13 Bi Xue, Daughter of the Waters

"Sir Wuji you- You mean to say that you planned for certain Gods, Devils, Sovereign Gods and Divine Beasts to survive? Could it be that you actually desired to aid the Mythical Realm despite what your parents announced that day?"

At the mention of his parents, Logean Wuji fell silent and his face darkened. He ignored the subject of his parents. "I did plan for this. If they all went through with that plan, all hope would be lost and the Primordial Entities would still rule the Mythical Realm. Now, through unity instead of chaotic warfare, the Mythical Realm can be retaken."

Gautama Buddha's glowing face brightened up even more than it already was, illuminating the morning sky from atop the mountain. Any villager looking toward the summit would swear they were seeing the light of a second sun.

"However, that is all I will do. I have already gone against what ...they... wished." Gautama Buddha did not need to ask to know that the 'they' Logean Wuji was referring to were his parents. For some reason, Logean Wuji did not wish to speak on their matter at all.

"I understand, Sir Wuji. With your power, the matter of the Mythical Realm would be over in the blink of an eye, but this would be counterproductive. We, as the inhabitants of the Mythical Realm, have a lesson to learn. With your help, we would only learn to rely on others to fix our idiotic mistakes."

Logean Wuji bit his lower lip and lowered his head. Without trying to, Gautama Buddha had reminded him of something his father said long ago.

He could even hear Logean Zi's voice in his head at that moment saying, 'Wuji, my son, to befriend them is to choose a side; doing so will implement you when the war comes. The Jade Emperor, your mother's benefactor, has received his repayment for what he did to save her that day, and so we have now relinquished our karmic ties. You must remember, there is a lesson in this for us all, but only you are above this. Remember that, Wuji. Promise me you will remember where you stand.'

Fighting tears, Logean Wuji teleported back to the temple on the pond and sat on the floor in meditation. Gautama Buddha could just barely sense a shred of melancholy in Logean Wuji's aura before he returned, so he said nothing and returned to meditation.

Hours passed, then Ye Hong and Ling Ji'er woke up. They were beyond excited, but Gautama Buddha, who had resumed the form of 'Father Tang,' urged them to suppress themselves for fear of bothering Sir Wuji.

They all sat in silent meditation, digesting their gains and consolidating their cultivation bases.

It was only when the sun had dipped beneath the world and the moon eased its light down to the summit that Logean Wuji opened his eyes. This was not because he was finally over it, for he had long since suppressed the sadness in him. He opened his eyes because he felt something far away, an aura that made him smile.

'It's Bi Xue, a daughter of Tethys. Technically, she's Nephele's half-sister and is also the 'champion' of Gautama Buddha. Definitely worth a look.'

Once again, Logean Wuji's presence extended and reached the western coast. There he found a snowy haired, cold-faced girl with bright blue eyes. In the darkness of night, they appeared quite menacing, like a stalking predator in the shadows. She stood where land met sea, allowing the water to rush past her feet and the air to blow against her face and hair.

Bi Xue took a step, and the water seemed to move with her. Each wave responded to her movement, coming either swiftly and violently, or slowly and peacefully. With every breath she took, frosty mist would be expelled into the air before dispersing into it. Logean Wuji was above her in the air, floating with folded legs before the moon.

'She has the blood of Tethys; of that there is no doubt. Still, something holds her back from accepting that side of her.' Logean Wuji's eyes flashed with bright silver, dimming again after he saw what he needed to see about her.

'How troublesome. They are both limiting her.'

Bi Xue was now walking into the sea after having removed her outer garment. Once she was far enough out into the icy saltwater, she stopped and closed her eyes for a bit, feeling the water around her. With every pore, every cell, every atom, her body sensed the water and adapted to it, allowing her to feel less and less discomfort. Instead, she felt more comfortable than she had ever felt in her entire life.

'Remarkable talent. Even with the strain on her soul, she is barely able to force herself to awaken. Also, this energy seems to fall under the variation of Ruling Water, Murderous Frost. Tethys plays favorites.'

At this point, Bi Xue had fully submerged herself under the water, entering into a fetal position. For Logean Wuji, it carried the significance of a new birth for her, if she was able to grasp it. He could sense that she felt the change, but he knew that some part of her was reluctant to shed the humanity she had come to know. She knew that her father would see no end to hardship once it was revealed that his daughter was not truly human.

At that moment, Logean Wuji sighed. This sigh reached her ear under the water, startling her and causing her to blow out numerous air bubbles.

"Foolish child. Am I not Logean Wuji? If I choose to be your teacher in the future, who exists, then, that can cause problems for you and yours?"

Hearing his voice, Bi Xue was beyond ecstatic yet also horrified. This was no mere god, but Logean Wuji. Someone who was suspected, due to the legends, to have long surpassed any known realm of cultivation.

Bi Xue smiled under the water, reveling in the feeling of having an immovable object to stand on. The solidity of that foundation was, only if even for a moment, the reassurance she needed to let go of her reluctance and allow herself to truly awaken.

