23-26

Chapter 23: Lifebound Weapon

Bing Meilu sat, calmly sipping tea. She sat on a plush couch, Zhang and Xia Xuefeng both at her sides. The two both had nervous expressions on their faces.

They were in the Wing Masters' office, waiting for her to arrive.

It was nearly an hour before she did.

A tall, white-haired woman strode through the door, ornate blue robe emblazoned with gold filigree in the shape of flying birds.

Her cultivation was high enough Bing Meilu couldn't sense it with her meagre Qi Condensation spiritual sense, but the strong, fiery aura was unmistakably that of an alchemist, as most in the lower world were under the impression only a Pill Flame could refine Alchemical products.

Her eyes landed on Bing Meilu, narrowed.

The Wing Master gave a polite smile, taking a seat behind a desk and facing the three of them.

"Greeting young miss. I wasn't aware that Prime Elder Hai Yu had taken a disciple."

It was a secret," Bing Meilu confirmed. "Once I was strong enough she planned to reveal me at a large tournament of some kind."

The Wing Master nodded. It wasn't an unrealistic story, old timers could be quite dramatic with how they announced new disciples.

"Sadly she died before such a thing could become possible," Bing Meilu continued, sighing. "But I trust my knowledge of the Grand Xia Frozen Matrix should be enough to confirm my identity? Prime Elder Hai Yu would only teach such a thing to her legacy disciple, after all."

"Of course," the Wing Master confirmed.

She waved her hand and an Identity Token appeared upon Bing Meilus's lap.

The girl grabbed it, peeling a pinprick as it took her blood. The token glowed as it registered Bing Meilu's identity as a member of the Twelve-Headed Avian Sect.

"Sadly, in a fight, I lost my spatial ring, so I have nowhere to keep my identity token," Bing Meilu commented.

The Wing Master immediately gave her a spatial ring of the fifth rank, and Bing Meilu thanked her, storing away the token with a wave of her hand.

"Since the tragic destruction of the Moon Crying Swan Palace, surviving disciples have been given the chance to transfer to any of the other branches," the Wing Master commented. "Is there anywhere you wish to go?"

"Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada," Bing Meilu answered.

It was the number one branch of the Twelve-Headed Avian sect. controlling the very tip of the Bird Talon Continent. They had also taken over Moon Crying Swan Prefecture after the destruction of the Palace, so they would be flush with Yin-related artifacts. They were the obvious choice.

"I see, then I'll make sure to send a message to them and have them come pick you up," the Wing Master commented.

"This girl here is Xia Xuefeng, " Bing Meilu commented. "She was also a new disciple of the Palace."

The Wing Master turned to look at Xia Xuefeng with a raised eyebrow.

"Does she have her identity token?"

"I'm afraid she also lost it," Bing Meilu replied, sipping her tea.

The girl in question had begun to fidget nervously as the gaze of the Wing Master pierced her.

"A second unknown disciple who happened to survive the destruction without an identity token or spatial ring?" the Wing Master commented wryly, turning to stare at Bing Meilu suspiciously.

"Yes."

"Does she also have any unique secret techniques to confirm her identity?"

"My junior apprentice sister walks the unique Dao of Blood, so her techniques are a little different compared to the normal disciple."

The Wing Master rolled her eyes and Bing Meilu frowned, unused to such open disrespect from a mortal.

It was obvious the alchemist thought that Xia Xuefeng was not actually a disciple, just someone Bing Meilu had picked up and promised a fake identity in return for something.

"I'm afraid that without an Identity Token, I can't confirm her as a member of the Moon Crying Swan Palace," the Wing Master said. "I can make an exception for you because of The Prime Elder's face, but the protocol does need to be followed."

"Very well," Bing Meilu said. "I'm sure she'll be able to pass the Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada's recruitment exam anyways, though such a thing is a waste of time given she was already a member of the Twelve-Headed Avian Sect."

"I'm sure," the Wing Master snorted. "I've sent a messenger jade to an Elder of the Gulper Armada, who'll be here to pick you up in three days' time. I'm sure he'll let you bring those two with you. In the meantime, feel free to stay at our humble academy. If you need anything, ask the Guard Captain."

With that, the Wing Master vanished, leaving the three alone.

Xia Xuefeng heaved a sigh of relief, rubbing her brow.

"Mistress, was it really necessary to lie to her like that?" she asked, face pale and nervous.

"It was worth a shot," Bing Meilu said. "And also, don't say such things aloud. She's probably still listening to us with her spiritual sense."

A slight smile graced Bing Meilu's normally impassive face. It went to show Xia Xuefeng was still unused to the cultivation world if she assumed they couldn't be heard just because the Wing Master had left the room.

Xia Xuefengs already pale face became even paler, her eyes widening nervously. Bing Meilu and Zhang both chuckled lightly.

"It's fine," Bing Meilu waved her hand to calm down her servant. "With my identity, she won't do anything."

Suitably calmed down, the blood cultivator followed her mistress as the three of them exited the Wing Master's office.

---

"Icelight Jade, one pound. Whispering Nettle, three needles. Blood Burst Ginger, two bulbs, three meridian clearing pills and two meridian opening pills- " Bing Meilu said.

She and her two followers were in the storage of the Bluewing Alchemy Academy, Bing Meilu taking full advantage of the Wing Masters' hospitality to acquire anything she felt she needed. That included cultivation and alchemical resources, several magical treasures and talismans and more. She had gathered a few of the items needed to heal Zhang's meridians too.

She didn't take too much, not because she was afraid of overstepping her welcome, but simply because most of it was useless garbage to her. The more she took from the Bluewing Alchemy Academy, the more connected she was with them, and the more karma she would incur. Therefore, aside from any objects she thought would be extremely useful, enough to justify the cost, she left them.

It was best to keep the lightest karmic connection possible in preparation for the Deathless Realm, where she would sever her Karma and surpass the natural laws of heaven and earth.

"That will be all," Bing Meilu said, as one of the Bluewings fetched her requested items.

With that done, she returned to Greenwind Pavilion. Xia Xuefeng was given enough money to buy whatever blood she needed to cultivate, and Zhang was told to focus on recovering his vitality.

They had three days till the Gulper Armada Elder arrived, and Bing Meilu planned to make strides in the meantime.

---

"Whad'ya want?" a gruff older man asked, staring at Bing Meilu skeptically.

"I need to borrow your forge."

"...For what?"

"To forge something."

"You plan on forging something?"

The old blacksmith gave a skeptical look to the small girl before him. She was slender and without muscle, with flawless unblemished skin. Obviously, she was a sheltered noble of some kind, who had no experience with the harness of physical labour. not to mention being both a child and a woman.

"Look girly, I don't know what silly fantasy novels you've read, but a forge is dangerous. You're dealing with bellowing fire and red hot metal. Injuries are very common, even for trained men. I can't in good conscience lend it to a small child-"

Bing Meilu held out a small trinket. It was a jade dagger covered in glowing runes, one of the items she had taken from the Alchemy Academy, a flying dagger.

"I-is that a magical treasure?" the blacksmith said, eyes wide.

"It is. Imagine how much your forging technique could improve if you were to spend some time studying this item. You might just become the best mortal blacksmith in the whole city."

At this point, the blacksmith's intense eyes were completely focused on the dagger.

"How long do you need? " he gasped.

"Just a few hours," Bing Meilu said. "You can study the item while I use your forge."

"..Fine-But I'll supervise you and if you look like you're about to hurt yourself, I'll intervene."

"No. I'll need privacy." Bing Meilu said.

As the blacksmith hesitated, his greed and moral concern warring, Bing Meilu gave the deathblow.

"If you're not interested in the deal, I'm sure one of your competitors would love the chance..."

"I agree," he hastily said. "But it's not on me if ya hurt yourself!"

"Naturally. I shall be fine."

---

Bing Meilu sat alone in the forge, holding three needles of whispering nettle, a plant whose Yin Qi could cut through the souls rather than the body.

