27-31

Chapter 27 - The 'Bing Meilu's Faithful Slaves' 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 27 - The 'Bing Meilu's Faithful Slaves' Faction

---

The Former 'Red Dragon Faction' all sat in silence, circled around their new 'master'. She sat, silently inspecting all of them. Jiang Hu, the former faction leader knelt before her, bandaged.

"Good day to you all. As you know, I have defeated your faction leader and assumed control over this group. Are there any objections?"

No one spoke up and several shook their heads. While she would lose against all of them, she was stronger than any one of them and had proven that by defeating Jiang Hu. Satisfied her rule was accepted, she continued speaking.

"I am Bing Meilu, a personal disciple of Prime Elder Hai Yu, of the Former Moon Crying Swan Palace. I was selected by her due to my unique talent and potential. However, the Moon Crying Swan Palace has been destroyed so I am temporarily set back. I've entered this section from the same starting position as any ordinary disciple despite my background. As you might guess, with my talent and high-level cultivation method, rising to a much higher level is all but guaranteed."

She could begin to see gears turn in the heads of her subordinates, smiling politely.

"If one person achieves immortality, even chickens and dogs ascend to heaven."

This famous idiom described how if even one person became successful, all those who had helped them would benefit. If Bing Meilu really was set to do great things, wouldn't being her early followers be a huge boon later on?

"I will be dissolving the Crimson Dragon Faction and forming my own faction. Who amongst you wishes to follow me?" Bing Meilu asked, raising her voice.

"I do!" "I'll follow you, Boss Meilu!" "Count me in!"

The members of the Crimson Dragon Faction cheered and roared, shouting their allegiance to her. Bing Meilu nodded in satisfaction.

"Very well then. I welcome you all to the "Bing Meilu's Faithful Slaves" Faction!"

There was a dead silence. One of the Foundation Establishment Lieutenant spoke up awkwardly.

"...You're not really calling it tha-"

"Are you questioning my authority?"

"Um-"

"Because if you are, I'll make what I did to Jiang Hu look like a pleasant vacation day by comparison."

"I for one think it's an amazing name! It perfectly described how we plan to faithfully serve you!" one of the Qi Condensation disciples suddenly spoke up.

"Good. This one understands. What's your name?" Bing Meilu smiled

"I am Li Ji, Boss, a Private at the seventh stage of Qi Condensation." I'm an accountant for the former Crimson Dragons."

Li Ji's Qi Aura was shoddy and thin for his stage, a 'unique' take on Yin Metal Qi attempted by someone who had no clue what they were doing. A case study of why creating one's own path was usually restricted to only the greatest geniuses.

"Well, Private Li Ji, how would you feel about being the head accountant in my new faction?"

"Oh- I would be honoured, Boss Meilu!"

"Good."

Bing Meilu calmly sipped on a cup of tea as the rest of the crimson dragons swore themselves to her, proudly proclaiming themselves "Bing Meilu's Faithful Slaves" Faction Members.

"Jiang Hu, tell me everything I need to know about the former Crimsons Dragons, as well as the other factions at Snake Port!"

---

Bing Meilu sipped her tea, as she thought. She was seated upon the throne formerly belonging to Jiang Hu in the rented dorm room that served as the home base of the former Crimson Dragon Faction.

The 'Port Snake' they were based at was actually the 70th Port Snake, one of many hundreds of 'Port Snake's that served as the Outer Sect portion of the 'Snake Fleet'. There were Twelve Zodiac Fleets, each in charge of a different portion of the Sky Swallowing Gulper Armada's territory.

Snake Fleet was in charge of the western side of the tip of the Bird Talon Continent, especially suppressing the demon beasts from the Deep Star Ravine, a danger zone of high importance.

In Seventieth Port Snake, there were many dozen unimportant factions ranging from containing Foundation Establishment Liutenants to Core Formation Captains.

Only four truly mattered, each backed by a Nascent Soul Commodore. It turned out that the factional infighting was actually a proxy war for the infighting of these four Commodores, the equivalent of an Outer Sect Elder.

Seventieth Port Snake existed for the 3rd Division of the Pirate Subduing Strike Force. A Division was headed by a Transcending Impurity Division Commander, the equivalent of an Inner Sect Elder. The third Division had four Squadrons, each one headed by a Nascent Soul Commodore

Blackheart Squadron headed by Commodore Daoist Black-Heartflame, Liyang Squadron headed by Commodore Liyang, Rampage Squadron headed by Commodore Rampage-Sword, and Tang Squadron, headed by Commodore Tang.

It turned out that the Division Commander was close to breaking through to the Saint Realm and would soon have to start grooming one of the four Commodores to be his successor, so the competition between each of the Squadrons was high, as they each attempted to gain the upper hand in authority to increase their chance of a promotion.

The various dozens of factions were almost all aligned with one of these four blocks, though in a loose sense. The Crimson Dragon Faction, for example, had been allied with the Rampage Squadron Faction. Though they mostly did their own thing, when the annual Faction Competition was held, they were expected to join in on the Rampage Faction's Side.

"So long as you have two or more people, politics comes into play," Bing Meilu complained. "I'll have to navigate things a bit more carefully since the situation is so tense. "

Would she continue to be allied with the Rampage Faction, as the successor to the Crimson Dragon Faction? Or perhaps hitch her cart to a better faction?

Well, all could be decided later. For now, she would focus on turning this ragtag group of failures into a force strong enough to be worth a damn.

All was going to plan.

---

Xia Xuefeng shook in fear as she was dangled over a deep black hole by two guards.

"Have fun in the Shadow Pit, filthy Demonic Cultivator!" one of them chuckled. "I'm sure you'll be quite popular."

Their grip released and she fell, screaming. She slammed into the bottom of a near completely lightless pit. Hundreds of feet above, a metal hatch was sealed with a hiss.

'You've got to be fucking kidding me! Why me?!'

Xia Xuefeng fearfully looked around, finding it hard to see even with her Qi-enhanced eyes. Moss and fungus choked the granite walls of a cave. Slugs lapped at the tiny slime moulds sitting atop rotting vines. Dozens of bones and human skulls adorned the floor.

'Heavens-'

She heard a chittering laugh in the distance, slowly heading toward her.

"Well, well well. Fresh Meat."

---

"No, you moron. When you cycle Qi through the seventh to the twentieth meridian, you have to keep it blocked off from the nineteenth. Why? Why else even have a circuit if you're just going to leak it back into your entire meridian channel!"

"Is that really your spear intent? My four-year-old brother has a more threatening will. Stab harder!"

"Did someone blackmail you into cultivating a manual this crappy or are you just stupid, Private Ji!? Cripple your own cultivation base and recultivate entirely!"

"You four! Why in the name of all that is holy would you use a Five Phases Elemental Formation with only four members? You couldn't find a wood cultivator? Either find a wood cultivator or you'll find my sword seven feet up your ass!"

Bing Meilu strode through the eighteen members of the 'Bing Meilu's Faithful Slaves' Factions, correcting them as they trained.

Some had a good foundation and simply needed to be pushed harder, such as the Spear Cultivator Private Xi Fu.

Some were close to success and needed slight alterations, like the 'Elemental Quad'.

Some were abject failures who needed to abandon their entire fighting style and start from scratch, like Private Ji, who somehow thought cultivating a method intended for Spirit Dogs would work on a human.

"Li Ji, how much in the way of resources do we have?" Bing Meilu asked her accountant.

"Ahh- we--aaah, have -uuh- seven- ahh- hundred-ahh spirit- aaaaaaah! Stones!" Li Lu gasped, body covered in sweat, as flames licked at his skin. "Can I- ahh take a break?"

"Not yet. We need to warm up your Metal Qi so it's malleable enough to be rerouted through your meridians. Unless you want to be stuck in Qi Condensation for the rest of a meagre and pathetic life, you'll put up with the flame."

"It huuuurts!"

"Pain is just weakness leaving the body... Except for when it isn't."

