordinary so they should have little problem fighting in the enemies'' territory despite the fact that the spirit beasts are much better adapted to the environment and are generally stronger than humans. "En" He Li was thinking the same, the fight could attract other spirit beasts so it''s best for them to quickly finish it, the quicker the better. Zi Hua brought out the sword she had made using the water spirit beast''s core, it was a blue katana that had beautiful decorations on the scabbard, she had to fight in style after all. She had learned all sorts of martial arts and weaponry wielding on earth, she even learned how to fight with a club. She was planning on making something similar to a gun but was still working on the blueprints due to the different materials available here. He Li had brought out a pair of black duel swords that had a red tint to them, the blades glistened in the sun. The pair of duel swords was something given to him by his master so he used them most of the time, after all, what was the use of keeping it for decoration, however he was also trained in other weaponry and martial arts by his master to ensure that he was flexible in battle. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "You take on the centipede and I''ll take on the scorpion" He Li shouted as they charged towards the spirit beasts. The two then headed to their respective opponent. Zi Hua landed of the scorpion''s back and then stabbed her sword through its sturdy armor causing it to issue a piercing cry, the scorpion became furious from the sneak attack that was dealt on it during its fight with the centipede. He Li couldn''t jump on the centipede''s back do it constantly wriggling around so he aimed for the underbelly and gave it a large slash. The two spirit beasts did not notice the two humans due to them being too small and they being preoccupied by their fight. They were furious that they were harmed by two puny ants so the two spirit beasts halted their attacks on each other and began to strike the two humans. The scorpion ejected venomous liquid continuously towards Zi Hua as well as trying to stab her with its tail at the same time, which she both magnificently dodged, she then condensed her spiritual power onto the sword and slashed the air, the air strike hit the scorpion and beheaded it. The centipede spat poison towards He Li and threw an onslaught of its scales, He Li beautifully dodged the scales however was stuck in a dead spot and couldn''t avoid the poison that was spat at him. The fight had caused sand to whip up into the air but thankfully they both had masks to protect their eyes. He tried to move but found that he was locked in place by the scales attack, if he moved he would still be hit with some of the poison and even worse, be cut by the scales. The poison would quickly take into action and corrode his skin, even if he manages to be cured it will take at least a few weeks to recover which will force him to recuperate in the Heaven-defying artifact, going against his original determined plan. 103 Fighting Side By Side 3 Zi Hua had just landed the finishing blow on the scorpion when she saw He Li''s situation and rushed to save him, she used some daggers from her storage ring to deflect the scales and then grabbed him away from the poison by a hair''s breath then continued to avoid the scales until she got far enough and landed on the sand. "Thank you" He Li didn''t dare imagine what would''ve happened if she had not saved him or did not save him on time and got hit with him. "No problem, now we''re even" She didn''t like owing others for too long, now they were even, plus she didn''t want him to get hurt. "Could you let me down please?" It turns out that Zi Hua had followed his example and took him away with a princess carry... "Okay" Zi Hua let him down, however they did not get a breather after that, the centipede continued it''s attacks towards them. "I''ll finish it off, it is my opponent after all" He Li said that and then went back towards the centipede. As if he was injected with chicken blood, he stayed on the ground and swiftly dodged all the attacks and then bombarded the centipede with unceasing strikes until it got diced. "Aren''t you going to get the core?" He Li inquired. "No, I have enough, you can take it if you want" She had enough already. "Thanks" He Li took the cores then headed back towards Zi Hua. "Here, water... what should I call you?" It only occurred to Zi Hua now that they haven''t been calling each other properly. "Thanks, call me whatever" He Li took the water and gulped it down, fighting in such hot weather was rather strenuous. "Then... Xiao Li!" With her magnificent naming sense she decided upon the name pear as play on words to his name! (A/N: Li is pear, so she is calling him Little Pear) "I''ll call you Xiao Hua then" Really a fated couple, both with such brilliant naming senses. The two did not find the two nicknames to be intimate due to their low naming sense awareness. (A/N: Is this a thing? Coz I got told that I have low spacial awareness a while ago, not quite sure what that means but does that have anything to do with getting confused with directions? A while ago, I got lost in the shopping center that I''ve been to like a 100 times already) Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Why do you need those cores Xiao Li?" After battling together, they threw away the initial reserve and distance that they kept between them. "I''ll just sell them when I need money, after all, I can''t sell those things in the Heaven-defying artifact" "Oh, do you need more, I have a bunch that I don''t need?" She really did, her subordinates had to learn to be independent so she never gave the cores that she got to them but couldn''t be bothered to go sell them either. "No thanks, apart from getting money from them, I don''t have much use for them" He wasn''t trying to be polite but really didn''t need them and Zi Hua could tell that so she didn''t continue asking. The two rested until they recovered the energy which they had lost during the battle then continued their journey. "I''ll go set up the tent, here''s the cooking wares" When the sky started turning dark, they stopped and prepared to stay the night. She had automatically gave the job of cooking to He Li after tasting his delicious cooking, He Li didn''t mind since he enjoyed cooking and didn''t find anything wrong with him doing the cooking. Zi Hua went to pitch up the tent and He Li cooked dinner, although Xiao Shen and Xiao Ling felt that something wasn''t quite right with the chores that each of them had, they ignored that feeling since they two were getting closer. Like the previous day, the two cheeky brats returned to their artifacts to give their masters some space. Thankfully, they had stopped early so the temperature was still