Bing Meilu planned to forge a Lifebound artifact. Normally these could only be made during the ascension to the nascent soul realm, where a cultivator gained the power to wield their soul. However, Bing Meilu knew that a life-bound artifact forged when one was weaker would be all the stronger than one forged later. If she took one with her from Qi Condensation to the higher realms, it was unimaginable how powerful it might end up being. Only a reincarnated immortal like Bing Meilu would have the knowledge and prowess to do such a thing in the first realm of cultivation.

Therefore, she would have to slice off pieces of her soul far earlier than was healthy. So long as she quickly reached the nascent soul realm, the damage could be healed. If she took too long her soul would stay permanently damaged.

"it's worth the risk," Bing Meilu calculated. "Having a higher combat prowess will let me contest for more resources to cultivate faster.

I'm basically taking a loan from my Nascent Soul future self, but I should be able to pay it off just fine!"

It was unknown how many cultivators would be shocked by Bing Meilus's unhesitating decision to mutilate her own soul for power, something extremely taboo and risky, but that was precisely why she'd ascended past the Bird Talon Continent to Immortality and none of the others had. Only the decisive, those willing to take risks could become powerful in the long term. In a gamble against heaven, only one's own life was a large enough wager to win! The risk-averse might not lose as quickly, but they'd never win either.

Bing Meilu drove the three whispering nettles directly into her Dantian, face cold and unmoving besides a small wince, even as the Yin needles tore slices through her soul. The pain was unimaginable. No physical would ever compare to the pain of the soul.

After a moment, she pulled out the three whispering nettle needles. Each one glowed with a slight blue-white light- fragments of Bing Meilu's soul.

Bing Meilu took out from her spatial ring multiple materials. Various metals, herbs, animal parts and others. They were all meticulously calculated to be the best base she could create for her soulbond weapon.

She began by placing a pound of Icelight Jade into the blacksmith's furnace, feeding charcoal into it, and watching the flame grow hotter and hotter.

Still, the Jade did not begin to melt or soften.

It was discovered by the Moon Crying Swan Palace, well into Bing Meilu's first life, that Icelight Jade, which was unable to be refined by fire, could be used to forge items, where previously it was only carved into various boxes to help store spiritual pills.

"That which is done by Yang, can be done by Yin. The Liangyi are not opposites but are born from each. That which can be refined by fire... can be refined by ice!"

This was the discovery of the Moon Crying Swan Palace that had let them learn to refine previously unusable materials.

Bing Meilu's incredibly pure Yin Qi flooded the forge, causing the flames to turn into a strange white ice-fire.

As this happened, the Icelight jade finally began to melt, not by heat but rather by cold. Such a queer and strange technique was the result of the studying of countless years and incredibly precise formulation, and Bing Meilu was glad to stand on the shoulders of giants.

Through several hours of work, Bing Meilu forged, adding in various materials, shaping, carving and hammering until she was finally done. Lastly, Bing Meilu inserted the three Whispering Nettle needles, gasping as she felt a strong spiritual connection form to her new life-bound weapon.

"It's done!"

Chapter 24: The Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada

Long ago, the Lord of the Great Flock and the many demonic birds that followed him were slain in a cataclysmic battle.

The corpses of the many birds of his flock slowly became the foundation for the birth of the Great Flock Realm.

Within said realm were countless worlds, each formed from a particular ancient demon, such as the Golden Eagle World, Giant Dove World, or the Jade Sparrow World that Bing Meilu currently occupied.

Upon said world were five continents.

The Bird Talon Continent was ruled by the Twelve-Headed Avian Sect.

The Bird Beak Continent was ruled by the Migrating Flock.

The Sparrows Tail Continent was ruled by the Gold-Jade Nest.

The Shattered Shell Continent was ruled by the Kunpeng Emperor's Hold.

Finally, the largest and most important continent was the Jade Wings Continent, which actually consisted of two landmasses, a west and east wing. Said continent was fought over by the top four sects in a constantly flaring and receding war.

Naturally, in her first life, the Twelve-headed Avian Sect had dominated upon Bing Meilu's ascension to immortality. Though such petty mortal infighting was generally supposed to be below an immortal, it would be a loss of face for her if she couldn't even ensure the sect she came from dominated its world.

However, there was already a large difference between Bing Meilu's interactions with the Twelve-Headed Avian Sect from her first life. This time, she would not be a member of the Moon Crying Swan Palace. Instead, she had to join the Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada.

Standing in front of Bing Meilu and her two followers, was a tall fearsome-looking man. His body was muscular and huge, with nasty scars covering his face. Given that cultivators had a great deal of control over the appearance, they had either been left intentionally or had been such a severe wound that even cosmetic pills could not hide them.

He wore loose-fitting white robes emblazoned with golden dragons and flying pelicans.

From Bing Meilu's knowledge of the Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada, such robes marked him with the rank of Strike Force Commander, the Armada's equivalent to a Core Elder of the Moon Crying Swan Sect, two ranks below Bing Meilu's master had been. Theoretically, this made should make them of equal seniority within the Twelve-Headed Avian Sect but...

Bing Meilu sighed, before giving a quick bow.

"Junior Bing Meilu greets her elder," she said.

Given her 'master' was dead, her sect destroyed and her cultivation base so low, there was no way she could get away with treating the man as an equal. Bing Meilu had been in her mortal body long enough to have gotten decently used to bowing to her lessers.

"You're Prime Grand Elder Hai Yu's disciple?" he asked. "My master, Fleet Admiral Yu Houyi was good friends with her."

"I naturally have heard many good things about the fleet admiral," Bing Meilu said.

"Such as?" the man raised an eyebrow.

Bing Meilu paused. It appeared he was testing her? He might have some suspicions she was not who she said she was, as was expected. What did she remember learning about the Fleet Admiral from her Master?

"Master would often praise the Fleet Admirals' completion in the Six Whale Felling Spears," Bing Meilu said confidently.

"...What?" the man said with shock. "You- How did you know that?"

After a moment of shock, he quickly composed himself. Whatever suspicions he had, would likely have been erased, Bing Meilu thought.

"Whatever let's head to the Port," he snorted.

He raised his hand and suction force pulled Bing Meilu, Xia Xuefeng and Zhang towards him. With a flash, the man took off through the sky, the three lower-level cultivators pulled after him by a whirlwind.

---

Several hours later, the four of them landed atop a hill overlooking a massive port city. She wasn't personally familiar with it but knew enough about geography to recognize it as being Sky Spear City.

Already, Bing Meilu could feel much richer spiritual qi filling the air. As the top-ranked branch of the Avian Sect, the Armada's Sky Swallowing Prefecture was the best of the twelve prefectures, being the very southern tip of the bird talon continent, which held the most resources and power.

"This is Xiao City," the Commander said. "It's the nearest city to Snake Port, so if you want any mortal items, this will be where you go,"

'Xiao City? Why did I remember the wrong name?'

Bing Meilu's memory of her time in the Bird Talon Continent were the most faded of all her memories, as her cultivation had yet to be high enough to truly memorize all details, so it wasn't unusual for her to have remembered wrong, but something about the wrong name bothered her.

With another short flight, they arrived at an isolated compound at the edge of the waters.

"This is Snake Port, one of the Armada's Twelve Ports," the Commander continued his explanation.

The Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada was responsible for controlling and defending the Bird Talon Continent waters, from pirates, and demon beasts to foreign invasions, any matter pertaining to the sea fell under the control of their many fleets.

The 'real' sect existed only in the ocean, aboard their many ships, demon beasts and magical islands. These mainland ports were essentially the 'Outer Sect' portion of the Armada, which made Bing Meilu frown.

While this was technically the normal starting position for a new disciple, it was actually pretty unusual. Given her perceived status as a grand elder's disciple, she wasn't wrong to expect a higher starting position.

Then again, the Armada was the closest to a mortal army of any of the Twelve branches, so perhaps their lack of nepotism was explained by that militaristic mindset in which all backgrounds were equal?

In the end, it was a minor issue. Bing Meilu could rise through the sect the normal way, even if she would start at a lower position than she'd expected to.