Xia Xuefeng Interlude 3

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 Xia Xuefeng Interlude 3

---

"Who's there?" Xia Xuefeng asked, with more confidence than she felt.

The chittering laugh rang out once more and a figure seemed to swell up from the shadows, a man appearing. He looked distinctly savage, covered in crude bone and leather armour.

"Just a hungry fellow…" the savage smirked. There was a leg in his hand covered in scraps of meat, that he gnawed from. It took her a moment to realize it was a human leg. "And I think I might have just found a meal."

She felt nauseous. Human meat? Cannibals? What the fuck was this place?

Demonic, unsettling qi issued from him, chilling her to the bone. This man was without a doubt one of the reviled 'demonic cultivators'... and he was in the fifth stage of Qi Condensation.

Xia Xuefeng blinked for a moment. Then, she began to laugh. The man looked at her in confusion for only a moment.

Her own Qi flared, a bloody red aura erupting around her, followed by the wailing of crucified souls. Eight Stage of Qi Condensation. She stepped forward threateningly. The savage man's eyes widened and he immediately fell to his knees, holding up his palms in surrender.

"Wait! Please, I had no clue I was speaking to a demonic cultivator of such means. I-I was only joking around a little- I wasn't going to do anything?" the man said, eyes widening with each step Xia Xuefeng took towards him. "You wouldn't h-hurt little old me, right? My master can compensate you for sparing me, he's also an eighth-stage cultivator, just like your esteemed self."

This was the first time she was clearly superior in cultivation in a situation like this. It was almost refreshing to be on the other end for once.

'What would Mistress Bing Meilu do in a situation like this?'

"Tell me your name." Xia Xuefeng ordered austerely as if she were some respectable expert and not a scared girl out of her comfort zone. She even clasped her hands behind her back to sell the image.

"I'm called Revenant Boneclub, your ladyship. A servant to Lord Revenant."

"Is that your birth name?"

"Uh… birthname? I guess not, but no one-"

"Tell me your birth name."

"I-I was born Li Fuyang."

"Alright, little Fuyang. Tell me about this place. I find myself in unfamiliar territory."

"Of course. This is the Shadow Pit. It's a holding ground for Demonic Cultivators like us. The Sect keeps demonic cultivators to be used as a challenge for their disciples in various ways. There are three tiers to the Pit. We in Qi Condensation are held in the first. Foundation Establishment cultivators are held in the second, and Core Formation cultivators are held in the final layer."

"Is there a way out of this place?"

"Unless you think you can take on the entirety of Port Snake and plan to kill your way out, no. "

"You said we are to be used as a challenge? Tell me how that works."

"They hold sect entrance trials, which often involve killing a demonic cultivator of a certain rank, in which case they'll grab some of us to do it. Or maybe a certain disciple needs a living human to test a technique against, we would be used as test dummies. Every decade or so they hold a 'hunt' and come in to thin out our numbers, with disciple rewarded for killing us."

Xia Xuefeng felt a headache building up. How could she be sent to such a miserable place? She felt a rising anger at the Sect for not giving her even the slightest chance to defend herself. She was sure there was some kind of misunderstanding. No way had Bing Meilu given her some illegal technique… right?

'This is bad! Even if I survive being in here from the inhabitants, I might still be killed when they hold a sect trial or thin us out!'

"What goes on when you aren't being used as a trial? How do you live?"

"Well, not all that different from any Demonic Sect," Fuyang shrugged. "Cept no one can leave."

'Am I supposed to know what that means? But if I seem too ignorant, I might out myself as not being an actual demonic cultivator!'

"And what are the particular powers and regions I should be aware of? How many demonic cultivators are there here?"

"Our population is probably somewhere in the low ten thousand. Most of us congregate in Night City. and there are also a few large towns and bases. The largest powers include The Samsara Revenants, which I'm a part of, led by Lord Revenant, in the eighth stage. Then there is the Flavoured Tongues Sect, which is headed by a ninth-stage cultivator, and the Xu Clan Auction House run by the old merchant in the tenth stage."

'Given this tier of the Shadow Pit is for only those in Qi Condensation, I'm actually amongst the strongest here. Thank the Gods. Hopefully, I can survive long enough to figure a way out.'

"Well, Fuyang, take me to your boss. If I'm going to be stuck in this pit, I should get to know the people in it."

"Of course."

Fuyang shakily walked through creeping caverns. Xia Xuefeng was utterly lost, as they strode through identical caves, filled with moss, slime and bones. Somehow Fuyang seemed to know where he was going.

Eventually, they reached a barricade, skulls set up with threatening signs painted on the walls in blood.

'Revenant Territory - Progress no further!'

Fuyang strode past the barricade confidently, and the girl followed.

The cave widened into a large waterlogged cavern, almost an underground pond. Glowing algae lit up the water enough to see with the unaided eye. In the center of the pond stood a ramshackle building, made of bones. Three people sat, playing cards by the outside. A man and woman in the seventh stage of Qi Condensation, and what looked to be a young child in the sixth.

Xia Xuefeng and Fuyang strode towards them. The savage waved cheerfully at the three. He suddenly jumped towards them.

"Guys! Attack!"

Xia Xuefeng blinked. Was he really-

A dagger of bone flew past her face as she narrowly dodged. Fuyang and the three other savages all drew their weapons, rushing toward the bewildered Xia Xuefeng.

"Hey! I spared your life!" Xia Xuefeng shouted, shocked at his 'outrageous' betrayal.

The man in the seventh stage, wielding a long sharpened bone sword, slashed at her, cleaving a trail of bloody-red energy through the air. Xia Xuefeng narrowed her eyes, hot embers of anger lighting within her.b

Her body trembled as the crosses within her Dantian shuddered, blood-red qi flooding out of her body and forming a swirling whirlpool.

'Battle Art - Blood Demon's Whirlwind.'

The slash of bloody energy was pulled into her swirling red whirlwind, only growing it in size. The horrifying sound of crucified souls filled the air as Xia Xuefeng's Qi flooded through her body, causing her to glow with a crimson inner light.

Xia Xuefeng exploded forward, ripping through the air. Her foot smashed into Fuyang's face, and she felt his neck snap backwards. Xia Xuefeng was only three stages above him in cultivation, but with a divine-level manual, the difference in strength was like Heaven and Earth.

Blood spurted from his cracked neck, rich with Qi and life essence. A horrifyingly powerful hunger filled her, but she pushed it down. There was no way she'd consume human blood. She was no fucking cannibal.

Decisively she spun around to face the sword-wielding man. He lunged at her, his bone sword glowing white with sharp Qi.

Meanwhile, the bone dagger-wielding woman attacked from the other side. her blades elongated into swords of shadow. Two attacks from seventh-stage cultivators was not something a normal eighth-stage could just ignore.

A normal eight-stage cultivator.

'Battle Art - Red Lotus Dress'

Blood poured from Fuyang's corpse, filling her mudstained robe and hardening. The bone sword and shadow knives slammed into her dress and slid off uselessly.

Xia Xuefeng's two hands shot out like vipers, wrapping around the wrist of both enemies. She tossed them through the air, watching as they slammed into the rock walls of the cave with explosive cracks.,

Now she-

Now she should commit suicide.

Xia Xuefeng blinked.

Now she should commit suicide.

Of course. It was the natural next step in the fight. A nail of blood-qi formed in her hand and she lifted it to her throat, smiling. Fuyang had seemed to think he could trick her, but she seemed to be winning this easily.

Now she should commit suicide.

There was hauntingly beautiful music playing, a flute. Listening to such music was almost inspiring. It made her really want to do the right thing. Take her own life.

Her sharpened nail pressed up into the flesh of her neck, pushing through skin and drawing blood. She paused. Something felt off.

"Of course! My dress is in the way."

Her Red Lotus Dress would only get in the way of her committing suicide. She should take it off.

Then why had I put in on in the first place? I mean, a battle skill I learned from a godlike cultivation manual can't be bad, right?