relatively moderate when He Li finished cooking the food. "Let''s eat!" He called, Zi Hua had just finished pitching up the tent so she headed over. They ate dinner in a peaceful silence, occasionally saying a few words, the silence was rather relaxing especially coupled with the less extreme temperatures since it was transitioning from hot to cold, they still could feel the decreasing temperature though. (A/N: Please go read Chapter 95: Sleeping In The Same Tent before reading the next chapter, sorry there was a mix up) 104 Predicament 1 The two''s hearts were beating rapidly as if it was about to jump out of their chests as they tried to fall asleep. Tonight was especially cold so their bodies instinctively got closer for warmth once they fell asleep and were once again in the same position. However, something disrupted their peaceful rest. Roar! The two instantly woke up and had no time to think about the ambiguous position that they were once again in. Zi Hua hurriedly retrieved the tent into her storage ring, she only had one tent after all, then readied herself to face the stampede. He Li did the same and got his dual swords out. They two used the most ''heroic'' method to defend themselves against the gray wolves that were heading their way... running for their lives. To make sure that they do not get separate the two made sure to stay close together and held hands as they fled, disregarding their close contact. Fleeing would be the most effective way seeing the situation, it would save the most energy. The two turned to the side and found that the wolves were not chasing them but rather, seemed to be running away. Whatever they were running from must be rather ferocious to have an entire pack of gray wolves running frantically away. They soon found the answer, they spotted a enraged caracal-like animal will long teeth chasing after them, unfortunately, the caracal spotted them and diverted it''s attention to the much more delicious looking meal, human cultivators, humans are rarely seen in the desert, making them a delicacy due to the low supply. The caracal was High Stage Saint ranked! No wonder the pack of wolves were running for their lives. The two were only Martial Honors and would have difficulty going against it but more importantly, the sound of battle and smell of blood will attract other spirit beasts, if that happens they wouldn''t be able to defend themselves in their exhausted states after their fight. So they made the best possible choice, fly! (A/N: I bel- ok I won''t, the other day my friend said that my singing sounded like a dying cat T-T Lol) Zi Hua had her flying technique which allows her to fly without using spiritual power and He Li had a artifact from his master that only needed a bit of spiritual power to activate and it would create wings to allow him to fly which was much more efficient than using spiritual power directly. The wings were attached to his back, they were a pair beautiful black feathered wings with purple highlights, his master had an obsession with purple and black due to them being dark colors, the obsession also seemed to have rubbed off on He Li. The caracal roared and bore its fangs towards them from the ground. However, although the two didn''t require much spiritual power to stay afloat, the wind constantly caused them to go off balance and they had to use spiritual power to stabilize themselves by hitting the air with condensed spiritual power. They wouldn''t be able to stay like that for long. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. They have to think up a solution and quick! "Why don''t we fly away?" "That won''t work, it''s hard enough staying afloat, travelling like this will only be wasting our spiritual power" "Then what should we do? We can''t fight it but we can''t fly away, running on land isn''t wise either, we might lose our way whilst escaping or be caught up by it" He Li calmly analysed their situation whilst trying to think of a way to escape. "Do you have any explosives?" Zi Hua won''t be able to use her flame since that may cause a large fire due to its power which may eradicate some spirit beasts, which was not what she wants if she''s going to be executing her plan in the future so the next best option was to light off an explosive in the sky to scare it off. She wouldn''t be worried about starting a fire since vegetation was almost non existence and the specks of fire that would rain onto the sand would be extinguished due to the lack of oxygen. Other spirit beasts will be scared away too and follow their instincts to run away instead of being curious and wondering to see the source of noise unless they weren''t normal. 105 Predicament 2 "Yeah, I''ve got a few" He had a few from the massive pile armaments his master left him. "I''ve got a few too, at the count of three inject some spiritual power into them and light it up then throw them into the sky" The two had transferred most of their weapons into their storage rings so they didn''t need to use the Heaven-defying artifact. A lot was needed to create a explosion and noise loud enough to scare it away. "Okay" He Li seemed to be enlightened and understood what she was trying to do. "1...2...3!" The two inserted some spiritual power to activate the explosives then threw them into the sky. The caracal''s hair stood up and it fled frenziedly, it had been alarmed by the foreign noise since it had never heard anything like that throughout it''s life. "Let''s get going just in case their are any foolish and curious spirit beasts" The two descended and hurried their advance, it was dawn already anyways. However, Zi Hua jinx her words. A spirit beast with a wolf like body, fox like head, bird like beak and an eagle''s wings appeared. It''s fur was the same color as the desert sand, if it wasn''t for it''s brown highlights, it would''ve been mistaken for a gust of sand as it sped across the desert plain. Living up to the name of ''a foolish and curious spirit beast'' the Dune Wolf Griffin naively flew into He Li. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. It''s speed was so incredible that it swept up sand dunes wherever it goes, which also meant that it was much more difficult for it to stop. The Dune Wolf Griffin sat up with his head still dizzy causing it to swing round and round, an extremely cute scene. Seeing that, Zi Hua couldn''t hold herself back and went into fangirl mode, disregarding He Li, with his cultivation he would be alright anyways. "Aww, you''re so cute, come here, let me pet you" Zi Hua gave it a bear hug despite it being almost twice her size. The Dune Wolf Griffin wasn''t like other spirit beasts and had retained a innocent nature so it welcomed Zi Hua''s pestering. He Li who had been thrown aside "..." -_- He could only give a helpless smile upon discovering that he couldn''t compare to a cute spirit beast, but seeing its gullible character, he could only concede defeat, even he was having Zi Hua''s obsession rub off him, whether it was due to the cute spirit beast or because of Zi Hua. ;) "Do you want to bring it along? It must''ve been attracted here due to the noise, bringing it along won''t be too difficult since it''s a High Stage Saint ranked spirit beast, though it seems that it''s still rather young" He Li proposed, he has subconsciously started to care about Zi Hua''s happiness after staying together with her for the past few days. "Yay, if you don''t mind that is, you like furry spirit beasts right?" Zi Hua inquired, she didn''t want him to force himself if he didn''t like spirit beasts. "I''m fine with them, they''re quite cute actually, at least when they''re not trying to eat us like the one before" "Haha, Xiao Sha, from now on, do you want to come along with us?" Zi Hua faced the Dune Wolf Griffin''s shiny eyes and asked. "Woof!" It nodded its head and wagged its tail cheerfully. He Li stood at the side, finding no problem in the name that Zi Hua had given the spirit beast. "Come on then!" Zi Hua got it to stand up properly and it journeyed with them. The still angry three rebelling teenagers - I mean spirit beasts back in the Heaven-defying artifact felt a sense of crisis so they hurriedly went to the screen that Xiao Shen had set up earlier in hopes of them calming down their anger a bit, which projected what was happening outside... 106 Jealous Spirit Beasts What they saw made their eyes go red from rage! Who was that damn dog?! How dare it be so close with their master?! Master, don''t be tricked by it''s innocent appearance, it must be scheming to replace us! Don''t be tricked! Master, why do you let him travel with you but not us?! And who is that stranger with you?! Why are you so close to him?! You are a loner who only has us, the Light Phantom Sect and four, five if you count Huang Qian Yang, friends, since when did you get so close to someone?! They had never seen Zi Hua be close to someone who wasn''t a sly siscon (Anqi Qing Shan), delinquent ojou-sama (Anqi Feng), cross dresser (Tang Zen Zen), black hole foodie (Xue Lian), love-struck fool (Huang Qian Yang), subordinate (Light Phantom Sect), cute shota (Xing Wu Xun) Sadistic Sovereign (Supreme Sovereign/Zi Hua''s master) or them (the three whom she had brought up from babies)! (A/N: Do you all like the beautiful array of nicknames that I had given?) Who was this dude who seemed to be normal, apart from maybe being a bit clueless and slow-witted at times?! Bruh, are you one of the listed characters? If no, better get the hell outta here and leave the chat! The three were fuming! Absolutely fuming! You could practically see the steam rising from their heads, but it wasn''t from embarrassment like that Lovey-dovey couple who they were all so done with, but from outrage. However, they were in the midst of a cold war with their master right now, the first to give in would be the one to lose, for the sake of their master understanding their point they must not take the initiative to approach her for any form of compromising! Plus they were technically under house arrest and couldn''t leave since their master said they can''t follow her. But what if that damn dog take their place in this period of time! T~T Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. What gives it the right you be with THEIR master!? Noo, master, do not be tricked! The three were stuck in the struggle of making decisions... Meanwhile, whilst the three were stuck in their internal battle, Zi Hua and He Li accompanied by Xiao Sha treaded through the desert. Xiao Sha didn''t make a racket and was very sensible, it obediently followed the two whilst wagging its tail joyfully. It was a spirit beast that lived in the desert so it didn''t need much water to survive and its fur was thin so it didn''t get too hot, but the fur was also very fluffy. The spirit beast was very naive, Zi Hua found it to be an oddball, Saint ranked spirit beasts should have rather high intelligence, but Xiao Sha seemed to be no different than a child. Zi Hua had looked for the reason during their breaks and found a scar on its head, it seemed to be a scar from when it was young, which appeared to be the reason for its child-like intelligence. Spirit beasts have excellent healing ability, but low level ones don''t, so the scar could only be explained as an injury during childhood. The injury must''ve been very serious, upon further examination Zi Hua was surprised that it was alive today, normally, if a spirit beast got that degree of injury they would''ve died, especially in this kind of harsh environment, but Xiao Sha had miraculously managed to survive. However, due to the injury having been too serious and long ago, Zi Hua was powerless to help Xiao Sha, though there was the chance that he may recover his memory anyways when he ascends to Celestial rank and acquire a humanoid body. Zi Hua liked how innocent and naive he was now anyways. 107 First Trial For The Couple 1 They traveled across the desert whilst taking stops regularly, Zi Hua like usual, set up the giant umbrella and handed water over to them. "Xiao Li, I think we might''ve headed the wrong way..." Zi Hua said as she studied the map, oops. "Yeah, we did" He Li went to check the direction with the compass. "Now our journey is going to be extended, we could''ve gotten out of the desert in another 2/3 days, we can''t run either since it''ll only exhaust us" "Why do you make it sound like my fault? Both of us were doing the directions!" Perhaps the several hours of suffering in the sweltering heat had gotten to her, she immediately exploded and rebuked when she heard his words. "What? N-no, I wasn''t saying it''s anyone''s fault, I was only offhandedly mentioning it" He Li quickly refuted. "Oh really, offhandedly, huh? Doesn''t that mean that you were thinking about that all this time?" Zi Hua''s anger only rose, Zi Hua was usually calm and collected, even when she had a disagreement with her three spirit beasts, she only sighed helplessly, but her emotions got riled up when she was with He Li or it may have just been caused by the heat. "No, of course not, could you stop trying to complicate the situation yourself?" He Li wanted to calm her down but couldn''t take the chiding lying down, it seems that he had gotten affected by this heat too or was just more emotional while around Zi Hua. "Me complicating the situation? It was you who started this, we shouldn''t be arguing like this but instead be hurrying along our journey" Zi Hua reproached. Under this scorching weather, no matter who you were, after a while, you would burst out in annoyance out of nowhere, it was already really commendable that they had managed to hold out until now, especially