"When is the next general disciple examination held?" Bing Meilu asked. "My junior sister needs to become a disciple as well."

"In a few months, the first day of the new year," the man responded. "That building over there is the Recruitment Hall, which is in charge of new disciples."

With that, the man abruptly vanished, leaving the three of them standing alone in the unfamiliar compound.

Bing Meilu would never say that her eyebrow twitched in annoyance at the man's attitude. Even if she was in Qi Condensation, she was the disciple of his own Master's friend, shouldn't he be a little more polite and outgoing to her? Let alone give her a privileged starting position, it seemed he didn't want to even bother showing her around the sect!

"Fine then, let's head to the recruitment hall!"

She strode towards said building, eyes scanning the unfamiliar compound.

Once inside the hall, Bing Meilu strode towards the counter, behind which were several older disciples.

---

The following were several boring hours of formalities and explanations. Bing Meilu's identity token was updated to reflect her status as a disciple of the Armada, she was dressed in a new plain white robe, given a map and primer explaining the basics of the Armada's structure, and set off to the communal living quarters for the lowest level disciple like her.

Once inside of her small new house, she was immediately questioned by Zhang.

"How goes your medicine for my damaged meridians, miss?" the withered man asked, voice weak.

"I already have around half the needed ingredients," Bing Meilu said. "The rest are specialized items only found in Moon Crying Prefecture. I'll need to be in Core Formation to retrieve them."

At this Zhang inhaled deeply in despair.

"So I'll be stuck like this for...decades?" he said despondently.

Bing Meilu snorted.

"Give me three years, five at max."

"...What? Are you joking with me?" Zhang said, voice becoming slightly angry.

"No."

The man's eyes bulged with anger, but he calmed himself down.

"And how exactly do you plan to do that? Such a thing is unheard of in the continent's history!"

"Easily."

At this the man just directly face-palmed, giving up on the line of conversation.

"Xia Xuefeng, go find a good source of blood for your cultivation," Bing Meilu ordered, turning her head to her female servant. "I'll be cultivating in the home for the next few weeks or so."

Bing Meilu planned to directly reach Foundation Establishment before doing anything else. Until then, she would keep her head down,

---

Bing Meilu sat within her home in mediation, slowly cultivating her Crystal Providence Absolute Tome, Icy Yin Qi thickening and condensing in her Seventy-Two Apertures.

With the Rich Spiritual Qi of the lowest tip of the Bird Talon Continent, in only four days she had already reached the sixth stage and was close to the seventh. Her door suddenly flung open and a young, fat man swaggered inside, wearing the same robes as her but with a red dragon badge upon his heart.

"Greetings newbie," the man sneered. "Now that you've joined the-"

A spear of ice ripped through the air so fast it seemed to simply pop into being, stabbing through his stomach and pushing out to the other side.

The fat disciple wheezed in pain, the air forced out of his lungs as he fell to his knees.

"What faction are you from and what cultivation level is your leader?" Bing Meilu demanded, not even having opened her eyes.

Another ice spear appeared, floating silently by the man's neck. The threat was clear.

Like many sects, the Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada allowed and even encouraged heavy competition and combat between its lower-level disciples. This relatively safe combat allowed them to sharpen themselves before having real outside dangers and motivated members to cultivate harder. As such, many disciples formed factions to extort and press-gang others for money and power.

"The Crimson Dragon Faction!" the man shouted in a mix of rage, shock and pain. "Our Boss is at the fifth stage of Foundation Establishment! Yo-You're dead for attacking me!"

"Tell your boss that we'll duel in two weeks," Bing Meilu said, still calmly cultivating in lotus position with her eyes closed. "When I win, I'll be taking over his faction. Until then, make sure it's known any thug to come near my home will receive a spear, but next time I'll be aiming for the head!"

A wave of ethereal water flowed from Bing Meilu, sending the man flying dozens of feet, back slamming into a tree with a loud crack, his disembowelled stomach and entrails splashing blood all over the grass.

'Getting to just peacefully cultivate for days at at a time is such a refreshing experience,' Bing Meilu sighed wistfully. 'I hadn't realized how much I missed it! Travelling can be fun, but nothing beats a relaxing session of meditation!'

---

Xia Xuefeng walked through the Snake Port Compound, looking for the market. She arrived, walking over to a shop that seemed to sell animals.

Stepping inside she saw cages containing rats, snakes, chickens and all sorts of animals. A middle-aged man sat behind a counter, reading with tiny glasses.

Having been so excited to start cultivating she had yet to read here turned to her, noticing her lack of disciple robes.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm uh, the servant of a disciple," Xia Xuefeng nervously admitted. "But I plan on joining when the next trials are held."

The man rolled his eyes dismissively.

"Well good luck. What does your master need?"

"Just, uh, fresh animals for blood?" she said.

"What's your budget?"

"I should have a few dozen silver?"

The man paused, looking at her strangely.

"...Silver? Girl, this is a Cultivator Sect, not a mortal bazaar. We only take Sect Points or Spirit Stones."

"Oh..."

Xia Xuefeng didn't think she had any of those.

"Um, how do I get Sect Points?"

"You can't. You don't even have a disciple medallion. Your master should have given you his if you're going shopping for him."

"Is there no other way for me to buy some animals?"

The girl needed animal blood for her cultivation, and she didn't want to disappoint her mistress.

Perhaps some of Xia Xuefengs desperation showed through because the man's face softened slightly.

"You said you just need blood? You can try hunting wild beasts in the forest. Don't go into any of the marked areas until you have a high enough cultivation."

Nodding, Xia Xuefeng thanked the man before heading out. It took nearly thirty minutes of walking to reach the nearby forest from Snake Port.

The girl aimlessly walked around, looking for wild animals.

As she walked, she suddenly turned around, a dangerous feeling welling up from within her.

A moment later a large wolf, nearly the size of a cow burst through the shrubbery. Its eyes glowed red and a black fog poured from it.

"A demon" Xia Xuefeng murmured, eyes wide.

Her stance widened, blood-red qi swirling around her.

Xia Xuefeng Interlude 2

"You can do this!" the young girl psyched herself up.

She had to kill the wolf if she wanted to cultivate. Bing Meilu had told her to increase her cultivation and there was no way she'd let the girl down! This was Xia Xuefeng's chance to prove herself to her mistress, that she could be useful even without the girl's direct oversight.

The wolf growled at her threateningly, black smoke wafting from its mouth. Perhaps an ordinary cultivator might find such a sight-threatening but...

"Compared to the demons from the Flesh Mountains... it's pretty cute,' she thought. 'If I didn't need the Blood Qi I might have tamed it.'

Within Xia Xuefeng's Dantian Ten Blood Crosses began to rotate, releasing a wave of rumbling, powerful Qi. With a thought. the crimson Blood Qi poured through her meridian system, saturating every cell of her body. It was a pure expression of raw power, utterly lacking in technique. A blood-red glow surrounded her body as some Qi leaked out. A low noise, like the howling of ghosts or the screaming of tortured souls, filled the air.

All of the girl's previously usable magical techniques only worked with her old cultivation manuals Yang Qi, and the only blood-based magical techniques she knew, which came from the Anthem of the Crucified, required a higher cultivation base. so she had to get by with this unrefined, raw Qi manipulation,

Before her the wolf demon tensed, sensing the danger. Its own cultivation was equivalent to the seventh level of Qi Condensation, but with the physical body of a demon, it was multiple times stronger than the average human of the same level. Yet despite the fact the human before it was merely in the fourth level of that realm, its strong predator instincts informed it of danger.

The wolf slowly retreated, resolving to find easier prey-

Xia Xuefeng burst towards the wolf, lashing out with a kick. The wolf leaped sideways, dodging.

Immediately it retaliated, bursting forward to bite down on the girl's leg. A second kick lashed out, connecting this time, and the wolf's head was knocked aside with a crack.

Blood leaking from its ear, the wolf began to furiously retreat, running away at full speed.