Everyone will feel let down if she didn't die. Is that really the reputation she wanted? She should commit suicide.

Xia Xuefeng's head was ringing painfully. She knew Qi could reinforce the body in all sorts of ways, so she automatically flooded her body with Qi, attemtping to banish the pain.

Her Qi slammed into something near the meridians of her head. A clawing, vile, cold Qi. The Qi attempted to push her back, and instinctually she crushed it, the Thirty-Six blood-crosses in her Dantian erupting with bloody energy that ripped through her meridians like a geyser, pushing out every impurity.

Xia Xuefeng blinked, eyes focusing on the sight of a small child frantically playing his flute. Ghostly Yin qi flooded from it in thin strings, attempting to latch onto her. Looking closer, she could see it was malformed. Not a child, perhaps not even human.

Battle Art - Impaling Nail of the Crucifix

Her nail quietly flew through the air, like a silent punishment from Heaven, it slammed into the tiny midget, nailing his hand to the stone of the cave. It let loose a blood-curdling scream, sobbing, sounding every bit like a small child who had hurt themselves.

She felt a wave of guilt and motherly instinct, she should stop-

Xia Xuefeng once more cleansed herself with her Qi. That was it. Two nails formed in her hands, growing in size until they resembled hellish spears of blood. They ripped forward, stabbing through the air.

The spears slammed into the creature's throat and lungs.

"No more music for you then," Xia Xuefeng spat, eyes burning.

The sword-wielding man and knife-wielding woman were both laying unconscious where she'd thrown them on the wall. Enhancing her sight, Xia Xuefeng narrowed her eyes. Playing dead?

She formed four Impaling nails and fired them, two each, at the 'knocked out' enemies.

They both exploded with motion, jumping out of the way. Hastily the man pulled out a red talisman from his pocket and shattered it.

"Lord Revenant, we need immediate reinforcement. An eight-stage cultivator, Fuyang and Lili are dead."

A moment later, she felt a powerful Qiu in the eighth stage erupt from the building in the center of the pond.

"How dare you interrupt my cultivation?" a voice imperiously shouted.

A man in a tattered black robe jumped out the window of the fortress, body covered in black and white fog. He caught sight of the blood-covered Xia Xuefeng and roared angrily.

"I'll kill you!"

Lord Revenant, who was in the eighth stage of Qi Cultivation, leaped towards her, palms outstreched like bony claw, misty light swirling around him. His qi was spectral and ghostly, like an undead come to life.

Xia Xuefeng lengthened a Nail of Crucifixion into a spear and stabbed it forward. His hands and her spear crashed together, knocking them both back. A moment later she slashed her spear like a staff, blocking yet another frenzied claw attack.

'I'm faster than him,' Xia Xuefeng thought. 'And stronger. But I'm low on Qi from the fight earlier. If it's one on one, I might win-'

Both of the seventh-rank cultivators from earlier charged her, together with Lord Revenant.

Xia Xuefeng knew that the cultivation manual Bing Meilu had given her, the Bllod Anthem of the Crucified, was something very ancient and powerful. The Sealing mark within her attested to its deep origins. If she was at full Qi capacity, she was confident she could beat even these three.

Sadly, she was not. She would have to consume blood to power herself... and the only blood here was human. Xia Xufeng gulped in disgust and unwillingness.

"I guess I am going to be a fucking cannibal!"

Chapter 28: Missing Comrade

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Chapter 28: Missing Comrade

.

---

Bing Meilu was not starting to worry about Xia Xuefeng because people of her stature did not 'worry'. However, she was beginning to feel professional concern for her young companion.

It had already been more than three days since Bing Meilu took control of the BMFS Faction and yet she saw no sign of her wayward servant. She had sent Xia Xuefeng out to collect resources to cultivate and then went into secluded cultivation herself. Yet when she awoke nearly a week later, Xia Xuefeng was nowhere to be seen, nor had she returned in the last three days.

"Li Ji, I need you to find someone for me." Bing Meilu turned to address her faction accountant, Li Ji.

The Yin Metal cultivator was turning out to be something of a fixer, and personal assistant for her. For a mortal, Li Ji was sharp-witted and creative, able to solve problems with minimal instruction. He always seemed very eager to get work done with the utmost haste, a personality trait Bing Meilu valued highly in her subordinates.

"Might I have some details, Your Holiness?" he asked, wiping sweat from his head with a damp handkerchief.

He had taken to calling her that ever since she had personally remade his cultivation. Li Ji had the novel idea of routing a permanent formation of yin metal qi through his meridians. For a mortal, it was a very creative idea, and if executed properly, could have been extremely powerful. If executed properly.

Sadly for him, such a feat was not something any mortal could just figure out on their own. Luckily for him, Bing Meilu was around to help. As fire made metal malleable, she was able to melt down and reroute the metal in his meridians, to a formation that actually provided benefits.

It was a simplified version of the Chillocosmic Jade Tributaries Convergence, a manual popular amongst merchants in certain higher realms. Powerful enough to ingratiate him, without being implausible for her to have found in the Moon Crying Swan Palace as a Prime Elder's disciple.

"Of course..."

---

Li Ji stepped out of Bing Meilu's throneroom, wiping the sweat from his head.

"Another job already?" Xi Fu, who was guarding the door, asked and Li Ji nodded sullenly.

"Man, what a slave driver..." the spearman sighed.

"Don't say that so loud, she might hear you." Li Ji hissed.

Xi Fu shuddered at the thought. Neither had been able to eat or sleep in the three days since Bing 'The Ice Demon' Meilu had taken over the Crimson Dragons Faction. Constant training, work and bitter cultivation. She seemed to take a perverse pleasure in pushing them all to their absolute limit.

"The quicker I get this done, the sooner she'll forget I exist again," Li Ji consoled himself. "Now, where do I start?"

---

"I have found your person of interest, your holiness!" Li Ji reported, to Bing Meilu.

She silently nodded to the kowtowing man, and he handed her his report, which she promptly read over.

'A demonic cultivator of the eighth stage of Qi Condensation, Xia Xuefeng was found in the vicinity of Port Snake covered in blood, and apprehended by Captain Ji Longyi. She was convicted of Demonic Cultivation and imprisoned in the Shadow Pit, a holding ground for such people.'

Bing Meilu raised an eyebrow, frowning slightly.

'Demonic Cultivation? Impossible,' she thought, bewildered. 'I personally oversaw her cultivation myself. I refuse to believe the measly Heavens of this world would dare penalize her cultivation method, given its origins!'

"Who is this Ji Longyi who had my servant arrested?" Bing Meilu asked, voice serious.

"Captain Ji Longyi is a genius at the sixth stage of Core Formation and the second stage of Vein Widening. He's the grandson of the Division Commander and is expected to reach Nascent Soul within the decade."

"Which faction is he aligned with?"

"None, your holiness. He has a small circle of sworn brothers who he fights with, but he is not a part of any of the four squadrons."

"Hmmph. Bring me more information on this 'Shadow Pit' prison."

"...Yes your holiness. Right away."

The metal cultivator strode away after bowing.

---

"Captain Ji Longyi huh? To dare falsely imprison my own servant? What utter gall!"

Bing Meilu retrieved a vial of ice from within her dress. It was filled with a thick crimson fluid, the Essence Blood she had taken from Xia Xufeng when she'd first accepted the girl's loyalty.

Carefully Bing Meilu extracted a small amount of the Essence Blood with a thin needle of ice. before putting the vial away. She stepped outside her throneroom, where the spear cultivator Xi Fu was standing guard.

"Spearman, do you have any Message Tablets?" the young girl asked.

Xi Fu nodded hesitantly.

"Um, yes Boss."

"Give me one."

"I'm afraid all the ones I have are already aspected to people-"

"That's fine," Bing Meilu waved her hand dismissively. "Just give me any random one."

Xi Fu hesitantly nodded, blushing. He pulled a carven slip of jade from his belt and handed it to his faction leader. The name engraved into it was 'Sweetbuns'. Either the martial name of a formidable cultivator from the Dao of Chefs or more likely, the pet name of a paramour.