with them skipping quite a few hours of sleep the past few days, although they were cultivators and didn''t really need to sleep, they were once regular humans and their bodies had kinda adapted to sleeping. Who knew that their first lovers'' quarrel would be under this kind of situation... "We won''t be arguing like this if we just kept our calm!" He Li rebuked. "Kept our calm? I am calm, its you who isn''t" Xiao Shen and Xiao Ling seeing the perilous situation, organized themselves to execute one their previously planned ''performances''. "Master, please don''t split apart~" "We want to be together for longer~" Call them evil and sly, but they are willing to take advantage of their masters'' love for them to get the two together. The two''s cries seemed to have cooled the two down and look at the circumstances that they were in. Although they had got themselves back together, they hadn''t forgotten about the argument and weren''t willing to just forgive each other yet, only compromise. The two did not want to see their artifact spirits down so they reached a silent compromising point and nodded to each other. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Let''s trace back to where we had split from the right path and then continue our journey" "En" Despite being at strife with each other, their thought process was still on the same track, such affinity and compatibility was rare to see. The two carried on their journey however the previous peaceful silence was replaced by indifference, sensing the change in atmosphere, Xiao Sha became down-hearted, although naive, he could still sense the surrounding people''s emotions just like how human children could. Nobody spoke, not even Xiao Shen and Xiao Ling. They had suffered a blow to their confidence after witnessing their plan not having the affect they had anticipated, they had expected for their masters to immediately make up after seeing their emotional and moving act, but who knew that they had over-estimated their skills in affecting their audiences'' emotions through acting... 108 First Trial For The Couple 2 Xiao Sha followed along with drooped ears and tail, its eyes watery. Although amidst a cold war with He Li due to the argument, Zi Hua had still managed to notice Xiao Sha''s unhappiness despite her own frustrations. "Xiao Sha, what''s wrong?" Zi Hua questioned worriedly. She only got a down-hearted cry in return. "What''s wrong? Are you not feeling well?" He Li noticed Xiao Sha''s state too after seeing that the two had stopped walking. Xiao Sha gave another cry and then nudged Zi Hua and He Li closer together. "Wha- Xiao Sha, what are you doing?!" Zi Hua exclaimed, alarmed. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. He Li was similarly perplexed. Xiao Sha then gave the two puppy eyes, followed by a few more cries, it didn''t want to see the two being at logger-heads with each other anymore. "Do you think..." He Li proposed. "...it wants us to reconcile?" Zi Hua continued the sentence. A wave of silence washed over them... "I/I" The two simultaneously said. "You go first/You go first" "I''m sorry/I''m sorry" The two looked at each other''s eyes then, averted eye contact. Xiao Sha had woken them up from their anger. "I''m sorry, I don''t know what got to me, sorry for lashing out at you like that" Zi Hua apologized. "No, I should be the one saying sorry, I shouldn''t have said that either" He Li quickly denied Zi Hua''s statement. "No, it''s my fault" "No, it''s mine" The two stared at each others'' eyes. "Let''s just say it''s both of our fault then, shall we?" "Both of us were at fault" "Haha" Zi Hua suddenly broke out into light-hearted laughter, as if a load has been lifted off her chest/shoulders. He Li followed. "I never knew that you had that kind of attitude in you seeing your calm temperament" He Li joked. "Neither did I, but I didn''t know you could get angry seeing your quiet temperament" Zi Hua countered teasingly. "I didn''t know either, I guess we brought out a new side of each other" The little argument was actually a blessing in disguise, it not only brought them closer together, it allowed them to not make the same mistake again and communicate in the face of trials instead, after all couples are bound to have a few quarrels, it also brought out a new side of themselves. A side that they would only show each other... It was the first direct emotional confrontation/conflict that they had with anyone, but it won''t be the only first that they would be experiencing together, there will be many more to come... The sound of laughter took the two artifact spirits out of their stupor, the two stared blankly at the laughing pair. They were happy that the two reconciled but... why do they feel some discontentment in their chests? They didn''t succeed so why did Xiao Sha succeed, this is not fair! They need to re-evaluate their plans to improve effectiveness. However, the two didn''t realize that the reason they didn''t succeed was that they didn''t show the degree of sadness that Xiao Sha showed. If they had, they could''ve added practicing acting skills to their agenda. The atmosphere became even better than before and now was a cheerful and joking atmosphere. "Would you like some eye drops?" Zi Hua asked as they walked along. "Coz this desert is supEYEsingly sandy and dry" As you can see the whole farce had also awakened Zi Hua''s bad sense of humor. "Eye drops?" He Li inquired, what were eye drops? Being too desperate to show off her ''brilliant'' joke, Zi Hua had not considered the context and whether He Li will understand it or not. "Do you not get the joke?" "What joke?" "Eye, SupEYEsing?" "What are you talking about? What are eye drops" He Li continued to question, baffled. "*facepalm* Never mind, eye drops are a liquid which you drop into your eyes to get rid of irritation and dryness, it can also have other effects" "Oh" He Li replied, enlightened. 