Xia Xuefeng cursed and she began to pursue her prey. Legs enhanced with even more Qi, she dodged and weaved through the forest like it was a playground, swinging on branches and kicking off trees.

She had practiced her acrobatics during her time showing off back in the village and honed them even further as a cultivator in the Bone Spike Forest of the Flesh Mountains.

Soon, she caught up to the wolf, leaping from behind, she grabbed it, furiously squeezing the wolf. Its claws swiped at her side, tearing a gash over her hip.

Blood leaked out from the wound.

Xia Xuefeng's grip tightened and within moments cracks sounded out as the wolf was crushed to death. It let loose a blood-curdling scream, a squishing sound filling the air as its internal organs ruptured one after another, a slurry of meat and torn organs erupting from the wolf's mouth like a jet of water from a bottle one had squeezed too hard.

Xia Xuefeng gasped, stepping back. A thick powerful Blood Qi filled the air, many times more powerful than any animal she had seen prior. A strong hunger filled her. She kneeled over the wolf's corpse, jabbing her hand directly into its stomach.

Immediately she began to refine its blood, a wet slurping noise filling the air as she drained dry its viscera. The rich, powerful blood flowed into her and she gasped at the intense surge of satisfaction that filled her as she began to refine the demon blood into Qi.

An eleventh, twelve, thirteen and fourteen Blood Cross formed within her Dantian, bringing her only one cross away from a breakthrough to the fifth stage of Qi Condensation. She would need fifteen for that.

Her mistress, Bing Meilu, had told her that reaching the fifth stage of Qi Condensation would allow her to utilize some of the magical techniques contained within the Blood Moon Spectral God's Anthem of the Crucified, rather than simply relying on wielding her raw Qi. So that was her current goal at the moment.

She spent a moment digging through the demon to find its Core, which she pocketed. While harvesting the meat and bones might be economically worthwhile, she instead preferred to head out further, looking for more prey. She was so close to the fifth stage.

With that decided, Xia Xuefeng continued deeper into the forest, looking for animals.

It was eerily bizarre how empty the forest seemed, to be honest. From her experience with forests, they were usually bustling with animals. Deer, rabbits, birds and all sorts of things. So far she only encountered a single animal, a demon wolf.

Bing Meilu had ordered Xia Xuefeng to raise her own cultivation whilst she cultivated in seclusion, and the twelve-year-old girl wanted to surprise her with just how much progress she made. She knew if she couldn't even find more than a single animal per day, that hope was dead. Finding blood and thus reaching the fifth stage today was a necessity!

'By the Heavens, this is taking forever. Can't I find some goddamn animals?'

It was only a few moments later, pushing into a clearing, that Xia Xuefeng's wish was granted.

Dozens of wolf demons lay in a clearing, fur stained with blood, eyes glowing red and wafting with black air. Still covered in the blood and scent of a pack member, all the wolves turned their heads towards the newly arrived girl, sniffing at the air.

Rumbling growls filled the air as the animals stood, baring their teeth.

'Oh fuck!'

Xia Xuefeng grimaced. She had found the answer as to why the forest seemed so empty of common prey animals. A whole pack of Demon Wolves?

That did not make much sense.

Demons were ordinary entities that awakened spirituality and began to cultivate, either from the ambient Qi in the air or due to stumbling into some kind of outside power source. They were more often than not insane and filled with an unquenchable lust for blood and power.

A whole pack going through Demonization and not killing and devouring each other?

'I have to get out of here,' Xia Xuefeng decided.

Whatever was the cause of the strange phenomena, it was likely beyond her pay grade.

She turned tail and began to run away at full speed, deranged bloodcurdling howls filled the air as countless feet pounded behind her. The girl did not dare to look back, focused fully on escaping.

'I don't think I crossed any so-called 'marked areas' and yet I still stumbled into such a danger! How unfair...'

She kept running and running and running, face white and nervous. Yet it seemed no matter how much she ran, the wolves were still behind her.

'Fuck! What direction was the end of the forest?'

She couldn't remember.

Gasping, sweaty and still bleeding from the earlier wolf fight, Xia Xuefeng found the sound of chasing wolves getting closer and closer.

'If I keep this up, I'm going to run out of Qi,' the girl realized. 'Then I would be certainly screwed. I have to fight them off. Maybe if I kill a couple they'll give up?'

Xia Xuefeng swung around, eyes narrowing.

Merely ten paces in front of her, the wolves halted their chase. Rapidly counting she saw twenty-eight.

They fanned out, surrounding the girl and letting out deep growls.

'Shit, shit, shit!' the girl lamented. 'I'm so utterly screwed!'

Blood dribbled down her side and an idea occurred to her.

'I'm so close to the fifth stage. Perhaps being able to use magical techniques will be enough to kill these wolves?'

Feeling desperate, she reached into her own dribbling blood and attempted to refine it.

"Aaargh!"

An utterly horrific pain rose up in her as her Qi went wild, explosively shaking around her meridian system. Before any permanent damage occurred, she immediately stopped, face pale and gasping for air.

The wolves had yet to attack, still warily eying her, but she could see a cruel light in their eyes. they could sense her injuries. Xia Xuefeng coughed up blood but kept her face steady to not show any weakness

'Well, that was a horrible idea!'

The wolves seemed to grow tired of waiting, and five leaped toward her at the same time, fangs bared!

Xia Xuefeng narrowed her eyes, she stepped forward and launched a powerful punch directly into the nose of one of the wolves. An enormous wave of Qi rippled through her arm, reinforcing her strength to the point the wolf's skull caved in, brain and blood exploding outwards.

However, unskilled as she was, she had failed to properly reinforce her durability as well, and she felt her left arm pop out of its socket, a ripping pain shooting through it.

The others four surviving wolves landed their attacks, teeth tearing into her legs and thighs.

Their fangs tore into her flesh and she screamed, kicking her legs trying to force them to let go. She slipped on wet blood, falling onto her back as the four wolves tore and bit at her legs and thighs. She could hear several other wolves running toward her as she screamed hoarsely.

Xia Xuefeng's Dantian whirled as she desperately drew in the spattered blood of the one wolf she'd killed She gasped, refining it into a blood cross with every bit of her will, even as she could see a wolf closing in towards her neck, mouth wide to tear open her throat.

An explosion of power flooded through her as she reached the fifth stage of Qi Condensation. Red Qi blasted away the wolves around her, though her legs were horribly mauled at this point.

Her fifteen Blood Crosses, which previously had floated around her Dantian, gathered together in a formation, links forming between them as they circulated power.

Now, having reached the fifth stage of Qi Condensation, she could use magical techniques.

'Blood Qi, from the seventh meridian to the tenth, to the seventy-first-'

Battle Art - Blood Demon's Whirlwind.

Around Xia Xuefeng, blood began to swirl, some of it pouring into her wounds and restoring her vitality.

She sprung to her feet, a nail appearing in her hands.

Battle Art - Impaling Nail of the Crucifix

With a seemingly casual swing, she tossed it. The nail of blood slammed into the shoulder of a wolf, sending it flying. The nail impaled through the wolf, affixing it to a tree. A second nail followed, ripping through the wolf's throat. Immediately its body shrivelled as the blood from it was pulled out, a river of its blood flowing over to Xia Xuefeng, soaking her robes and glowing with red Qi as it hardened into an armoured shell.

Battle Art - Red Lotus Dress

A third nail appeared in her left hand. In her right blood swirled and gathered. Slowly it stretched out, taking the shape of a chain with a nail at the end.

'Two killed, five stunned, 21 uninjured' Xia Xuefeng thought.

She burst into the attack, launching nails, at the wolf pack, while swinging her chain of hardened blood at any wolves that came too close.

Tearing through the wolf packs one died after another, and with each kill more and more blood swirled in the whirlwind around Xia Xuefeng, knocking aside wolves. This was one of the main strengths of blood cultivators. The longer a battle continued, the more powerful they became. Given she could heal and re-energize herself with blood, the young girl was like an undying demon once the fighting had started.