Bing Meilu strode back into her throne room. She placed the drop of Essence Blood onto the message talisman and got to work re-directing it. The ice cultivator was not exactly an expert in formations... for a Celestial. She of course knew exactly how to manipulate magical items of the mortal realms.

Bing Meilu recorded her message, before pouring Qi into the talisman to activate it. She frowned. There must be an anti-message barrier around this prison because the tablet had not been activated. Sighing, the girl opened her sect map, found the location of the entrance to the Shadow Pit, and briskly made her way in that direction.

Walking through the sect, she found herself heading towards a large single-story building of stone. Two halberd-wielding guards sat at the front of the building, both in the fifth stage of Qi Condensation. It seemed that the sect gave little importance to guarding the building, given such weak cultivators were there. Most likely they were just random Privates hired to keep watch and the real 'guarding' was done by powerful Formations that acted automatically. Bing Meilu stepped up to one of the guards, snapping her fingers.

"Guard, I have a message tablet for one of the prisoners. Move aside so I can send it in."

The guard blinked in confusion, looking down at the small child imperiously staring up at him.

"Hello little miss, I don't know if that's allowed-"

"I did not see any rule against it in the sect handbook."

"Yes but-"

"If there is no rule against it, it is allowed. Move aside." Bing Meilu spoke slowly as if explaining a simple idea to a particularly slow child

"Look girl I can't just-"

"What's your name? I'll need to know it for when I file a complaint for unlawful obstruction of a permitted activity."

The guard inhaled deeply, as if to say 'I don't get paid enough for this shit' and stepped aside while rolling his eyes. As Bing Meilu's master, Prime Elder Hai Yu, always said, if at first you don't get what you want, harass the underpaid workers until they give in to your demands. A flawless strategy.

Bing Meilu entered the building. There was a simple spartan interior. a metal grate covered a hole in the ground, where countless demonic cultivators had no doubt been tossed into over the years. It was honestly surprising how low level the security was. Then again this was in the middle of the sect. Even if a demonic cultivator from within managed to make his way up, he'd need to fight through multiple Nascent Soul level cultivators to escape Port Snake.

Bing Meilu casually dropped the message jade through the bars, activating it with a burst of Qi. The jade tablet shattered into scintillating crystals, before flying off into the dark pit. Satisfied with her work, she left the prison entrance and headed back to the BMFS Faction dorm room.

---

The Bing Meilu's faithful slaves' faction had eighteen members, nineteen if you counted Bing Meilu.

Jiang Hu, the former leader. His Qi Cultivation was at the fifth stage of Foundation Establishment, and his Body Cultivation was at the seventh stage of the Lung Vitization Realm. That was the first realm of Body Cultivation and the equivalent of Qi Condensation for Qi cultivation.

There were two more Foundation Establishment cultivators, one in the first stage and one in the third stage. Neither was particularly impressive, so Bing Meilu called them by number.

Jiang Hu was slave one, the third stage lieutenant was slave two, the first stage lieutenant was slave three and so on.

There were fifteen cultivators in the First Realm, notable was Xi Fu, a decently talented spear cultivator Bing Meilu had begun to groom, Li Ji her right-hand man, and Private Ji, whose name she only remembered because of how exceptionally stupid he was. Everyone else she also referred to by number.

Presently, all eighteen faithful slaves were lined up before her in an empty training field, each working on an assigned task as she inspected.

Number twelve, in the fifth stage of Qi Condensation, was whacking rocks with a wooden mallet.

"Slave twelve hit harder. It's a hammer, not your grandmother's treasured jade vase. You'll never master the Twelve Hammers of Alecto with such a limp wrist! The explosive release is the key!"

"Private Ji, for Heaven's sake- that better not be a goddamned Spirit Dog Medicinal Orb. What did I tell you last time!?"

"Um, sorry Boss- I thought it might help?"

"...Why?!"

---

Satisfied with her slaves were all training properly, Bing Meilu returned to her throne room. From the shadows, a man slunk out, his sickly body fading into the dark background.

"How are you doing Zhang?" Bing Meilu asked.

"My injuries have been managed," the crippled Core Formation shrugged, his beady eyes piercing into her. "You seem to be having fun with this little faction of yours."

"I assure you I take my duty to my slaves with the utmost gravity." Bing Meilu smiled.

"I would prefer you focus on cultivating and don't waste time on them. I don't see what you need from them?"

Translation: Reach Core Formation as fast as possible so you can heal my injuries!

"Nothing I do is a waste of time, Zhang. Why do you think I decided to take over a faction?"

"Was it out of your boundless magnanimity?" the man chuckled.

"Not quite. Subordinates are extremely useful tools. They can defeat enemies for you, gather resources, deter attacks and more. If I want my cultivation to be smooth sailing, having a powerful force to my name will be very beneficial. With my tutelage, even untalented curs like the former Crimson Dragons can be forged into an effective fighting force. From there one, they can be used as a base upon which a proper faction can be built, on that will serve to filter huge amounts of resources up the faction hierarchy to aid in my cultivation. Imagine ten thousand cultivators each giving you five percent of the wealth they acquire. Wouldn't ascension be guaranteed?"

"Not to mention that my sheer talent will attract the eyes of many. The lone genius is often struck down, while the young master with a dozen thugs often is left alone. Gathering a powerful force will serve to keep me safer while I increase my own personal power."

"You seem to have this all planned out well," Zhang drawled. "But what if the more established factions take offence to your rising power?"

"And that Zhang, is where the next step of my plan is going to come in," a rare smile graced the calm girl's lips. "Becoming the loyal dogs of a stronger faction!"

Multi-interlude 1

Any corrections or criticisms are welcome, I hope you enjoy Multi-interlude 1

---

Copper Shell Breathing Method

...The breath is the heart and soul. It is the origin of the life of numerous mortals. Without breath, one cannot move, work or even think.

Such an important aspect is the one thing we do not train to become better at. The farmer child is taught the secrets of farming, the blacksmith child is taught the secrets of metalworking, then why not the breathing child taught how to breathe?

Your lungs are but Copper Shells and greatness dwells within. In for three paces, then out for two, then in for five, then out for five- all things in accordance with the Liangyi.

The breath of the universe shall gather in the sea of spirit within...

---

Zhang Yi blinked, rubbing his eyes as he attempted to parse the text in the low moonlight. He did not understand most of it, to be honest. But there was a clear set of instructions.

He breathed in for three paces, out for two, in for five, out for five. Slowly but surely the black-haired boy followed the instructions. After a long moment, he began to feel silly. Nothing seemed to be happening.

However, Zhang Yi had seen firsthand the magical powers of the kidnapper. This method had to work. So he continued, sitting cross-legged under the tree, breathing. In for three, out for two, in for five, out for five.

A welling sense of disappointment continued to rise within him. He felt no mystical power gathering within him or any sudden enlightenment. Perhaps he had misunderstood how long this process would take? He redoubled and resolve. Even if it took him a hundred years of breathing, he would become immortal eventually!

What Zhang Yi did not notice was a slight blue haze gathering around the Copper Coin keepsake he always kept around his neck, left to him by his grandfather before the old man was mysteriously killed.

---

Xia Xuefeng leapt backwards, narrowly dodging the charge of the two seventh-stage enemies. She dashed leftwards, flinging herself to the wall of the cave, where the impaled childlike corpse of 'Lili' lay. Fresh blood dripped from the stab wounds to her vision, nearly glowing with blood-Qi. After all, Lili was a sixth-stage cultivator, and his blood was rich with thrumming power ripe to be swallowed.

A rich bloody scent suffused the air, and the world seemed to slow as she inhaled. She shuddered. The scent was rich and bloody and metallic and oh-so-wonderful and perfect. From within her Datian, the thirty-six blood-crosses trembled with intense hunger. The Qi-rich blood of a cultivator would be filled with incredible power.

Xia Xuefeng bit her lip, conflicted and guilt-ridden.