109 Leaving The Desert 1 The two had already reconciled so they didn''t bother about the argument anymore and just got on with their journey happily, it seems that the outburst allowed them to vent their emotions and were no longer unhappy. They slept early that night to make up for the lost sleep, however when they woke up, they were once again in the same position. It was as if their bodies were two magnets attracted to each other. It also repeated the two nights after that, at this point they had gotten used to it and although there''s some awkwardness due to the close contact, they didn''t have that awkward air of ''Nothing-at-all-happened, my-memory-of-the-last-12-hours-has-been-erased'' The two had given up on stopping their subconscious actions, they had explained it to themselves as something caused by the cold temperature at night. After almost a week of wandering around the desert, they were about to exit and arrive in the next biome, so they stopped to make preparations. "The next environment will be extremely cold, even colder than nights here, it could also be classed as a desert since it receives extremely low rainfall, however the climate is even crueler than here, organisms could be frozen alive due to the horrifyingly low temperatures" Zi Hua explained to the mountain bumpkin He Li. (A/N: See what i did there? Or should have it been Cave bumpkin?) "The cold temperatures can crack our skin so I''ve prepared some clothes before hand to protect ourselves from the unrelenting climate" She had made a set for her spirit beasts too so she gave Xiao Zi''s to him. After finding out that their master had acquired travelling companions, the three spirit beasts had decided to observe the two and would sit in front of the screen all day as if watching a slow-progress romance drama. The two had been furious at first when they found that He Li was being so intimate with their master, but upon further thought, they concluded that their master must''ve been lonely since they wouldn''t cuddle with her so she seeked a replacement, hmph, he was nothing but a replacement, he can''t be compared to us! The three used that excuse to comfort themselves. When they heard that the two were going to a cold environment they couldn''t be happier, that dog was adapted to the desert environment so it will be left here, goodbye, master belongs to us! Luckily, they did not know that their master had made outfits for them or else Xiao Zi would''ve been angry enough to vomit blood after finding out that his master gave the clothes that were meant for him to He Li. Like master, like spirit beasts! They were all so possessive of those close to them! But it wasn''t bad since they had the sanity to not do anything overboard and the possessiveness only caused them to care about those around them more. *Growl* The sad growl attracted their attention towards Xiao Sha. "The environment will be difficult for Xiao Sha..." "Why don''t one of us sign a contract with it then?" He Li suggested, it would allow them to bring it along in their contract space. "But we need a beast tamer.." Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. No matter how harmless the spirit beast seems, if they are not tamed their subconscious will attack the person trying to contract it. "I''m a beast tamer" Zi Hua said. "Oh, then... which one of us is going to sign a contract with it?" "I don''t think I can, I''ve already got three" Zi Hua said, distraught. "I''ll do it then" He didn''t want to see Zi Hua so sad. "Are you sure?" She didn''t want He Li to sign a contract with a spirit beast just because she didn''t want to part with it. "Yeah, I''m quite fond of the little guy" He Li gave it a head-pat. "Thank you" Zi Hua was grateful since she could sense that he was trying to help her. "Do you want to sign a contract with Xiao Li so that you can come along with us?" It was important that Xiao Sha was willing. *Woof* Zi Hua got a happy woof as a reply. "I guess that''s a yes then" Zi Hua tamed Xiao Sha then He Li signed a contract with it and brought it into the contract space after bidding farewell. But it wasn''t forever, once they were in a better environment, they could bring him out again. It had not occurred to the two that they could''ve just brought him into the Heaven-defying artifact until afterwards, what''s done is done... They then continued discussing their plans. "The crucial problem is that transitioning between the two hot environments will be too much for our bodies to take" Zi Hua stressed. He Li thought about intently. "What if, as we exit the desert we push heat out from our bodies gradually into the surroundings to cool down our body temperature" He Li suggested, he had thought about that previously as something to do in the desert, but it wouldn''t be very efficient since it''ll run their spiritual power dry but if it isn''t for too long, it''ll be fine. "Great, we''ll do that then, when we''re about to reach there we can change into the other outfit" Zi Hua agreed. "Okay" Zi Hua handed the clothing over to He Li and carried on with their journey. 110 Leaving The Desert 2 When they were about to transition to the snowland environment, the two stopped and got changed in the portable changing rooms, they once again wore matching outfits. But this time instead of black they had white and purple so they could better blend into the snow to act as camouflage. They did what He Li suggested, however, they had underestimated the drastic contrast between the two environments. Unexpectedly, the transition was extremely short and they had to expend more spiritual power than they thought to force out the heat quicker since how much heat is forced out in comparison to the amount of spiritual power expended is not linear. By the time that they had arrived far enough into the snowland environment that their bodies adapted to the temperature, the two were absolutely exhausted! Zi Hua quickly took out two spiritual power replenishing pills and gave one to He Li and ate hers. Although her master told her not take any cultivation related pills, her master wrote in the books that were left behind that as long as the pill does not influence her cultivation it is fine to intake, which meant that she could consume spiritual power replenishing pills. Plus, if she met any danger like this and had to use spiritual power forcefully, it would bring it into the minuses which may be life-threatening. "Xiao Hua, my master advised me not to take any cultivation related pills" He Li said, he had never once taken a pill apart from the ones that heal wounds. "My master did as well but it''s fine to take spiritual power replenishing pills" Zi Hua explained. He Li trusted her and took the pill, nothing happened, so he breathed a light sigh of relief. Zi Hua had done some theorizing and ultimately concluded that their entire selves and cultivation was connected to the Heaven-defying artifact, which explains how it could stop her master''s soul from going into reincarnation. If they intake any cultivation related pills, it may distort the Heaven-defying artifact, so pills that restore spiritual power were fine. The pill could not completely restore their spiritual power but it relieved some of the fatigue due to spiritual power exhaustion. However, taking too much of anything would be bad and it wasn''t good to be greedy so Zi Hua didn''t take any more pills. The two observed their surroundings to make sure that there were no dangers before settling down and setting up a tent to rest. It would be better to have a roof over their heads in the snowy weather. The best choice of action would be to recover their power before venturing out into the snowlands. They had eaten not long ago but were already hungry so He Li started cooking whilst Zi Hua helped him with bits and bobs like cutting the ingredients. "Ouch!" Although Zi Hua did have some cooking experience, after not cooking for so long, she had forgotten some regular occurrences that would happen whenever she cooked, like cutting herself, which was the reason why she often opted for pre-chopped foods. (A/N: Who says ouch? Coz I do... is it weird?) Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Despite being able to handle swords with perfect precision and control she could not understand how to co-ordinate her hands so that she doesn''t cut herself. "Let me see" He Li hurriedly went over to her and lifted her finger up and quickly fed her a Intermediate rank healing pill which immediately closed the wound, he had plenty of healing pills but didn''t want to sell them since it would be better to have too many than too little. Neither of them found their intimate actions and contact peculiar, after all, who would after sleeping in each others embrace everyday for the past few days. 111 Snowlands 1 After eating they each took a shower in the portable shower Zi Hua had placed just outside the tent and after they were done, Zi Hua retrieved it. Zi Hua had a even cozier blanket which she didn''t take out in the desert since it would be too stuffy and take up space in the tent. The two snuggled into the blanket then fell asleep in their usually waking position, the two had both thought that they might as well sleep in that position if they''re going to wake up like that to be as warm as possible. Zi Hua had also brought out a heater which she had prepared beforehand that contained Xiao Hong''s flames but since they had separated the connection with Xiao Hong, once they were exposed to outside air they would diminish within 9 hours. Zi Hua had had Xiao Hong make a few of these for her but not many were made before their argument and Xiao Hong had cut off the connection since it would become burdensome to constantly keep it alight when it was not in close contact with her, which was the reason why Zi Hua had not taken the heater out when they were in the desert. They two soundly slept for a few hours, He Li was the first to wake up but couldn''t bear to wake up Zi Hua so he made breakfast instead after brushing his teeth and washing his face, the tent was rather big so Zi Hua decided to just leave the kitchen wares out so she wouldn''t have to constantly take them out and put them away. As he made breakfast, the aroma woke Zi Hua up. "Morning" She greeted. "Oh, your up, morning" He Li replied. "I''ll come help once I''ve washed my face and brushed my teeth" Zi Hua drowsily said whilst rubbing her eyes. "It''s fine, take your time getting up, I''m almost finished making this" He Li said. "Okay then, thanks" Zi Hua took her time and gave a few yawns and stretches to wake herself up. These past few days have been rather relaxing, it may be due to the change in environment(s) or her argument or because of... He Li... As He Li cooked breakfast he could see Zi Hua''s actions. ''Cute'' He subconsciously thought, without realizing the actual implications of his thoughts. Once Zi Hua finished tidying herself up (A/N: Totally didn''t make it sound ambiguous on purpose), she went over and helped set up the table and bring the cutlery and plates of food to the table. The two ate in silence peacefully and calmly like an old couple. After eating the two tidied everything away, Zi Hua was responsible for putting away the equipment and He Li washed the dishes, he felt that it would be wiser for him to do it or else they won''t have anymore dished left. Zi Hua and He Li sat face to face crossed legged on the ground. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "This is going to be much more difficult than in the desert since although we won''t need to take breaks, the cold will prove to be challenge for us in staying awake" "At least if one us gets the direction wrong due to being half-asleep, we won''t have the energy to fight with how drowsy we will be" He Li joked. "Very funny" Zi Hua rolled her eyes, how can a person with such a bad sense of humor exist, her jokes are much better. (A/N: Yeah, totally) "It''s better than your jokes, at least I understand it" Now he''s done it, he poked Zi Hua sore point, its not her fault that she forgot about the fact that eye drops didn''t exist, when the truth got to her, she had wanted to dig a hole for herself. 112 Snowlands 2 "Hmph!" Zi Hua crossed her arms and turned her head around. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. Seeing her reaction, He Li realized that he may have took things a bit too far so tried to appease her. "Okay, okay, you win, your jokes are better than mine *whisper* even if they make no sense" He Li tried to appease her, although he knew that she was only faking her anger to joke around with him he still didn''t want her to be mad at him. "Good, also what was that last bit, I couldn''t quite hear you" Zi Hua was finally content with his forfeit, she had heard what he said since she was a cultivator and had superior hearing but still asked to put him on the spot. "Nothing, hehe" He said nervously, he had just wanted to tease her with the last bit of his sentence knowing that she will hear for the fun of it but it seems that she was trying to tease him back by putting him on the spot, he now knew what it meant to shoot yourself in your own foot. He shouldn''t have tried to tease her with the last bit but he couldn''t help it since he wanted to see her reaction. "Really?" He could only shakily laugh in reply. "Okay, I''ll stop teasing you now, back to business" Zi Hua knew when to stop since if she carried on it wouldn''t be funny anymore which allowed He Li to breathe a sigh of relief. Neither of the two realized how flirty their conversation was. "These clothes will keep us warm, I''ve got some Beginner rank cores that are fire attributed to keep us warm, we can place these between layers" Fire attributed cores were much more abundant than ice attributed so it wasn''t difficult for her to get a bunch, however they''re aren''t exactly efficient since the energy released per core was minuscule and only a bit of energy was released each time but Zi Hua found them to be a perfect alternative for heat packs. Due to this, Zi Hua had prepared a whole bunch to make sure she wouldn''t run out of them and handed half to He Li. "Thanks, but its better to keep more for yourself, your vulnerable to the cold aren''t you" He Li tried to give some cores back to Zi Hua, he had noticed how to would slightly shiver and bury herself deeper into the blankets and his embrace during the cold desert nights. His thoughtful actions touched Zi Hua but she didn''t take them back, she wasn''t going to indulge in his kindness when knowing that he will suffer if she takes