She launched her chain nail forward, impaling it through a wolf, which she ripped in half, even as she tossed a nail of crucifixion at a second wolf, ducking to doge a claw swipe from a leaping third wolf.

As Xia Xuefeng slaughtered wolf after wolf, she heard an enormous roar fill the air.

A massive wolf, the size of a horse seemed to appear from the shadows. Though Xia Xuefeng still lacked the ability to utilize spirit sense, its sheer size made its higher cultivation than the other wolves obvious.

It barreled towards her, each furious step causing nearby trees to shake.

Xia Xuefeng looked around. One Alpha wolf, Five uninjured wolves, six injured, and the rest were dead.

She inhaled, before leaping forward to meet the alpha. Its paw slammed toward her but was pushed away by the Blood Demon's whirlwind.

Xia Xuefeng's blood chain lashed out, stabbing into the demon's eye. It screamed and the fog around its body condensed forming a floating rune.

The rune shot toward her, exploding into a black fire that began to burn away at her blood whirlwind.

Xia Xuefeng severed that part of the whirlwind, stopping the spreading of the flame. At the same time, she launched five nails into the wolf's flesh.

They dug in, causing the alpha wolf to let loose a scream of pain, but didn't do any fatal damage.

Grimacing, she ducked under a ferocious leap, slicing her chain across the beast's belly.

Its tail whipped, smashing into her and sending her flying. Pain filled her chest monetarily before blood surged into her, filling her with an even stronger vitality before.

The wolf spun around, eyes red with fury as it charged her, jaws wide, intending to crush the human interloper.

Xia Xuefengs chain rose into the air and she slashed it forward, directly into the wolf's mouth, a huge surge of her Qi empowering it. Crimson Qi flooded from her Body Cross Diagram, making the chains glow a deep red.

With the screeching sound of the air being torn, dozens of blood spikes erupted from within the wolf's stomach, ripping it into pieces. Even a Foundation Establishment Cultivator might have trouble releasing such an attack.\

At the end of the day, The Anthem of the Crucified was the precious art of an ancient God felled before time began. It was normal for Xia Xuefeng's power to be so much higher compared to others of her level.

"I- I did it!"

The girl out a whoop of joy, before ducking as the elven wolves once more assaulted her

After that, she made quick work of the remaining wolves, looking down at the forest floor flooded with several inches of blood and gore, wolf heads and limbs littering the soil.

'Time to cultivate?'

Xia Xuefeng could only laugh at the absurdity.

---

Xia Xuefeng trod towards Port Snake, dress soaked with blood so thoroughly one couldn't even tell it wasn't simply red naturally. A powerful Qi resonated from her. The eighth stage of Qi Condensation, with thirty-six blood crosses.

As she trod towards camp, a man flew towards her. A powerful crushing force seemed to slam into her, forcing her to her knees. This was the spiritual pressure of a much higher-level cultivator!

"You there!" he shouted, face severe. "What's a Demonic Cultivator doing in Port Snake?"

'Uh oh!'

The red-splattered girl immediately raised her hands.

"I- I'm not a demonic cultivator," she wheezed gasping for air.

The man snorted in disdain.

"Tell it to the judge, brat!"

Chapter 25 - The Crimson Dragon Faction

Transmigrated back into the body of her child self, can the mighty Celestial Bing Meilu survive in a Xianxia world all the while staving off the advances of arrogant young masters and wannabe protagonists alike?

Why is life so hard for the Icy Beauty?

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 25 - The Crimson Dragon Faction

---

The still form of a young girl sat within a wintery paradise. Snow and ice covered everything around her and yet she seemed unbothered, breathing in and out rhythmically. Her long ebony hair contrasted against the pure white background like a dark void, fluttering in an unseen wind.

'Just a little further-'

Bing Meilu's meridians greedily swirled as a river of crystalline Qi poured into them. Within each meridian aperture, a complex system of lines swirled, self-similar to the whole system of meridians.

This was the Qi Condensation step of the Crystal Providence Absolute Tome, which required a practitioner to fashion each aperture into its own system of meridians, drawing on a profound law of the cosmos.

That which is above is like that which is below, and that which is below is like that which is above. The macrocosm becomes the microcosm, the microcosm becomes the macrocosm. A law of this level could only be found in a primordial tome created by an ancient god, like the Crystal Providence of yore whose inheritance Bing Meilu had received.

A shuddering pale blue light blossomed from the young girl's jade-like skin, making her resemble an immortal fairy, as her cultivation broke through another stage. In most cultivation manuals, each such breakthrough was followed by the unpleasant expulsion of impurities- no such thing occurred here.

Bing Meilu would simply ask, which impurities? Would any measly impurities dare exist within the body of this Lord? Courting Death!

"That will have to be enough for now," the pale-skinned girl sighed, rising. "Any further so quickly and my foundation will be unstable."

She inhaled, the snow and ice around her slowly dissipating to reveal the inside of a living room. Her cultivation had advanced to the ninth stage of the Qi Condensation Realm.

"It shouldn't be out of the question to become an immortal in a few centuries," Bing Meilu decided.

She strode forward, opening the door of her assigned dorm, and stepping back out into the open air of Port Snake. Multiple disciples were milling about in the area outside the communal dorms.

"-Shi Weng's become a Core Disciple. So early too-"

"Damn those Greedy Snake Brigade bastards! Once we-"

"B-but Li Lu- I love you, don't leave-"

Bing Meilu ignored the lowly mortals, walking over to a random boy. His Qi seemed to be around the fourth stage of Qi Condensation.

"You there!"

"M-me?"

"Where can I find the Crimson Dragon Faction?"

"Huh? What do you want with them?"

Bing Meilu stared at the boy in silence, expressionless eyes somehow still caring annoyance.

"Oh- I think they mostly hang around the east of the Iron Skin Ape Enclosure?"

Answer in hand, Bing Meilu immediately began to follow her map in that direction, ignoring the random boy's questions as she strode away. The Armada used plenty of tamed Demon Beasts, one such kind being Iron Skin Apes, who were used to patrol the land sections the sect controlled. Bing Meilu arrived near one of the large enclosures of Port Snake, where Iron Skin apes were held behind a translucent barrier.

Just by a large rock outside the encolure was a large group of Inner and Outer Disciples or 'Lieutenants' and 'Privates', to use the Armada's own terminology. Each had a Crimson Dragon badge pinned to their robes. There were about fifteen Privates, Randing from the third to the Seventh level of Qi Condensation, and three Lieutenants in the Foundation Establishment Realm. One, a bald, muscular youth with a red dragon tattoo marring the bronzed skin of his face, and at the fifth stage of the second realm was obviously the leader. The rest of the disciples were circled around him, fawningly and the two other lieutenants stood by his seat atop a large rock.

The leader has modified his robe to expose his muscular tanned arms. He was smirking at a kneeling girl from atop a large rock, while his subordinates jeered and laughed from around her.

"I'm sorry, but that's not enough to pay off your debt," he chuckled.

"W-what do you mean? It's all there, fifteen spirit stones?" the kneeling girl's face paled.

"Interest darling. If you'd paid last week, when you were supposed to it's been fifteen now- For makin' me wait let's say eighteen! By this week, or the debt will just keep goin' up"

The subordinates chuckled menacingly at that.

"We can't afford that-" the girl gasped. "Please-"

"There's always another way for you to pay," the muscular boss said, winking, before dragging his eye over the woman in a vile leer.

His subordinates, as if qued, all wolf-whistled and fist-bumped each other.

The girls turned to one of horror. "No way! I'm no slut!"

"Why do you think your boyfriend sent you instead of coming here himself?" the bronze-skinned man laughed.

"That- I'm- I'm not interested in that!"

"Look girly, I'm already been mighty generous offering an alternate payment plan- If you want to spit on my generosity I guess me and my boys are going to have to start breaking kneecaps. Do you think your little boyfriend can afford an injury, so soon to his exam? I guess you don't love him as much as you said you did-"

At that, the subordinates all laughed mockingly.