'This is horrible. This is disgusting,' she admitted. 'But I have no choice. Surely the Heavens will understand, right?'

She flexed her cultivation, the blood around Lili's body swirled, pouring into her body through her skin. Xia Xuefeng moaned aloud as an intense ecstasy rippled through every cell of her body. The qi-rich blood poured through her meridians, pumping her with intense vitality.

The blood seemed to shudder and pull away from her, as if terrified. Unlike the beast-blood she had previously used, it seemed to have some kind of will and conscience, enough to resist her devouring. Xia Xuefeng smiled deliriously, as her Qi crushed whatever remnant of Lili's soul was resisting her devouring.

Without any resistance, the blood eagerly poured into her. It swirled within her, forming blood cross after blood cross.

Yet, beyond that, there was something else. A burning, tingling energy filled her, pouring through every meridian of her body. A strange Qi that Xia Xuefeng did not recognize.

"Stop her!" Lord Revenant shouted angrily.

He leaped through the air at Xia Xuefeng, palms stretched out in a vicious claw formation as spectral black and white mist formed skeletal claws around his hands.

Xia Xuefeng, nearly drunk from the ecstatic pleasure melting through her, barely reacted. Thirty-Nine blood crosses, forty blood crosses...

Lord Revenant Claw smashed into her side with a crack. Her body twisted as it was slammed backwards, into the gray rock of the cave. A Yin-chill lingered around her left wing, and the girl gasped, the pain forcing her back into clarity.

Battle Art - Impaling Nail of the Crucifix

A nail of blood extended from her hand, twisting into the shape of a spear. Eerily, the young girl seemed to float towards Lord Revenant as she thrust. The eight-stage cultivator sneered in disdain, smashing his spectral claws forward to block her spear.

Shrcchhh!

Instead of the clang of weapon against weapon- the ripping sound of a spear tearing through flesh resounded through the cave. Xia Xuefeng's Nail of the Crucifix ripped forward of its own volition, ramming through the air directly into his eye and impaling his brain into the stone cave behind.

The attack was of such speed and force no one in Qi Condensation should have been capable of unleashing it. A battle skill of this strength would normally be reserved for one in Foundation Establishment. The sad truth was that despite decades of combat experience and intense training, Lord Revenant was simply far weaker than Xia Xuefeng.

How could he not be when she cultivated the Blood Moon Spectral God's Anthem of the Crucified, an ancient tome of divine power taken from a shattered battlefield lined with the corpses of ancient felled gods? It was his misfortune to meet such an unreasonable occurrence.

Xia Xuefeng had been lucky enough to meet Bing Meilu, lucky enough to recognize swearing her loyalty to the girl would be a good idea, and lucky enough to be compatible with the cultivation manual of a mighty God from the distant past. Lord Revenant struggled for only a moment more, as blood and eye fluid bits dripped from his impaled socket. Then he fell still.

The whole clash lasted barely a few seconds. Xia Xuefeng did not allow her victory to distract her, as she ducked under the bone-white sword of the seventh stage man.

She could see his expression break into terrified fear as he caught sight of his master dead and hanging from the cave wall, held up only by the spear in his eye. A dozen feet away, his comrade, the knife-wielding woman, began to run to the exit of the large cave they were in with a frantic speed.

Powerful Qi hummed through her legs and the young girl leapt through the air as a blur, rocks cracking from the force of her jump. Her foot smashed into the knife-wielders back with a horrific cracking sound, as the woman's spine was folded in half and her flesh pulped. She could not even scream, only gasp uselessly as her lungs were eviscerated by the force of the kick.

Xia Xuefeng slowly turned to stare at the one remaining foe, the sword-wielding man. A grim, bitter smile split his face.

"I guess it was going to happen inevitablyyy-arrghhh~"

With a crack, the man fell to the ground dead and Xia Xufeng began to feed.

Blood swirled through the entire cave as the four corpses were completely exsanguinated, rivers of red light swirling and pouring into the girl. Cross after cross of blood appeared within her Dantian. At the same time, once more that same strange burning Qi poured through her alongside the blood of the four demonic cultivators, increasing in density and power.

Forty-one, forty-two, forty-three, forty-four, forty-five.

Ninth Stage of Qi Condensation. The sound of screaming souls filled the air as Xia Xuefeng broke through the next realm. But she was not done yet. More and more of the rich, bloody energy poured into her.

Forty-six, forty-seven, forty-eight.

Finally, the cave fell silent, and four desiccated corpses fell to the ground. The black-haired girl inhaled deeply, body thrumming with power. Seven more crosses and she would reach the peak of Qi Condensation.

---

Xia Xuefeng sat silently on the cold cave floor, staring at the glowing moss with empty eyes. Today had- today she had killed a person. A human being.

Today she had eaten someone.

Someone with hopes and dreams and a soul. Just like her. She didn't know how to think or how to react. All she could feel was gnawing, horrifying guilt and shame.

How would her old friends react if they knew she had drained every last drop of blood from a human corpse and drank it and that she'd liked it too much-

She felt dirty and sick and unclean. There was no blood staining her skin because she had devoured all of it. In a sense, it was almost worse. At least if bloodstains physically covered her she could wash them off. Instead, the red stain of her crime was locked away within her Dantian, pumping away through her meridian system, a defilement she could not wash away.

"Xia Xuefeng!"

The girl blinked, looking up in confusion. A hazy image of Bing Meilu stared down at her imperiously, formed from a cloud of glowing jade dust.

Was that real or had she started to go insane?

"This is a pre-recorded message I've sent you so don't bother talking back. I've just found out about your imprisonment and am supremely displeased. I assure you I will secure your return with the utmost haste and that whoever is behind the false imprisonment will be punished in due time. I have full confidence that you will be able to keep safe until such a time, given the strength of your cultivation method. The Shadow Pit segregates between the first and second realms, so you should be fine so long as you don't push yourself to Foundation Establishment and get taken to the next level of the prison. "

Xia Xuefeng scoffed, feeling a worm of resentment bite at her. Wasn't she here because of the cultivation technique Bing Meilu had given her? What the hell was going on with that?

"Besides that, this is in fact a perfect location for you to cultivate. Demonic Cultivators are perfect resources to be devoured by you and I'm sure you'll quickly reach the peak of Qi Condensation!"

Xia Xuefeng angrily threw a rock through the jade-green cloud. Had Bing Meilu seriously just encouraged her to kill and eat people for power? What the fuck was wrong with her? Did she seriously not understand how horrible this was?

'Not to mention giving me a demonic cultivation method in the first place. This is all her damn fault!'

"Now, since I know you're a bit less educated on the world of cultivation, allow me to assure you that the Anthem of the Crucifed is not a Demonic Cultivation Manual and you've not committed any crimes. Though it seems the fools who run the court system of this sect don't understand that. Once everything is properly investigated, you should be free shortly."

"How the fuck is it not a demonic cultivation method? I just drank four people, Bing Meilu!" the girl uselessly shouted at the recording.

"A demonic cultivation method is a cursed technique that allows one to quickly acquire power at the cost of karmic sin and the displeasure of Heaven, often by the devouring of mortals or other such rituals of defilement that purposely violate natural law for power. However, the Anthem of the Crucified is the technique left behind by a God. That is to say, the measly Heavens of the Jade Sparrow World would not dare give you karmic sin just for using it. That would be akin to a local mayor giving the Crown Prince a fine. So long as you do not devour human beings with it you will not accrue Karmic Sin and thus are not a demonic cultivator!"

"That would have been good to know before I ate those people!" Xia Xuefeng scoffed. "Am I just fucked no-"

"Now, be sure to remember Demonic Cultivators do not count as 'humans' so far as the Heavens are concerned. In fact, killing them and using them as a resource is the obligation of all orthodox Cultivators. If you devour or kill any Demonic Cultivators, you will actually receive karmic merit from the Heavens, a potent thing that has countless uses. It is the reward from Natural Law for purging the world of such parasites."