them back, he has to learn to take proper care of himself. But Zi Hua didn''t know that he would only act this way towards her and would only show indifference to others. His master has told him to put himself before others unless he truly cares for the other person, he had always taken his master''s teaching close to heart but his recent actions clearly show the place Zi Hua has in his heart: but Zi Hua didn''t know that. "Silly, do you think I''m that unprepared? Although I forgot to prepare extras of some things I have plenty more of these cores since I didn''t know how long I would have to stay here" Zi Hua replied slightly irritated at his care, if he was so caring to everyone then he would have trouble surviving, she needs him to understand this, plus... she didn''t want him to treat other people like how he treats her. (A/N: He ain''t going to be treating others so nicely coz you''re special~) 113 Snowlands 3 "If you say so then, but if your cold, make sure to tell me" He Li was helpless in face of her insistence. "Stop being so nice! You need to take care of yourself!" She needed to tell him this before he dies by making himself suffer because of her. He Li was stunned stupid at Zi Hua''s outburst. "Are you going to be this nice to every person you meet?!" "At this rate, you might one day get yourself killed?!" He Li broke out of his stupor and hugged Zi Hua, he didn''t want her to carry on like this but he could only think of giving her a hug as a way to calm her down. He could tell that she was only trying to do this out of worry for him... if she was going to do this then he will to. "What about you?" "You''re saying that I''m being to nice? Like you, I''m just afraid that you will make yourself suffer because of me" He gently wrapped his arms around Zi Hua and Zi Hua leaned her head and hands on his chest. "You''re no different, you make yourself suffer so that those around you don''t have to" He Li could tell that she was like that from the past few days of interaction. ''!!!'' Zi Hua finally realized that that was why her spirit beasts were so mad at her and the entire problem. They stayed in that position for a while until Zi Hua spoke up. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Then lets promise each other not to take our kindness towards others too far" "En, but I want to clarify something first, I''ve only ever been this nice to you..." He Li had a impulse to clarify that because for some reason he wanted her to know that she was special to him. He had not even treated Xiao Ling this nicely, talking about Xiao Ling, she and Xiao Shen were still inside the spirit artifacts since they hadn''t called them out this morning since they were eating and it would be awkward for them to just be staring at them eating since spirit bodies don''t need to eat. Zi Hua immediately turned red at the flirtatious words, she didn''t suspect him to be lying since He Li was not the kind of person to spout flowery words. She was embarrassed beyond words, from the fact that she did what she was telling him off more than him and the fact that he-he... Zi Hua didn''t know what to say so she only thought to escape the situation. "W-wait for a bit please, I need to sort something out" Zi Hua quickly disappeared from his embrace without waiting for a reply, pity she did not look up or she would''ve seen He Li''s red face from his own words. We have another contestant in the tomato face competition! He Li knew she had go inside the Heaven-defying artifact so he remained there waiting whilst sorting out his emotions. The first option in Zi Hua''s mind to leave the situation was to go inside the Heaven-defying artifact and resolving her conflict with her spirit beasts was the perfect excuse- no reason, reason not excuse! It didn''t really count as using it right? Since she was only going inside to make up with her spirit beasts and totally not to escape from being flustered. "Master?" The four of them had been watching what was happening and had had Xiao Shen hurriedly get rid of the screen. They tried to act as surprised as possible and managed to bluff it through since Zi Hua was still trying to calm herself. "Xiao Hong, Xiao Bai, Xiao Zi, I''m sorry" Once she regained her composure she quickly went to them and gave them a big group hug. "I''m sorry for deciding things myself and not considering what you guys want, I thought what I was doing was the best for you guys and would protect you but now I realize that I was being inconsiderate and over-bearing, can you forgive me?" 114 Snowlands 4 "Master, we forgive you" They hugged Zi Hua back. "We understand that you were only looking out for us, but you need to allow us to look out for you too" "En" "About Death Canyon..." "Master, it''s fine, since you understand out point now we won''t be stubborn and insist, we''ll stay here for the duration" They couldn''t bare to intrude on the two, although they didn''t like He Li at first but since he had allowed their master to understand their point, he wasn''t that bad. They also found the two to be quite a good match, Zi Hua and He Li now have a total of five shippers, they need to make a couple name. "We won''t bother you anymore, master, you can continue your journey now" Zi Hua had not expected them to chase her out so quick but could only comply or else it would seem like she''s trying to avoid something(/one). She could only go out. Not wanting to delay her journey was half the reason but the other half was wanting to see how they would progress. If the three were on earth, they would be big fans romance dramas. When Zi Hua left the Heaven-defying artifact, she found He Li waiting for her in his previous spot. "Is everything sorted?" He inquired. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "Yeah, my spirit beasts were mad at me and what you said had made me realize the problem so I went to solve our conflict" "That''s great" "En" The two conversed, trying not to remember He Li''s earlier statement. "Let''s get as far as we can before night time, though, we can''t really tell day and night in this place due to the snow storms" "Yeah" The moment they exited the tent, a wave of air mercilessly slashed at them. The tent had blocked out the cruel weather but now that they were faced with it, it became quite overwhelming. Zi Hua quickly retrieved everything into her storage ring. "Xiao Li, where are you?" However, when she turned back around, she couldn''t find him. "I''m here!" He shouted back. They followed the direction of which the shouts came from and found each other. "We can''t see a thing in this weather" "It''s best if we hold hands so that we don''t get separated" The two did not focus on their intimacy since they were in a serious situation. Hand in hand, they went on through the snow blanketed land, they were covered from top to