Bing Meilu raised an eyebrow, watching the event. Even ignoring the karmic insinuations of such immoral activity, did none of these cultivators have even the slightest bit of pride or self-respect? Fawning subserviently over every slight joke their boss made, clapping with every word, it was like they were servants kissing the ass of an emperor rather than cultivators seeking to challenge the world itself.

"No one so submissive can ever challenge the Dao of Heaven," Bing Meilu shook her head. "What wasted direction."

Call her a little partial, but even the average disciples at her Crystal Providence Absolute Palace were not so foolish and contemptible.

Having had enough of watching, the young girl strode towards the group, her flaring Qi noticeable to all of them.

The boys quieted, looking over at the approaching disciple.

"Who are you?" the boss asked, narrowing his eyes. "I don't know who sent you, but tell them you're a little too young to be 'paying debts' here-"

"This is the Crimson Dragon Faction, correct?" Bing Meilu interrupted, voice imperious.

"Yup," the boss answered. " And don't interrupt me-"

"Wonderful. We are going to fight. Whoever wins will take ownership of the Crimson Dragon Faction," Bing Meilu said, smiling politely.

The muscular teen did not respond, eyes slowly narrowing into a glare. A fiery Qi erupted from his body, visible swirling around him like a coiling snake. His aura was aggressive, tainted with killing intent, and backed by the power of a fifth-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"You look very young. To have reached the eighth stage of Qi Condensation so fast is a sign of great talent, but talent is meaningless before power. There is nearly a full Realm between us. To even entertain the idea of a spar would be spitting on the face of all Foundations Establishment cultivators! Why don't you run back to your papa now," the leader waves dismissively, shooing her with his hand and retracting his aura.

"I always overestimate the intellect of the average mortal," Bing Meilu audibly sighed. "If you'd paid attention to my words, you'd hear I didn't ask for a duel. I said we would be fighting."

The man only had the opportunity to blink, as the small child blurred towards him, a spear of ice savagely thrusting towards his throat.

---

Chains of Steel clamped around Xia Xuefeng as she was dragged into a courtroom by two officers, blood and gore dripping from her unwashed body. There was a man in regal judge robes sat behind a desk, who raised an eyebrow at the sight of her.

"What's this now?" he frowned.

"Captain Ji Longyi sent her in, Judge Tongxi," one man said gruffly. "Said he found this Demonic cultivator milling about outside the sect."

"Alright, Ji Longyi? Yes, I'll deal with this!" the judge waved his hand and the two guards dropped the girl onto the floor.

"Name and Sect," the judge began, bored.

"My name is Xia Xuefeng- and I swear sir, this is not what it looks~"

"I said name and sect. Not name and sob story!" the judge cut in.

"Xia Xuefeng. No sect."

"No sect? You're a loose cultivator?" the judge asked, narrowing his eyes.

"No, well, yes- well- I'm the servant of a disciple here, and we planned to have me formally apply to become a sect member in the next trial."

"...You expect me to believe a disciple of our righteous and orthodox sect would take you, a demonic cultivator as a subordinate?"

The judge's tone made it very clear how ridiculous he found the idea.

"Yes! Uh, I mean, I'm not a demonic cultivator, but I am subordinate to a sect member- her name's Bing Meilu- I'm sure she can vouch for me!" Xia Xuefeng explained in panic. "If you'd just ask her-"

"Not a demonic cultivator, girl, I can sense the clear aura of blood around you! Who do you think you're fooling?"

Xia Xuefeng shrunk into herself under the man's exasperated glare. Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes.

There was no way Bing Meilu had given her some unorthodox, illegal cultivation method? She wouldn't do that to Xia Xuefeng...right? Yet the judge seemed very certain that she was a 'demonic cultivator' as accused.

To be honest, Xia Xuefeng didn't even know what a demonic cultivator was, other than that they were evil people you had to avoid.

'Don't stay up late at night or the demonic cultivators will come to eat your kidneys!'

If she knew the actual definition, she might be capable of arguing

her case, but as it was she could only meekly sob while the judge glared down at her.

"Now, explain what you were doing outside my Port Snake?"

"I was just hunting in the forest. I need animals for my cultivation but I can't buy them until I enter the sect."

"I don't believe you. You were scouting out our sect for some nefarious purpose, correct?"

"No! Look, please just get Bing Meilu, she'll be able to explain everything I'm sure-"

"I've never heard of any Bing Meilu girl, but you were brought in a Captain Ji Longyi, a famous genius. If you think you're getting out of your punishment when his name is attached to this case, you are mistaken."

Xia Xuefeng's shoulder shook again. This couldn't be happening. The judge didn't even seem to want to allow her any chance to argue her case. She could only stay silent, anxiety growing as the judge's glare deepened.

"I think I know exactly what to do with you," the judge eventually decided. "Take her to the dungeons. She can be used as an obstacle for a prospective disciple during the next examination. Oh and don't forget to give Captain Ji Longyi his fifteen sect points for arresting a criminal."

"Yes, Judge Tongxi!" the guards picked up the chained Xia Xuefeng and began to drag her despondent body out of the courtroom.

Chapter 26 - The Might of Foundation Establishment

Bing Meilu thrust her spear forward with indomitable power. Harsh steam exploded as the Boss slammed a flaming fist into her spear, shattering it into an explosion of dust.

"Courting Death!" he shouted, bronze skin erupting with a swirling red flame.

His leg shot out towards her stomach, blazing with a red, draconic aura. Bing Meilu's feet gracefully slid across the ground as if made from ice, strafing around the body cultivator.

"Grand Frozen Xia Matrix!"

Swirling Runes of ice appeared around her palm, forming the shape of a fractal snowflake. She slammed her hand into the man's back, skin steaming as her ice met his blazing flesh.

The rune matrix glinted and attached to the man's skin as he twisted around with a mighty roundhouse kick. Her body boiling with Qi, Bing Meilu ducked under the kick. Only a split second later he smashed a flaming fist into her jaw, sending her flying with a mighty crack.

Her body slid across the grassy ground, leaving a trail of ice across it. Bing Meilu stood, eyes staring coldly at the faction leader.

The man's face was sweltering red with rage at her lack of reaction. "Such incredible arrogance! Who the hell do you-"

He paused, as a white aura began to pulse around Bing Meilu, rising to clash with the man.

It was killing intent. Whereas the man was fiery and wild, like a feral beast ripping apart its prey, hers was cold and impassive and all-devouring, like an apocalyptic snowstorm that sought to snuff out all life and yet was empty and impassive.

"A killer at your age?" the man said, face serious. "What the hell are they feeding the kids this generation?"

"Boss!" one of the two Lieutenants spoke up, only to be cut off.

"Don't interfere, Liu. If I can't even defeat a child in Qi Condensation alone, then I might as well just kill myself because I'd have cultivated for nothing!"

This wasn't only meaningless pride. Cultivator psychology was of utmost importance. They had to have absolute certainty in their own strength or they would falter in face of tribulation. Relying on the strength of others might only weaken that resolve.

"You're incredibly strong for your cultivation rank, little girl." the man nodded, skin glinting with fire. "So let's make this a real fight. My name is Jiang Hu, leader of the Crimson Dragon Faction and Lieutenant in the Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada."

"You're not worthy to learn my name, but you may call me Master, Lady, Queen or Goddess. Whichever you prefer, mortal."

This was a sign of Bing Meilu's tentative and slight decrease in her disdain towards this mortal. Back in her days as a mighty Celestial, even being addressed directly by her would be an honour people would kill their own mothers for.

Unable to comprehend the depth of her magnanimity, the man simply scowled at her, as if disrespected. Sadly an ant like him could not comprehend how little respect he was due.

"Red Dragon Fang!"

The largest difference between those in Foundation Establishment, like Jiang Hu, and those in Qi Condensation, was the regulation of one's Qi by their foundation.

It allowed them to manipulate and condense their Qi to a degree categorically beyond those of a lower cultivation realm. With it, complex and powerful forms of Qi Manipulation and magical techniques could be unleashed.

Two blazing fangs of fire formed, one in each of Jiang Hu's hands. The air thrummed with heat at the incredibly dense fire Qi blazing in his hands.

