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Chapter - 5: Xiao Ning'er
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After slaughtering the fanged panda corpses with my fangs and collecting useful materials—such as the fur, claws, fangs, and demon crystals—I found a tree and began cultivating without wasting a single precious moment.
I had quite a bit of time on my hands, and I had in mind a feature of my cultivation technique that I wanted to explore further, one that I had thought about during my battles with the demonic beasts.
It was also time to learn another cultivation art that would strengthen my physique. I settled into a cross-legged position at the top of the tree where I had taken refuge and began to immerse myself in my soul realm. At the same time, I circulated another cultivation technique.
The Law of Merit of the Rotating Crescent Sun.
This particular Law of Merit uses blood energy to accelerate cultivation; it was thanks to this art that, even though I had focused on my foundations, I was many steps ahead of my peers.
The effect was evident: behind my head, a blurred image of a rotating wheel of light manifested incessantly, and my blood energy began to move within the light. The blood energy flowed like a stream controlled by its current, never stopping.
"Now let's test my theory," I murmured as my Totemic Aspect began to awaken and glow with an eerie and very dangerous light to anyone but me.
Suddenly, the blood energy grew much stronger as a small storm raged uncontrollably within my body, and I could feel my cultivation progressing at a much faster rate.
"I was right! My Totemic Aspect also increases my blood energy!" I said reflectively, as visible excitement began to stir within me.
As I continued cultivating, I focused more intently, and my mind began to dive deeper into my soul realm. I felt my breathing become steady and deep, and soon I reached my Soul Realm.
There, I was confronted with an extraordinary sight: a completely white world stretched out before my eyes, a vast and immaculate landscape devoid of any flaws, with millions of cultivation manuals floating in the air.
These manuals were of every type and size, suspended in perfect balance as if they were part of a grand cosmic design. Some were large and ornate, with richly decorated covers and texts written in ancient characters, while others were more modest and simple, yet equally mysterious.
The view of this place always struck me, ever since the first time I entered my Soul Realm. I didn't know exactly what it was, but it had to be connected to my new body in some way.
As I explored the space, I noticed that it wasn't just the manuals floating in the air. In some corners of this white world, there were also suspended paintings, works so perfect they seemed alive, as if created by a great master.
These paintings depicted figures I had never known, but they radiated an aura of great authority. Each face expressed power and majesty, emanating such a pressure that I did not dare approach.
In a remote corner, on a platform that seemed suspended outside of time, stood a raven entirely black. Its feathers gleamed, and its eyes, which watched me intently, evoked a sense of familiarity.
It seemed like a silent and mysterious guardian, as if it were there to monitor every movement I made... or perhaps something more. I wasn't sure, but it had been there since the very first moment I set foot in this place.
"I'm back," I said, but the raven completely ignored me. "No advice today?" I asked with a half-smile, hoping to break the oppressive silence.
The raven stared at me motionless, its beak slightly tilted.
"You know, a nod, a flap of wings... something? Nothing?" I continued, almost amused by the situation. "I'm not expecting a conversation, but at least give me a hint if I'm on the right track. Don't tell me I'm the only one talking in this place."
The raven, of course, said nothing. It didn't even move. I looked at it with a mock offended expression, but this time it didn't seem inclined to offer any useful advice for improving my cultivation.
"Fantastic," I sighed theatrically. "My only companion on this journey is a bird more silent than a statue. Maybe you could at least flap your wings when I'm about to make a wrong choice."
I analyzed each type of manual until, after an indefinite amount of time, I decided to make a move and grabbed one of the manuals that seemed to float toward me with a smile on my face.
"This should be enough for now, and it's better not to be too greedy," I reflected. "Now let's see what I have to work with." Focusing my Qi in my palm, I let my energy flow through the manual, and all the information entered directly into my mind.
The technique was known as the "Dragon Mammoth Sea-Forming Scripture." In essence, it was a cultivation manual based on visualization. The manual consisted of three images/levels, practicing this manual could enlighten a cultivator on how to break the chains of mortality.