'Karmic Merit? Is that what that burning energy was?' the girl thought, bewildered at the whiplash revelations.

"However, you must be very careful. While Karmic Merit is very useful, it is ultimately a shackle, like all karma. Every drop of it you use is a debt you will have to repay Heaven if you wish to transcend karma and ascend to a higher realm. I would recommend only using it if absolutely necessary."

With that, the pre-recorded message faded, leaving the bewildered girl alone on the cold cave floor.

Chapter 29: Snake Demon

There were four main disciple factions in 70th Port Snake. The Blackheart Faction, the Liyang Faction, the Rampage Faction, and the Tang Faction. Each of these was effectively backed by one of the port's four Nascent Soul Commodores, the equivalent of an Outer Elder in the Moon Crying Swan Palace. 3rd Division Commander Ji Tianfang was not far from the Saint Realm. When he began his ascension, he would be promoted to Strike Force Commander, leaving the position of 3rd Division Commander open for the taking. Whomever of the four Commodores was selected for the position would receive a huge increase in resources, more than enough to escape Nascent Soul and reach the Transcending Impurity Realm.

As such, competition between the four groups was fierce, as they sought to acquire status and power for their faction. There were the formal annual faction contests, and countless informal power struggles and secret battles. If asked, most would say that new disciples should stay well out of the factional warfare. It was simply too dangerous for Qi Condensation newbies, or even those in the lower levels of Foundation Establishment. However, Bing Meilu planned to throw herself into the deep end of the conflict.

Why? Simple: Power and resources. Conflict necessitated risk, but those who were victoriously reaped the rewards.

"The question is simply which golden thigh to hug," the girl pondered.

There were effectively two options. The former Crimson Dragons had been allied with the Rampage Faction. Therefore no one would find it strange if 'Bing Meilu's Faithful Slaves' Faction, their successor, simply continued such a relationship. The other option was the Blackheart Faction, which was currently the most powerful of the four.

'I'll stick with the Rampage Faction. While the Blackheart may be a bit stronger, any faction I support is guaranteed victory. Meanwhile, those who defected from another group are often reviled and mistrusted even by those they joined. A traitor once can be a traitor twice after all.'

The fact Bing Meilu herself had never personally been an ally of the Rampage Squadron would not stop her from being seen as a turncoat, which would draw unwanted retaliation from Rampage and even mistrust from Blackheart. It was then clear sticking with the Rampage Faction was the best idea.

"The first thing to do is work up the strength of our faction, both of my slaves and myself, to a sufficient degree of strength."

"Are you sure this is a wise idea?" Zhang asked, sighing. "I know you're a young, hot-blooded cultivator, but being cautious is not a vice. You could just stay out of this and peacefully cultivate."

The resigned sigh he gave indicated not even the Core Formation expected his words would be persuasive. He was correct.

"I know what I'm doing," the girl assured him. "Besides, the faster I can grow in power, the faster you'll get the medicine you need."

If she'd been the type, she would have laughed at the irony of being lectured on the follies of youth by a cultivator not even in the Deathless realm.

Zhang nodded tiredly, sighing as he left Bing Meilu alone in her throne room. Physically only eleven years of age, she was dwarfed by the throne, constructed for the massively muscled body of Jiang Hu, former leader of the Crimson Dragons. As far as she was concerned, that only meant the chair had more legroom.

She hopped down from the comically oversized seat of power, making her way out of the factional headquarters with a confident stride. Through the wide open field upon which the many buildings in the compound were built she walked, until she arrived back at the dorm room initially assigned to her and Xia Xuefeng.

Now that she no longer needed the place, she could move her items out of it. Bing Meilu did not actually have much to her name by the time she arrived in Port Snake. Mostly some random trinkets, clothing and money she picked up along her trip from the northern tip of the Bird Talon Continent.

As she picked up several bags, she caught sight of a large block of red ice with a snake wriggling inside. Blinking, Bing Meilu remembered. She had captured this snake demon when it had sneak attacked her in the Flesh Mountains, using the technique Frozen Blood Prison Art. She'd been busy with cultivating and then finding XIa Xuefeng so the thing had simply... slipped her mind.

"Well then little Demon, looks like your time has come," Bing Meilu muttered.

She picked it up, noticing the way its eyes rapidly blinked and turned to stare at her, with burning malice. It felt almost... human-like. Her instinct told her there was something unusual about the scaled beast, and to a cultivator, such instincts were not something easily ignored.

"Yet I can't tell what could possibly be special about you," the girl shrugged. "To my eyes, you seem like any pathetic demon in the Qi Condensation Realm."

The snake aggressively blinked several times, slit eyes boring a hole into her. It was almost as if it could understand her and was angry at the dreaming insult... That was unlikely but, well... stranger things had happened.

"Hmm? Disagree? Are you not just a stupid, useless little beast?"

The snake began to furiously trash, and hiss in rage. A curious light appeared in the girl's eyes.

"You realize you've just given away you can understand human speech, right?"

The snake froze, staring up at her with wide eyes. It knew it had screwed up, it seemed. Bing Meilu smiled.

"Always interesting to find anomalies. A demon usually does not achieve wisdom until the Nascent Soul realm, and even then it is a simple, bestial intelligence. Understanding human language at the Qi Condensation Realm makes you a special find... I guess I can always find a use for a tamed Beast."

Bing Meilu's Qi began to pour into the serpent, completely overwhelming it.

----

Aiwa Satsushi struggled as a burning frost ripped its way through his meridians. His limp, injured Cultivation base could barely muster the force to slow down, let alone stop the infiltration. Fury and terror in equal parts churned within his tiny snake chest.

Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Minor)!

Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Minor)! x2

Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Minor)! x3

Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Moderate)!

Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Moderate)! x2

Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Moderate)! x3

Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Major)!

Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Major)! x2

Status Effect Gained: Internal Qi Infiltration(Major)! x3

Where had it all gone wrong for the human-turned-Snake Demon? Not a few weeks ago he lurked in the bountiful gardens of the Flesh Mountains, hunting caravans for points to fund his 'Demon Beast System'.

There he had been, peacefully minding his own business when hunting when the blasted bitch had appeared.

Bing Meilu! Rage coursed through his heart at the sight. However she was, she was certainly important. He would not have been offered a 'story quest' to kill her. Yet somehow she had managed to survive and even capture him, circumventing every seemingly foolproof plan.

'Just wait! When I'm out of here!' he raged.

System Warning! Debilitating effect 'Beast Slave Contract' is building up. 10%

System Warning! Debilitating effect 'Beast Slave Contract' is building up. 20%

White hot fear lanced through the serpent's heart. This could not be happening. There was no fucking way.

System Warning! Debilitating effect 'Beast Slave Contract' is building up. 30%

System Warning! Debilitating effect 'Beast Slave Contract' is building up. 40%

System Warning! Debilitating effect 'Beast Slave Contract' is building up. 50%

'Stop! Stop! Fucking stop! Please, God, Buddha, anyone? I promise I'll do whatever, just don't let this happen!' he screamed internally.

Aiwa was destined for greatness. He was chosen out of all of humanity, to be reborn in this strange new world, to be the host to this system. Surely he could be enslaved here, right? That wasn't his chosen fate. It couldn't be.

'System! There has to be a way to stop this? Is there anything?'

There was no response, and Aiwa could only despondently watch as the bar ticked up.

60%

70%

80%

90%

95%

99%

100%

His system cheerfully chimed. Aiwa regretted setting it to that sound.

The debilitating effect 'Beast Slave Contract' has been activated. User 'Aiwa Satsushi' now has the status effect 'Slave Contract' with Owner: 'Bing Meilu'.

Class: 'Nightstalker +3' forcibly changed to: 'Tamed Beast'

Name Aiwa Satsushi forcibly changed to 'Name Pending'

Contract Effects:

1: Tamed Beast may never disobey the Owner

2: Tamed Beast can never attack the Owner

3: Tamed Beast and Owner form a spiritual link

---

Bing Meilu raised an eyebrow as the beast-taming method took hold, subjugating the white-scaled serpent. A mental link formed, information flooding into her. She could sense its corporeal form, only a few feet from her, riddled with injuries and shattered meridians. It appeared the creature had been more powerful in the past, only to have lost its cultivation base? That might explain its unique spirituality to some degree.

