Chapter 14: Sanguine Cynosure

Pills were a fancy way to accumulate years. All things work towards the greatest they can be, becoming older was the way of the universe. The right combination of years could be used to generate any effect and were generally graded into tiers based on the total years required to craft them. Talismans were the same, except they used symbols instead of tangible ingredients.

In the case of a flame refinement pill, all the years were twisted into its effect. That was allowing the body to not become conflagrated when you dumped life consuming flame into your soul.

"Forgive me for this!" Shishou was in the way, so Iris heaved her to the side. Ignoring how she crashed into the bushes, the foundation realm cultivator hesitated in the face of nightmarish flame. It seemed odd to be afraid of something that looked frilly pink and white. There was no choice, death by incineration or death by miasma.

Swallowing the large marble pill was harder than it would seem initially, but after choking it down, Iris had no choice but to get close to the cynosure. Ducking from red scythes, pink ribbons, white beams, there was to many close misses to count. It was fortune that the fire wasn't focused on her, as she dropped prone to avoid a massive wave of apple red flames.

There were still a dozen yards between her and her goal. The only upside was there was no foliage and obstruction. Inelegant as it was, she crawled rather than stand, looking like a cat. Hoping over a death ray, crouching under a doom beam, dodging an errant conflagration, Iris closed on the cynosure, and its brilliant flame on top.

Leaping like a frog, Black hair whipping in the current behind her, there was a single stumbling lunge. Her hand gently grazed the smooth tree bark of the Sanguine flame, and the world fell away.

Grand Sea Soul Consciousness, the divine realm of her world, a part of all beings and life created a verdant paradise. A tiny portion of one's own soul consciousness, formed the bridge to Grand Sea. Depending on when and where one attached the environment varied immensely.

Since this section was dominated by the Sanguine Apple Blossom flame, a dense orchard appeared. The land and sky were fuzzy providing little to orient on. It was obvious the intent of the fire was to consume her.

There was no way that a girl who had never been kissed had any intention of dying before that happened.

"Sanguine flame!" Iris shouted through out the orchard, bringing her own primordial qi to bear.

"I will claim you for myself today, bestow upon your nature to my soul." The brilliant blossom shaped flame did not like that. Vicious wrath formed of fire and aura lashed out at the young cultivator. Unlike the real world, this place had its own special rules. The will and soul were the greatest strength in this unreal space.

In the wake of the fire, apple blossom petals permeated the sky, and the buds on the tree bloomed. As tongues of fire battered Iris, the lady held firm, refusing to give in.

"I will be the greatest marital cultivator on this earth one day, I won't lose to you!" There wasn't much else to do, the land shifted as the giant stone proving ground superimposed itself over the orchid. Pulling more of her soul into the space, she created a platform from which she could draw the fire in.

'Hold fast, this is journeying, not a sprint.' Telling herself to be calm didn't help. Her mind felt plugged and bloated as the relentless assault of the fire refused to stop. Drawing from her flame refinement pill, cold waves of cerulean water cascaded around. Mist covered everything in hazy steam.

Claiming that she could absorb the fire was easy, subduing it was not. As the fire lashed at her, she did what she could to draw bits and motes into her own soul scape. It became a mind game, as each side attempted destroy the other. Water and fire clashed in vast explosions as both sought dominance. Iris felt things were going well, her pacing was good, the pill had energy to spare, and she wasn't in any real danger.

It was at that thought that the flame let out something like a cry or a roar. Like a crackling log, flames burst into being, slowly spiraling to the tip of the main trumpet of the sanguine flame flower.

"That cant be good." Iris spoke to no one. Unsure of what awaited all she could do was mimic the fire, bringing the entire azure stream around her like a protective cocoon. She would have died otherwise.

Fire as if the wrath of God himself, focused to a coherent beam of destruction; destroyed soul scape trees and earth a like. Her water amour held, vaporizing rather than allowing the certain death to penetrate. Her position became precarious, with most of her pill gone and limited primordial qi she had few options. As chunks of her foundation fell to earth, some which were molten, not all did some hovered showing her strength was not yet gone.

In the wake of such a devastating blow she had to go all in. Imbibing all the remaining water, she drew her personal soul around the fire, and started to directly absorb it into her soul scape.

"So, this is what hot feels like." It was a silly idle thought, given that it felt like an endless cycle of scorching burns and numb ice. Blisters and scabs appeared on her physical body outside the soul sea. Her arm started to smolder as she struggled to hold the essence flame within. Flares sparked as the few standing combatants didn't dare to approach, for fear of become a conflagrant.

In places where her qi was weaker, small jets of pink flame, some motes blacked with her blood. It had to be enough as the whole fire was slowly drawn into her proving ground. If not she was going to immolate, and everything in her surroundings would to.