Of course, there were some drawbacks. The user needed to have a deep understanding to grasp the secrets of this cultivation technique, and I was still uncertain about how it would affect my Aspect Totem.
But in the end, this was a minor issue considering that at its peak, the physical body would possess the strength of dragons and mammoths, and one's spiritual power would form an enormous sea.
The best part was that after establishing such an unparalleled foundation, it would be much easier to learn virtually any divine skill, without worrying about compatibility issues.
"This is really a good technique!" I remarked, as I tried to understand the first page of the visualization technique.
"Everyone is bound by chains. Whether in terms of cultivation base or physical body, there are chains of life essence that cannot be broken. I created this technique, not to break the chains, but to gain enlightenment from them!"
Primordial Mammoth:
The first image depicted an enormous primordial mammoth. It looked extraordinarily powerful, strong enough to crush a mountain!
For three hours, my thoughts swirled as I focused completely on the Primordial Mammoth, thinking of nothing else. I let the Qi aura around my body dissipate as I immersed myself deeper into that connection.
I stared at the Mammoth, feeling my body visibly tremble. My Qi and blood flowed at their peak, accelerating in perfect harmony. At that moment, I slowly felt my physical body growing stronger, not only that but also my Aspect Totem.
"So, I should breathe deeply and not rush," I hummed, interrupting my cultivation. I then jumped down and headed towards the open plains filled with fanged panda corpses and tusks.
It was better to be quick before any silver tigers around decided to feast on the bodies of the demonic beasts. I decided to return to Glory City. I was too excited to stay still.
After all, I might very well reach the silver rank that night, thanks to my battle with the Demon Spirit. As I approached the entrance, I leapt onto a large clearing, and my eyes caught sight of a brilliant cyan glow below me.
Intrigued, I turned as I landed and looked down into the clearing bathed in the cyan-blue glow of soul force and moonlight.
"Oh, from the looks of it, they're almost breaking through to Bronze Rank," I immediately noticed. I looked closely at the person in the center, her body almost completely hidden by her soul force.
My eyes widened slightly with interest when I saw a young, beautiful face framed by long, shimmering orange hair. "Xiao Ning'er?" I asked with a very interested look.
Well, one couldn't deny that she was diligent in her cultivation, out here cultivating in the training area right now.
"Why is she out here?" I wondered, furrowing my brow and looking at the moon for a moment. It was certainly no secret that females produced Yin Qi more abundantly than males.
Cultivating under the moonlight was a method to increase the production of Yin Qi, which was better for demonic spiritists than the snow wind. From what I knew, Xiao Ning'er and her family didn't use that type of cultivation.
What a strange situation...
I watched the figure of the orange-haired girl with some interest, clearly seeing the pain she was enduring to continue training.
"A rare talent," I thought, as I wondered if it was worth helping her. After all, I had no obligation, and I certainly wasn't the type to help a girl just because of her beauty or anything like that.
But I had an interesting offer in mind: if she was willing to accept it, she would be very smart and would thrive with me. If she refused, we would part ways and have no further connection between us.
[Interlude]
Xiao Ning'er Pov
I focused on my cultivation with all my might, feeling the icy chill coursing through my body and the burning pain in my feet, which made the training incredibly difficult. Despite it all, I continued to persevere with no intention of stopping.
I had been there for hours, near the entrance to the training area where demonic beasts knew not to venture. They were beasts, yes, but the more powerful their soul force, the more intelligent they became. They knew well that powerful deamon spiritualists guarded the gates and that they would be killed if they came too close.
This was the only time I could cultivate. During the day, my time was monopolized by the arrogant Shen Fei, who always tried to be around me, and by my family, who kept convincing me that marriage was the best solution for everyone.
Night was the only time I could focus on my cultivation, undisturbed by anyone. It was precisely because of this that I had become so strong, so I wouldn't have to submit to anyone!
With all my being, I refused to become Shen Fei's woman in this life or the next. If it weren't for my father, the elders of the Winged Dragon family would have already given me in marriage to that arrogant person from the Sacred Family, asking me to... satisfy him.