Even more concerning was the molten copper Qi etched into the beast's Dantian. She would of course recognize anywhere the vile, esoteric Qi that made up a Sealing Mark created by a Demon from the depths of the Underworld.

She had, after all, used the very same thing to sacrifice her Heaven and Earth to become a Paragon.

Chapter 30: The Sealing Mark

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 30: The Sealing Mark

---

It had really not been long since that day. Bing Meilu had been at the Peak of the Celestial Realm, the Birthing Dao Realm, for eons. Her cultivation, which had one blazed forward unimpeded had become utterly stagnant.

She, of course, knew the cause. Though she may have been a rare genius Bing Meilu had arisen from the mortal world, had ascended upon a hodgepodge foundation of various mortal quality cultivation techniques. Those critical flaws in her foundation had come back to bite her.

Where before she had comfortably breezed past her enemies in cultivation, now they had begun to catch up to her. It was utterly unfair. She was better than them in every other way, smarter, more talented, more ruthless, more dedicated. Her only failure had been the bad luck to be born in a lower realm. Had she been given the resources and backing of her many rivals, she'd perhaps have been a God already.

It was then in a moment of weakness, a Demon had approached her, offering an accord. A method by which she could finally reach the Paragon Realm. A Sealing Mark that could be used to unleash her true potential and ascend to the realm so long denied to her. Her stagnant cultivation would rush forward. Only, Bing Meilu had not properly understood the consequences of such a ritual. Such a thing demanded a heavy price, her Inner World, the Heaven and Earth birthed within her form that marked her as being of the Celestial Realm, was burnt to cinders.

The potent sacrifice had roused the will of an ancient Devil God, whose very presence had annihilated everything around her. Her sect, her junior sisters and all her disciples. No doubt it was a step in some esoteric and treacherous plot of the Underworld. Unwilling to let such an event occur, Bing Meilu had used the might of her Paragon status to send herself back in time, to change the future.

Now, blazing with heretical power, was another such Sealing Mark, of the same make. The molten bronze symbol twisted and turned, vile and laced with Demonic Qi. Bing Meilu's eyes narrowed and she inhaled shakily.

'Something like this cannot have been present in the original Bird Talon Continent. It is not possible! The presence of such a thing would have drastically altered the flow of history.' the girl realized. 'That can only mean that my arrival here has allowed its existence!'

This was the second major change she'd noticed, after the mysterious destruction of her old sect, the Moon Crying Swan Palace. At this point, it was overwhelmingly clear that outside forces were meddling in her world.

It should not really be feasible for higher beings to intervene in the lower realms like this. There were natural laws and providence that prevented such things. If one wanted to push their way in, against natural law, The Heavenly Dao would force them to pay a heavy price.

Bing Meilu had lost her entire cultivation base, of the realm of Paragon, just to return herself to the Bird Talon Continent, and she was actually from it. A Demon from the Underworld should be forced to pay an even higher price and there was simply nothing worth said price in the lower realms.

Theories poured through her mind. It was entirely possible that her transgression of the Dao of Time had essentially created Cassus Beli for higher beings to interfere more drastically in the lowers worlds. Bing Meilu cursed her low cultivation. At her current stage, she could no longer feel the Natural Laws of Heaven or Earth. She would have to step into the Ancient Sage Realm to begin to do with the degree of accuracy to assess whether her theory was true. If this was the case, and the natural protections of the lower realms were weakened, the situation would be very dire indeed.

'I need to find out more before I can fight back,' the girl admitted. 'There is not much I can do else. Right now I'll have to accelerate my plan to get stronger. Not that I was planning on being slow before... but if this continent is part of a plot of some Demon or other higher being, it becomes rapidly less safe every moment.'

For now, she would focus on the newly captured beast. She had to find out as much as she could about its origin and the Sealing Mark.

"Greetings Serpent," Bing Meilu spoke through her spiritual link to the tamed beast. "Do you have a name?"

She was not focused on Beast Taming, but Bing Meilu had many pets and tamed animals over the years, most fondly her Moon Crying Swan, who'd accompanied her all the way from the lower realms, so she was more than familiar with managing a Tamed Beast.

Her white-scaled, red-eyed serpent blinked in confusion, as it heard her voice. Then it began to trash in fury.

"-Fucking slutty cuntess! I'll light your entrails on fire and fling your defiled corpse into a fucking pit of-"

"Silence."

The Demon shuddered, falling quiet. She could feel torrents of rage and horror through the mental link. Cleary her beast had yet to accept its fate.

"You may only speak when asked a question and do not use any vulgarities. Now tell me Demon, Do you have a name?" the cultivator asked.

"My name is Aiwa Satsushi!" the creature spat. "And I am going to flipping kill you!"

"Refrain from any threats. What species are you?"

"I am cur-cur-currently a White Sword-Scale Python..."

"Currently? Does that imply you can change your bloodline?"

The Demon seemed to twitch and struggle, but ultimately, resistance was useless before the Beast Taming Contract latched onto its very soul.

"Y-yes. I can switch my bloodline between options unlocked in the Demon Beast System."

Now that was interesting.

"What is the 'Demon Beast System'?"

"It-it-it's a power that interfaces with chosen humans, turning them into Demon Beasts and granting them special powers and abilities. It can grant bloodline abilities, special boons, items and all sorts of perks."

'That must be the work of the Sealing Mark. A human that was granted a power linked to the Devils of the Underworld... Exactly what happened to me. Was he also offered an accord by such a being?'

"Explain how you acquired this 'System'."

"I used to be a human being in another world- I then died, only to awaken in this world as a small snake demon. The Demon Beast system chose me, out of trillions of souls to become its new host and eventually become a Demon God!"

Bing Meilu actually rolled her eyes. Heavens above, it really did sound like such an obvious con to her. How she had fallen for effectively the same trick would forever elude her.

"And... do you think the creator of the Demon Beast system did this.,. out of the kindness of their heart?" Bing Meilu asked, disdain creeping into her calm voice.

Aiwa seemed to pause, blinking in confusion as if he had never considered the idea.

"What do you mean?"

"Obviously something as intricate as this system required a good deal of resources and time to create. Why would any self-respecting immortal or God just randomly hand out such a thing for no return? One does not ascend through naive benevolence. For every boon, there must be a cost."

"What the hell would a little girl like you know about the motivations of immortals?" the serpent spat angrily. "Perhaps the system simply recognized my potential and knew I was special. It chose me for a reason!"

'The Sealing Mark must have selected such a gullible host on purpose,' the girl snorted.

"It certainly is easier to fool a man than convince him he's been fooled," Bing Meilu shook her head. "Regardless, explain more about your System."

And so she sat, listening in quiet interest as her beast slave explain his System and how it worked.

"...There are also quests, where the system gives you a challenge and if you succeed, you receive a reward. There seem to be multiple kinds, triggered by different things, such as daily quests, and quests triggered by things, like receiving a certain bloodline after killing a bunch of creatures that possess it."

The more she heard about this system the more certain she was it was some elaborate trap. This quest system obviously served to push the host into specific actions. Perhaps the purpose was to mould an unwitting idiot into becoming a resource to be devoured for cultivation, or something even more insidious, such as how the Blood Moon Spectral God's Sealing Mark was placed into Xia Xuefeng to allow that old monster's resurrection.

"What quests are currently available to you in the System?" the girl asked.

Aiwa twitched, one more failing to resist answering her question.

"Currently I have five. The first quest requires me to devour six Islandback Tortoise Eggs in return for a perk that will let me move faster when in water. The second quest requires me to consume one hundred humans every day for a week in return for an increase in my comprehension ability. The third requires me to kill you in return for a powerful bloodline-"

"Kill me? Give me the full details," Bing Meilu frowned. "How exactly did the system present this quest?"