In a final explosion of rage, the Sanguine apple blossom abandoned all pretense. Lances of death exploded like a porcupine. Who or what they hit was unknown; In a final ring of fire, Iris Xin sealed the flower in her soul sea. With the flame contained, she needed to build a home. The design was up to her own will and impression of the fire itself. So, the cynosure that she built within, was a three-tiered pink and white cake, for a princess birthday party.

Pink and red fire, laces of white engulfed her as the fire attempted to break through one last time. It wasn't enough. In a singular brilliant explosion Iris and the cynosure vanished under a burst of pink fire.

Since the flame belonged to the whole forest for a brief instance the cultivator was able to feel and see the forest, just enough to burn the slowly building miasma from the area. As she traveled though the roots of the forest, bits and pieces of the history imprinted into her mind.

There was a brief scene where blackened skin monsters attacked humans, a rift had formed once, leaving a vast cave. Dark liquid dripped from an unknown tree, a small rabbit, bright pink with a giant purple stripe read a cultivation book somewhere in the depths of the forest.

It was with pink and scarlet smoke, Iris reappeared unconscious some where in the sanguine woad.

!@# !@# !@#

"Didn't the girl become the poison vine sect leader?" Asking over lunch after Iris finally completed her tale.

"You wouldn't have crossed her path, as she stopped progressing after she failed to form her nascent soul. Passed on a few decades before I came here."

"May truth be found, and her fate be born anew." Valentine placed her free hand on Iris's who was resting on the table. It was a traditional way in the martial realm to acknowledge the grief and sorrow of the fallen, and what that meant for those still living.

"It's ok very few ever have the chance to ascend. I'm just glad she died of mortality rather than be killed." Awkward at the change in topic, the other two girls just tried to ignore it. After a few moments Iris decide to wrap up her tale in a bow.

"I was able to escape since I ended up so far from everything." Despite the obviousness, both blond haired ladies looked grateful for the change of topic.

"Escaping the forest wasn't hard since I had a general idea where I needed to go. Once back in the travel lanes it was enough to find a community and make my back to the beast sect. I was well received since I gained both the essences flame and became a high tier foundation realm cultivator. Both Shishou and her father were ok, and eventually the girl chased after me to get the flame back, but that's a story for another time."

"Well, I must thank you Lady Iris, that was quite the tale. Come dear let's go see about picking a dress up for the new ball. I know its short notice but since they cancelled the last one, they are hosting it again day after tomorrow." Her daughter looked like she didn't want to go, but a warning look was enough to get her moving.

With them leaving and the food finished, there wasn't much reason to stick around the dining room. When the sage attempted to stand, however the younger girl refused to let go of her hand. Paused, half standing over the table, Iris got the hint. Valentine spoke after Iris resumed sitting, though it took some time before she managed to find the courage to speak.

"Can we talk later tonight…there's something I want to say." Iris was stunned. With her red curls falling to cover her left eye, her right looking away, the girl was avoiding looking into my eyes. It made Iris even more aware that their blushes were both just as bad. It was hard not to stare at her elegant soft features as she looked so adorably shy.

"O-of course." She stammered, now she was unable to meet the nobles' eyes. Nerve racked, Potential romance between them had turned everything into a mess.

"I'm the rainbow sage…Get it together miss deity ascendant." Completely unaware that she had spoken aloud, it caused lady Valentine to giggle softly. With the tension gone the two dissipated Valentine rose first and turned to leave.

"No kiss this time?" Utter silence filled the room. It took Iris several moments to realize what she just said, and all Iris could do was bury her face in her hands and pretend it didn't happen.

"O-of course" Valentine parroted, and gently guided her hands down. The moment she leant forward to kiss her, she locked up. With out the joy of seeing her still alive or the happiness that she could see her, things had become so very hard.

"At lest close your eyes." The noble whined unable to do anything when she was being stared at.

"Oh, right." Sage muttered, her eyelashes fluttering as she lightly closed her eyes.

Inwardly sighing, it had to be the intimacy that that made things so hard for them, neither of them had any real romantic experience. Even with closed eyes, Valentine could not bring herself to kiss the sages' lips.

She quickly peaked Iris hand instead. By the time Iris opened her eyes the noble had fled leaving the door swinging in her wake.

Gently holding her hands together martial master stared at them for some time. It was a uniquely soft feeling and feather light touch that was so sensual of the gorgeous women it had come from.

Table said hello to the Immortal ascendant forehead, as the girl buried her face into the solid dark walnut surface. Since the immortal had been so polite about it, the table graciously shattered. Unmoved Iris couldn't help but sit there and steam.

"Ill just stay here for now, and then ill clean this mess up…I'm the great Rainbow sage, I've suffered no less than seven essences flames, eight heavenly trials. I can withstand this, this romance stuff." Iris spoke to no one in particular. Her brilliant blush took forever to fade.