It was common for girls my age to marry. Especially for someone like me, whose development had been accelerated by elixirs since childhood. I was only thirteen, but I knew very well that my body and mind were far more mature than most girls my age.
Not only was I the most developed girl in my class, but also in terms of innate talent, I was far superior to everyone, even Ye Ziyun, who was the closest among us to reaching the Bronze Rank.
The pain in my feet intensified, and the aura of my cultivation wavered, extinguishing like a candle in the midst of a storm. "Ah!" I gasped, falling to my knees as I struggled to endure the increasing pain that felt like thousands of ants biting my feet.
"What is happening to me?" I thought, bewildered. I had been suffering from this sudden condition for months, and no one in my family knew what it was or how to help me. In fact, my clan wanted to keep my condition a secret to avoid diminishing my value before the marriage!
Tears began to flow, "It's not fair!" I screamed inwardly. All I wanted was to be free, to make my own choices in life.
I didn't want to become that arrogant Shen Fei's sexual slave! What madness, I at least wanted to choose the man I would love!
Was it really too much to ask to not feel like a bird trapped in a cage? And to have the chance to decide my own destiny?
"Looks like you're way ahead, huh?" commented a familiar voice idly from above.
"Who's there?" I asked cautiously, ignoring the pain in my feet. I sprang to my feet and summoned my dagger from the spatial ring, grasping the silver blade in my hand as I looked up, ready to fight.
When I saw his face, I was confused. It was Li Ming! The boy who had everyone talking on the first day of class after reaching the five-star Bronze rank that very morning.
Li Ming was lounging lazily on a tree branch above me, with an indifferent look. He wore loose black pants, cinched at the waist by a red sash with images of dragons, and red protective gloves around his arms. An imposing figure, especially under the dim light of the night, which made his violet eyes glow.
"Li Ming?" I stared at him, surprised. "What are you doing here?" I asked, lowering the dagger.
"I was about to collect the spoils from my demon beast hunt when I saw you," Li Ming replied with a smile.
I felt a twinge of jealousy at his casual confidence. It seemed like nothing bothered him, and his extraordinary talent certainly gave him the right to feel that way. People often judged the color of one's soul force, seeing it as an indicator of potential.
But what could be said about Li Ming, who, with his red soul force, had already reached the Bronze rank at thirteen years old? A prodigious talent that even overshadowed Ye Mo, considering he was a poor orphan without access to elixirs and advanced training tools.
Something clicked in my mind, reminding me of his earlier words. "What do you mean by 'you're quite advanced'?" I asked. I was close to breaking through to one-star Bronze rank, but I didn't think it was something that would impress him.
Li Ming didn't answer immediately, his violet eyes slid over my body, stopping first at my chest, then my hips, and finally at my legs, covered only by a pair of tight shorts.
I felt a nervous tic in my eye and snapped, "Don't look at me like that!" It was so frustrating how men spent more time staring at my chest than looking me in the eyes.
"Do your feet burn?" Li Ming asked, ignoring my outburst. "Do they hurt every time night falls?"
My golden eyes widened in shock. "What?" I whispered incredulously. "How… how do you know?"
"I counted on my fingers," Li Ming replied with an amused smile. "You're too developed for a thirteen-year-old girl." His gaze flickered back to my chest, and it took all my willpower not to cover myself with my arms.
"It's probably because of all the elixirs they've made you take to mature your body, accelerating your cultivation during puberty. This led to an excess of Yin Qi, especially in a girl who already produces more Yin than boys."
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Marvel: I'm Spider-Man in this Damn Reincarnation: 3 advanced chapters
Osmosian Sorcerer?: 3 advanced chapters
Son of Li Qiye?: 3 advanced chapters
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Chapter - 3: Home - Chapter - 4: Interlude - Chapter - 5: A Universe of My Own
Chapter - 14: Magix - Chapter - 15: Bloom - Chapter - 16: Demon Sorcerers
Chapter - 6: Wind Lightning Emperor Inheritance - Chapter - 7: Hobby - Chapter - 8: New Hunt
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