Just like her eyes, her body and hair began to glow blue and white respectively. As the waves formed, the radiance of her light shone out of the water and filled this part of the sea with a biting cold. Frosty chunks of ice formed around her and even the moving water began to freeze over. Slowly, she let herself out of that position and allowed her body to open up more and more to the waters.

Soon, she was like a lifeless and cold corpse floating on the water, everything beneath her slowly solidifying. Her once pale skin attained a whiteness to it, like snow, yet also retained a slight blueness as well. Somehow, her brows and lips acquired a shade of black that, though contrasted with the rest of her, boosting her charm and mystical beauty even more.

Snowflakes emerged from her breath and danced in the air, lingering until they fell onto the surface of the water then freezing their immediate surroundings.

Logean Wuji watched as the majority of the beach froze over, then turned his attention back to the frosty beauty that did it all. His eyes widened and he smiled, saying in his heart, 'This is the First Flow of Ruling Water, Murderous Frost. Not only did she attain it immediately, she perfected it as well.'

Bi Xue was now standing on the frozen seawater, looking around curiously before she just barely noticed someone in the way of the moon. Sitting in the air was Logean Wuji, who was currently smiling down at her though she could not see.

She found him and bowed deeply, holding that bow for a full minute.

'Mother was right about the Qin Realm. Being my birthplace, it seems it has undergone tremendous changes. It is now the spiritual home of the greatest talents ever to be seen, albeit without their knowledge.'

After ensuring that Bi Xue completed her bow, Logean Wuji vanished from the sky. Bi Xue sat on the ice in contemplation, feeling herself and the world. 'Remarkable. My cultivation has immediately advanced to the First Step of the Divine Qi Realm. If I keep working on controlling this strange energy, I may be able to get to the third of fourth step in time for the talent showcase.'

Thinking thusly, Bi Xue entered meditation and began to work on the energy within her. For now, it was like a stream of flowing water filling her up from within. With consistent effort, that stream would become a river that flowed into the sea, then become a raging ocean that sunk any vessel daring enough to brave it.

While she worked on that, within the village in an abandoned home, Ling Jian'er was sitting in a dark and dilapidated dining room. The table and chairs were old and rotting, large cobwebs everywhere from the ceiling to the floor.

Ling Jian'er was sat on the ground, her palms open and facing the roof, her legs folded. Resting on the ground before was the script 'Divine Elemental's Zephyr Art.' Quite suddenly, her eyes opened and a gale blew from her gaze, causing an old chair to crumble and some cobweb to be severed.

The still air came to life around her, even lifting her from the floor and leaving her levitating in place. She glanced around the room, each object her eyes settled on being attacked by similar gales, each stronger than the last. Chairs were shattered and broken down into splinters by her stare, yet she was still extremely dissatisfied.

'It's took me more than a day to grasp this much. Damnit, I can't afford to fail here! I need to prove Longan Wuji wrong.'

Ling Jian'er, her read hairs blowing about, looked down at the script and refocused on the mnemonic.

'Breath of air, wisp of essence. Word of air, command the breeze. Law of air, control the zephyr. Breath of air, wisp of essence. Word of air, command the breeze. Law of air, control the zephyr.'

The more she contemplated it, the more she felt it grow distant. This only frustrated her more and more, bringing about more trepidation in her spirit. This only made it more difficult for her to comprehend anything.

Unbeknownst to her, someone had appeared in the room with her. It was, of course, Logean Wuji. He had decided to check up on her while he was at it.

'This little idiot. She thinks that with this kind of temperament she can gleam anything spiritual?'

He watched her huff and puff in frustration, blowing destructive gales all around the old dining room. Everything in it was either torn apart or broken. Yet still, she kept growing more and more frustrated and angry.

Logean Wuji shook his head, sighed and prepared to leave. That was when he was reminded of just how strange this girl's character truly was. Just when he was about to dismiss his incarnation in that space and return to Mount Logean, Ling Jian'er said, "You think I care if my temperament is unsuitable!? You will give me what I want regardless! I will not change when faced with some 'Divine Elemental' nor will I change when faced with Longan Wuji himself!"

Logean Wuji was unsure of whether to laugh or cry. He did not have to remain indecisive for long, though, as stronger winds immediately began to blow in the room. He could sense that, after saying that, Ling Jian'er's soul gave birth to a strange pressure that was now bearing down on the scrap of spirituality within that script.

Much to Logean Wuji's surprise, the amount of spirituality in the page grew and grew until it was comparable to that of the original, completed script. This could only mean one thing: Ling Jian'er had gotten the attention of the creator of the art, the Divine Elemental itself.

Misty tufts of air swirled, forming a small tornado in the room. That tornado caused no damage, but it swiftly made its way toward Ling Jian'er, appearing more and more menacing.

Soon, the wind itself changed into something entirely different. It was some form of creature, having the body of a deer, the head of a bird, horns, the tail of a snake, and the pattern of a leopard on it. In its beak was a strange goatskin bag, opened wide, out of which strong breeze blew out and rocked the entire house.

The creature then looked deep into her eyes, speaking without speaking. "Hello, child."

"You finally show yourself, Divine Elemental."

"Please, call me ...Feilian."