"Saber Art - Thirteen Strikes!"

Jiang Hu exploded towards Bing Meilu. A poleaxe axe of blue crystal appeared in her hands as she met him for battle.

His wild blows slammed into the haft of her pole axe, parried. She deftly swung the long weapon, bashing away the blitz of sabre swings.

Each time the weapons clashed, Jiang Hu's attacks increased in speed, until it was as if he was a blur, launching barely visible swings.

A drop of sweat poured down the back of Bing Meilu's head as she began to be forced back, unable to deflect the flurry of attacks.

Even with her incredible reserves of Qi reinforcing her senses to the max, she could barely keep up with the man. Still, she was not worried. Only slightly pressured.

"Aaargh!" Jiang Hu's body weaved and whirled as his twin sabre swung and slashed down at the retreating girl.

His right dragon fang lashed out against her, cracking her icy spear in twain with a hiss of steam as fire met ice. His left blade stabbed forward with brutal intent, trained directly toward her stomach.

"Grand Frozen Xia Matrix!"

The formation of runes that clung to his back suddenly glinted, as Qi poured through the air, from Bing Meilu into runes affixed to the faction leader.

Ice was of Yin, and Yin could manifest itself in myriad fashions. After all, everything in heaven and earth was born from the marriage of Yin and Yang - The Liangyi. Yin could represent reversion, the retreat of all things.

And so the Runes on the man's back harshly tugged him backwards. His blade froze an inch from the flesh of her stomach, before flying backwards, as the man rolled over the ground towards the spot where Bing Meilu had initially branded him with the matrix.

The runes began to shudder as flaming Qi poured from him, assaulting them. However, one thing Bing Meilu had to spare was Qi. Cultivating the Crystal Providence Absoilute Tome, each aperture point in her meridians was akin to a full system of meridians. She had the qi of nearly seventy-two cultivators of her rank combined.

Qi endlessly drained from her, constantly repairing the Rune Matrix. The man gave up after a moment, leaping at her, ground cracking as he exploded into the air, only to pause, before flying back down to the ground. The incredibly complex Rune Matrix couldn't be subverted so easily.

However, stopping his attacks couldn't win a fight by itself. Bing Meilu had to take offence as well.

"Not that you deserve this honour, but you'll be the first person I use this weapon against!"

Being only in Qi Condensation, Bing Meilu's attack options were fairly limited. Nearly all of the offensive techniques she knew would be fairly useless at this level. A normal Foundation Establishment cultivator she was confident she could beat with weapon arts, but Jiang Hu was a body cultivator and would likely just ignore attacks of that level before counter-attacking.

Perhaps she could overcome said defence via a battle of attrition she would win, but this victory had to be decisive enough to make him submit. A 'cowardly' tactic would earn less respect than crushing an enemy with lethal force.

"Xin Shui, come out."

A silvery metal poured from her sleeve, coiling around her fingers and hand to form a small orb.

Bing Meilu had pondered what kind of soul-bound weapon to create. In her near-infinite years, she had mastered near every weapon conceivable. She was particularly fond of long polearms, greatswords and javelins.

So the answer was obvious, in the end. Her life-bound weapon would be- All of them!

"Greataxe form."

The silver metal bulged and expanded, slowly taking the form of an entirely metal, seemingly liquid great axe. Ripples spread out across the surface of the implement as she gripped it in two hands.

She graced him with a polite smile. His defeat was inevitable.

"Great Dragon's Conflagration!" Jiang Hu roared.

His belly swelled and he leaned forward, mouth opening to erupt with a river of sticky flaming fluid. The white flaming fluid danced through the air, homing in on the still girl.

"Useless."

A white light exploded from her as her mighty frosty Qi filled the air. The flaming liquid froze and fell to the ground, uselessly shattering.

The Grand Frozen Matrix was activated once more. Only this time the reversion was towards the origin of the Runes, Bing Meilu's left hand.

Jiang Hu was tugged through the air, He hefted his sabres, preparing for a devastating slash. Bing Meilu did the same.

Then she swung. Her axe momentarily met his flaming daggers- then she pushed forward. An explosive crack filled the air as her weapon cracked down on Jiang Hu's back. His torso caved downwards, bending and deforming as if made from bronze rather than flesh. A wheeze, unable to even be called a scream tore itself from his mouth as the air was driven from his lungs and his body was driven to the floor.

It only made sense. Xin Shui was a Soulbound weapon, containing fragments of Bing Meilu's own soul and spirituality. Compared to a measly Qi COnstruct, it was far better. Rather than simply being formed of her power, it actively enhanced her strength to a great degree.

Bing Meilu stared down the wheezing Jiang Hu.

"Concede."

His body and shoulder shook as he slowly pushed himself up, eyes blazing with rage.

"I-I'm not doone-"

Bing Meilu's axe slammed down onto the back of his neck, and he froze, as the blade tore through flesh, only to pause just before his spine.

"If I even lean forward slightly my axe will sever your spine," Bing Meilu stated. "At your stage of Cultivation, that would be fatal. Concede."

The former faction leader stared up at her, eyes red with unwillingness. After a long silence. he inhaled, gathering his resolve.

"I- I con... -I concede."

Bing Meilu smiled politely.

"Wonderful. Then why don't we go get you some medical treatment? It wouldn't do for my subordinate to be so badly injured, now will it?"

---

Jim Hu, a worker at the sect ranking office, frowned at the reported victory. This had to be a bug, or a case of cheating. How else could a mere Qi Condensation cultivator defeat someone so much higher in rank?

All fights within the sect were carefully tracked to properly rank and promote disciples on the basis of strength. Occasionally you would get some wealthy scion 'cheating' by paying a stronger disciple to lose on purpose, in hopes they would still get promoted. The Armada didn't look too kindly on those who did such a thing.

On the other hand, there were genuine geniuses capable of defeating those much stronger than them...

"Case Nineteen. Send an investigator to question a newly joined disciple, rank of Private, one Bing Meilu."

Zhang Yi Interlude 5

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Zhang Yi Interlude 5

This chapter continues from the last Zhang Yi Interlude.

---

Chirp

Chirp

Zhang Yi awakened to the soft songs of sparrows. Dawn light shone down on his gaunt face, through cracks in the dense foliage above. Slowly, he raised his hand to his head, brushing the long, dark locks of his unkempt hair off his face. Groaning he rolled onto his stomach before pushing himself up.

Stretching, the boy let out another groan. Various random parts of his body ached and throbbed. Undoubtedly places of his body was forced to rest on rocks or twigs.

After a minute, Zhang Yi looked around the impromptu camp that the villagers had formed. Dozens of teenagers and children lay strewn about the forest floor around a single large wagon.

Besides him, there were four people already awake, sitting around a small fireplace atop logs that served as makeshift benches. The four chatted in low voices, careful not to wake anyone. Deciding he had nothing else to do for the moment, Zhang Yi approached the group, taking a seat on an empty log.

"Good morning," he said politely in greetings to the others.

"And good morning to you!" replied He Zhao with good cheer from his log.

"Hello," greeted shyly the second of the four, a tall girl with black hair and pale, jade-like skin. Her name was Cao Ya, the adopted daughter of Jiang Cities luxury clothing makers, the Xian family.

"Good morning," Jiang Fang smiled politely, sitting next to Li Renlong, who tersely glared at him.

"So, what do we plan to do for the rest of the time we're waiting here?" Li Renlong complained. "I'm already bored as all hell!"

"There is not much to do," Jiang Fang shrugged. "Just take it as a vacation."

Zhang Yi sat, silently watching the four of them chat. He didn't really have anything to say to them, nor did he really know how to join in one such a conversation. His main experience talking to others was begging for odd jobs from the few shopkeepers who put up with him.

The four of them chatted around the fire, as more and more of the children awoke. Once everyone was awake, the noble boy clapped his hands, gathering everyone's attention.

"We'll need some food, so we need a few people to volunteer to head into the city and acquire it."