"It was like this: 'Story Quest Unlocked: Heaven's Retribution. Task: Slay and devour 'Bing Meilu', the young human girl wearing a blue dress.

Reward, Unlock Bloodline 'Crystal Heaven Dragon' Extremely Strong 10'"

Bing Meilu was silent for a long moment. Why was a quest offered by a Demonic system called Heaven's Retribution? It could simply be fluff... but her instinct said otherwise. Did that imply that the 'Demon Beast System' was actually aligned with the Dao of Heaven? The thought was almost unthinkable... but then again, the very presence of a Sealing Mark from the depths of the underworld was unthinkable as well.

"So the Heavens of the Bird Talon Continent are against me then?" the girl sighed, rubbing her brow in a rare show of annoyance. "That complicates matter slightly..."

It also solidified her worry. The 'Crystal Heaven Dragon' bloodline mentioned by the System was a rare and powerful draconic bloodline whose natural life cycle extended to the Celestial Realm. To be able to easily hand out such a bloodline through a mere Sealing Mark. That implied... that whoever had created this system was at the very least of the Paragon Realm. That was perhaps the most deeply worrying revelation since she had returned to the Bird Talong Continent.

Paragons were those who had reached the limit of natural power, invincible to all but the Gods above. Each Paragon was a unique genius of unfathomable power, deeply terrifying to oppose. Bing Meilu should know, having briefly tasted the power in her last life. She had been so mighty the very Abyss had not been able to harm her, even as it swallowed her Sect and countless lower realms.

"Tell me more. What exactly does 'story quest' mean?"

"I honestly don't know. I've never had anything else called a story quest." the snake replied, head bobbing up and down as if it were attempting to shrug even without any shoulders.

"I see..."

Chapter 31: Give me your Blood

"The last two quests are to gain five more bloodlines, in return for a bloodline upgrade crystal, and to level a Class to rank five, in return for an upgrade to the effectiveness of all Classes."

Aiwa had already explained to Bing Meilu the class system, which allowed him to take on various job-like roles in return for certain benefits.

"What is your current class?"

"My-current class is Tamed Beast. It gives me a five percent bonus to damage when attacking people under my o-owner's orders." the unmistakable tremble of rage in Aiwa's voice caused Bing Meilu to roll her eyes.

"You attacked and tried to kill me in return for benefits. Of course, the nature of this world is that the strong take what they please from the weak. Had I been a simple mortal, you would have killed and consumed me. However, you were unlucky enough to take action against me, and thus were instead subjugated. By the very nature of the right of the strong, you have no justification to be angry at me. If you wish to resent something, resent your weakness and lack of foresight for daring to challenge me with such weak cultivation, Aiwa Satsushi. I want to be very clear; I am your master and I will not tolerate anything but subservient obedience. I have the power to make your life very pleasant or difficult. It will be up to your attitude to determine which."

Aiwa fumed silently, red demonic eyes staring up at her with the naked killing intent only a rabid beast that had slaughtered countless mortals could muster.

"I would like a verbal apology now for your attitude and an assurance you will obey me in the future." the girl continued tone mild.

"And I am not going to flipping give you that you b-bi-woman." Aiwa spat, struggling against his commands with futile rage.

"That is fine. You'll learn your place eventually," Bing Meilu smiled politely. "Do not move from our current position even slightly. Do not attempt to escape this building. Do not speak to anyone besides me or show any sign of intelligence."

Aiwa's body froze and through the spiritual link, he raged at her. With that, Bing Meilu turned around and began to walk out of her throne room.

"Where the hell do you think you're going, girl!?'"

"Leaving. I have no need of a disobedient tamed beast with me. While I could order you around, it will never be as effective as willing submission. I'll come back and check up on you in a week's time. If I remember. We'll see if you're willing to serve me then."

With that, the jade-skinned girl stepped out from the throneroom, slamming the door closed to the stunned disbelief of the serpent.

---

Bing Meilu sat imperiously atop a throne of ice, staring down at the gathered members of Bing Meilu's Faithful Slaves Faction, all eighteen of them.

Li Ji, his yin metal qi circulating stood by her side, hands clasped behind his back nervously.

"Welcome all to our meeting. I have called you all here today for a very important task," she began. "I plan to whip you up into a fighting force worthy of the name Bing Meilu's Faithful Slaves Faction. To do so, I will draw on much of the knowledge imparted to me by my former sect, the Moon Crying Swan Palace. However, such secrets cannot be freely spread. As such, I demand from each of you an offering of Essence Blood, to act as insurance."

Shocked gasps rang out from the clearing. This was an incredibly taboo thing to ask from her faction members. After all, Essence Blood was deeply tied to the cultivator who produced it, and one who possessed your Essence Blood could use it to enact many nefarious curses upon you. It was exactly this usage that Bing Meilu was banking on to ensure that none of her members betrayed her or leaked any secret technique or manuals she taught to them.

"No way!" Slave two, one of the faction three lieutenants shouted. "That's too far, Bing Meilu."

"And what happens if we refuse?" asked slave three, frowning.

"Nothing will happen if you refuse. I will simply not give you the secret knowledge I give to those that accept. Those who dedicate themselves to me fully will achieve an explosive increase in strength and my personal grooming. The rest of you will effectively be an 'outer sect' portion of my faction."

"I accept." Li Ji volunteered, raising a hand nervously. "You somehow managed to improve my cultivation technique, allowing me to pass my bottleneck and reach the eighth stage. I can't imagine the power I might achieve if given your full tutelage, and the knowledge you received from the Prime Elders of the moon Crying Swan Palace."

This was the crux of the issue. While giving up essence blood was a huge deal, strength was also everything to cultivators, and Bing Meilu had already proven her prowess in guiding the cultivation of the faction members. Was it worth it to safely languish in obscurity or to take a risk for monumental power? That was the defining difference between geniuses and the mediocre.

"I also volunteer," Jiang Hu said, raising his hand. The former leader of the faction had completely changed in attitude since his defeat at Bing Meilu's hand, and he seemed to have a deep respect for her power.

The Eighth Stage Earth Cultivator, Slave Six also raised his hand "As the leader of the Elemental Four, I volunteer us all."

"You still haven't found a promising wood cultivator then?" Bing Meilu raised an eyebrow.

Slave Six gulped, his bushy eyebrows trembling as he recalled the woman's earlier threat.

"Well, we have a few promising candidates, we'll just have to run them by you first."

"Very well, We'll discuss that later."

"Me too!" shouted Private Ji, the idiot who had tried to cultivate a method for Spirit Dogs.

"I also accept," said the talented spear cultivator Xi Fu, who guarded Bing Meilus's throneroom

Bing Meilu waited for a long moment, but no one else volunteered. That meant eight of the eighteen had agreed to enter her inner circle, a little less than half. She scanned the rest of her slaves, seeing the reluctance and fear on their faces before nodding.

"Very well, Just remember the offer is open should any of you change your minds later."

Bing Meilu stood and snapped her fingers. From the shadows, the tall sickly form of Zhang appeared. the crippled Core Formation cultivator coughed loudly into his palm.

"This here is Zhang. While he is currently injured, Zhang is actually at the peak of the Core Formation Realm."

The members gasped at that. Even in Port Snake, Core Formation was still a high realm.

"I have taught Zhang multiple techniques that I want all of you to learn. He will be instructing you in them while I personally oversee the inner circle. Just remember, I may not have your essence blood, but any treachery or leaking of secrets will still result... in my displeasure."

Bing Meilu's frosty qi erupted from her body, the temperature in the whole area noticeably dropping, a film of white frost covering the grass and rocks.

"Am I understood?"

The faction members all nodded quickly.

"The first thing you will be learning is a simplified version of a powerful battle formation called the Manyheart Shield Art. It will allow you to form a barrier together that will block attacks. Zhang, you may begin. Those of you who have accepted the offer to join my inner circle, follow me. "