toe, blocking the fierce weather away from them. Crack! "AHH!" The ice beneath their feet had cracked, causing them to fall into a underground ice cave, luckily for them, it was not water under that or else they would''ve ended up as prey to those vicious spirit beasts, due to the cold temperature of the water and their heavy clothes dragging them down. "Are you okay?" Zi Hua asked, she wasn''t going to fall for the same trick twice, last time she hadn''t reacted and was only saved thanks to Xue Lian but this time, upon realizing that it was not water beneath their feet, she used her flying technique and rescued He Li from the fall since he wouldn''t be able to equip his wings on time, she really had to thank her master for giving this technique to her since if not for it, she would''ve hit her back on the ice below them. Flying with spiritual power directly was time consuming since an amount of time would be required for them to condense the spiritual power to get them flying, by then, with the speed that they were fall at, they would''e slammed onto the ice already. 115 Snowlands 5 "Yeah, thanks, I owe-" He Li was about to say ''I owe you one when Zi Hua covered his mouth with the hand that was not holding him to interrupt him. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. "We''re friends, there''s no owing between us, okay?" "Yeah" Zi Hua flew back up and this time made sure that the ice was sturdy enough before stepping down. "What should we do, we can''t let this constantly repeat itself" They might get unlucky and end up in a perilous situation. When it came to flying, they came into the same problem as in the desert, the winds were simply too much for them to stabilize, both of them knew that. They pondered for a long time but could not think of an answer. (A/N: At the point when I was writing this, neither did I, haha) "We aren''t getting anywhere like this, we might as well set out camp, it''s getting late" Zi Hua suggested, just like sleeping, the more you try, the harder it is, they can''t force it, they might as well get a good rest and then they may be able to find a solution. "Good idea" They set up the tent, had dinner, cleaned up and tucked into bed, of course, in their usual position. (A/N: We''re you guys thinking that they would find the solution in the shower? Coz people always get the best ideas there for some reason, Lol) Constantly racking their brains over it won''t do them much good and only stress them out so the best course of choice was to relax, although that sounded easily and was the most logical choice, executing it was another story... They stayed up for quite a while but eventually gave into the cold and fell soundly asleep. The next day, He Li made breakfast but whilst eating breakfast, something pooped into Zi Hua''s mind. ''How could I have forgotten'' Darker areas of ice are thinner so they just have to avoid darker areas, but... the snowstorms make visibility low and they can''t wait for the snowstorms to end before setting out, that would be far too time consuming, she still has to meet up with the Anqi sisters. It seems that their only choice would be to crawl... Zi Hua relayed the idea to He Li. Although it seems that Zi Hua was more intelligent than He Li it was only a matter of experience, they were equally matched when it comes to intelligence. After packing away, they tried Zi Hua''s suggestion, luckily, the gloves prevented their hands from sticking to the ice and freezing due to the cold temperatures. They did not encounter another ice cracking situation as they advanced through the snowlands. Crawling did not significantly decrease their pace since they were pretty slow previously due to the strong winds, crawling seems to even help the avoid some of the wind. But crawling around was humiliating, but fortunately for them, only they were there, which also meant that they saw one of each others most humiliating moments. Much to their relief, the snowlands covered a much smaller area than the deserts, so it was estimated that it would only take them another day before reaching the next environment. After eating, He Li went to wash the dishes and Zi Hua went to shower. However, once He Li finished the dishes and headed outside to where the portable shower was set up, nailed to the ground, thinking that Zi Hua had gone to the bedroom compartment to sleep already. The portable shower was sound proof so that it won''t attract near by animals and Zi Hua made sure that it would be impossible to see inside from the outside so He Li did not realize that anyone was inside. As she showered, she made sure to stay alert to her surroundings just in case a spirit beast approached the portable shower since it was the only one she had brought, duplicating a few more copies of the things had slipped her mind amidst all those things that she had to prepare for the trip. 117 Im Sorry First of all I congratulate you for being able to survive all that cringiness but you won''t need to go through anymore of it. I''m sorry that this kinda came out of nowhere but I''m dropping this novel...Sorry... For the time I''ve been writing this novel I''ve had a lot of fun expressing my ideas and organizing them into a story but I don''t think I''m as much of a writer as I am a reader. I''ve been pondering over this for the past 2 months and finally came to a decision, this isn''t because of the ML situation or anything but purely because I prefer reading over writing. It''s just that reading is more enjoyable for me, but that doesn''t mean that writing wasn''t enjoyable for me, it was but just not as much. Reading through the comments, reviews and even just looking as the view count etc brings a smile to my face, when I had started this novel I hadn''t expected to get this many readers, I''m incredibly grateful for all of this, but I just can''t bring myself to continue this without burning myself out, writing isn''t as relaxing as reading, at least for me. The chapters that you have all been reading were the stockpile that I had written up for volume 2. I''m sorry if any of you felt like you had wasted your time reading this novel that is dropped in the end but at least, I don''t feel like I have wasted my time, this novel has been fun to write but I''m not able to continue it. Thank you for everyone who had waited these two months and I apologize for disappointing all of you. Thank you for voting, commenting, reviewing and just reading my novel. But I''m sorry... Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting. That''s really all I can say. As for the discord server, I''ll keep it open since it''s been fun chatting to the few of you that had joined, I''ll probably make some changes to it though. Feel free to join the server, whether it''s to berate me or whatever... It''s been fun. Server link: https://discord.gg/D2GjKx3