Li Renlong, Yang Mu and He Zhao all raised their hands to volunteer. Instead, Jiang Fang turned to pointedly stare at Zhang Yi. The orphan boy did not raise his hand, instead raising an eyebrow at the noble boy's look. Did he really expect Zhang Yi to take on the risky job of heading to the city?

"Actually, I was thinking I and Zhang Yi could go," the noble explained. "I'm sure we've all seen him climb like a monkey when being chased by Li Renlong. If we do get attacked in the city, he should be able to safely escape."

Li Renlong snorted at the characterization but said nothing. Zhang Yi could feel eyes turn to look at him expectingly.

'Why should I risk my life to get food for these people?' the boy wondered. 'When they wouldn't spare me a moment of the day back in Jiang City?'

The longer he waited to speak, the harsher the looks became. He wanted to refuse but could feel it would be a bad idea. After a long moment, he shrugged. "Fine."

Zhang Yi clasped the long knife he had gotten yesterday, strapping it to his thigh. Jiang Fang grabbed a bag of coins for the loot-wagon, and the two boys silently stalked off from the camp.

As the two walked in silence, the orphan boy couldn't help but inspect Jiang Fang. Where Zhang Yi was wiry and thin from missing so many meals, Jiang Fang was well-built and fed, a layer of soft fat hiding his muscular form. Where Zhang Yi was always on edge, nervous and skittish, Jiang's pale face seemed permanently calm and unbothered. Where Zhang Yi's skin was clammy and sickly from malnourishment, Jiang's was pale and smooth from a life of luxury inside.

"Like what you see?" Jiang Fang teased, noticing Zhang Yi's intense gaze.

"...No, I don't think I do," Zhang Yi said, with a harshness in his voice that surprised even him. Jiang Fang too blinked in surprise at the naked contempt.

"Why?"

Zhang Yi snorted and failed to answer, turning to look ahead at the light streaming into the forest. An ember of anger was steadily building up within him. "How far do you think we'll have to go till we reach the city?"

"An hour or so. Shouldn't be long before we reach a landmark."

'How dare this bastard ask me to sacrifice for all these people when they scorned me my whole life? How dare he seems so calm and unbothered when we all nearly died? How dare he seem to not fucking hate me after what his family did to me! It's like I don't even matter enough for him to remember why I would hate him!'

"I hate people who seem to think the world owes them something," Zhang Yi spat. "I hate people who walk around like everyone owes them respect or obedience. I hate rich brats and nobles, I hate the Jiang family, all thieving tyrants and most of all I fucking hate bastards who don't seem to care about anything at all!"

Zhang Yi inhaled shakily, eyes wide as if even he was surprised by his angry outburst. Jiang Fang's calm expression cracked slightly, his brow furrowing. He didn't seem to know what to say.

The atmosphere was thick enough with tension you could cut it.

"You know, you're the second person in my whole life to insult me to my face," Jiang Fang eventually said. "Most people are too scared of my background... I think I like you."

"Well, I don't like you!"

"Hmmph, give it time. I'm sure I'll grow on you."

"You'll grow on me as much as a tapeworm grows when feasting on the innards of a fat man."

"I...I don't even get that analogy."

---

The two robed boys arrived at the outskirts of the large city. A stench like rotting meat, rancid feces and burnt coal filled the air. They walked through a backstreet, out into a large alley filled with clothing shops.

The boys continued exploring, Zhang Yi dazzled by the hustle and bustle, Jiang Fang seemingly unimpressed.

Eventually, they caught sight of a street vendor, hawking friend meat skewers. Jiang Fang approached the man.

"How much for your entire stock?"

"Huh? Oh, it's five copper per stick, so 23 silver for everything I have on me today?"

"You have change for three gold?"

"Uh- yes?"

Jiang Fang quickly made the transaction, receiving a large box filled with meat skewers. As the man only cooked a few at a time on his grill, they were raw, but that was fine, as they could make fire at camp.

"You got ripped off," Zhang Yi complained. "That shouldn't have been more than 3 copper for two skewers."

"The time cost to find a good deal would be larger than any money we can waste," Jiang Fang explained. "Time is money after all."

It didn't sit right with the orphan, but he didn't have the fire in him to keep arguing, so he stalked silently through the streets with Jiang Fang.

A tall, thin man stepped up from the side of the street, blocking their path. He stared greedily at the copper sword Jiang Fang had taken from the immortal's corpse.

"That's an expensive-looking sword for a little boy!" he said with a slimy voice. "As a responsible citizen of Ember Refining Port, I cannot in good conscience let you walk around with that dangerous weapon. Why don't you hand it over to me for safekeeping?"

The people walking through the street around them paid no mind to the scene. It was commonplace in the slums of the city for such shakedowns to happen, and any idiot walking around with so much money visible deserved what they got coming.

"No," Jiang Fang said, drawing the sword.

Out of nowhere, a bulky, muscular bald man charged out of the darkness of the alleyway, tackling Jiang Fang to the ground from behind.

'He was a distraction!'

Zhang Yi dropped his meat-box, and reached down to grab his knife, only for a large hand to seize the collar of his robes, harshly tugging him backwards.

He could hear Jiang Fang and the man tussling on the ground behind him. Zhang Yi spun around, punching the face of whoever had tugged at him. His child-sized fist smacked ineffectively at a scarred man's face. Scarred face grabbed his sides, lifting him up and slamming him onto a wall on the side of the alleyway.

"Let's see what you got on ya boy!" Scarface chuckled.

'Nine Heavenly Stances of the Immemorial Palace Gate - Prosperity'

Out of nowhere, the scarred man's eye bulged, and he cried with a high-pitched scream, releasing his hold.

Zhang Yi fell to the floor, scrambling to unsheathe his long knife. He caught sight of a bony, starving dog, whose teeth had clamped around the scarred man's genital area, blood dripping out across its maw.

'Heavens-'

Zhang Yi didn't let the horrific sight distract him, as he lunged forward, burying the wicked sharp edge of his long knife straight into Scarface's throat. His blade sheared through flesh and cartilage, biting deeply into the bone.

Zhang Yi pulled back, a spurt of high-pressure blood hitting him in the face. Scarface gurgled, blood, pouring from his legs, before he collapsed, the dog still gnawing at his flesh.

Zhang Yi jumped over his corpse, to where Jiang Fang and a bald man were in a scrambled battle on the ground. The knife-wielded orphan pointed his blade down and stabbed, his knife smashing into the man's back, stabbing straight into his heart.

Several people had stopped to watch the fight in the overcrowded street. Zhang Yi turned to look for the man who'd distracted them, but he was long gone.

Jiang Fang rolled out from under the bald man's corpse, his robe soaked in blood. He sighed, calmy.

"Let's get out of here."

The orphan rolled his eyes.

--

The boys arrived back at camp, carrying a large box of meat skewers. Li Renlong ran out to gree them.

"Hey guys, Noble Jiang is back!" Li Renlong shouted.

The tall boy blinked at the sight of the two's blood-stained robes.

"What happened?"

"Just a little scuffle," Jiang Fang yawned.

"It was not just a little scuffle," Zhang Yi snorted, shaking his head. "If I'd been a little slower, he could've snapped your neck or something."

"I would have handled it," Jiang Fang shrugged. "I had him right where I wanted him."

"Laying on top of you, choking you out?!"

The three walked back to their camp, setting down the box of meat. The other children quickly gathered as Jiang Fang began to distribute the meat. There was enough for everyone to have a skewer, with a few left over.

They tossed large logs into the embers, growing it into a steadily burning bonfire they could roast their meat in. Zhang Yi sat next to He Zhao, who he had a good impression of.

"So what happened during the trip?" he asked.

Zhang Yi began to explain.

---

It was nighttime, and Zhang Yi and Ling Shuren were on watch. Once more, the boy had fallen asleep. Being the only one awake, Zhang Yi gingerly made his way back to the tree he'd buried the scrolls.

He quickly dug them out, unfurling the first scroll.

'Copper Shell Breathing Method'

It was time to become an Immortal!