Outside the City

2 months passed since I left Slaughter City and the prevision of the 8 months I crossed it in my mind. In these 2 months, my spirit rank didn't increase any rank, not only that I couldn't sense notable increase, meaning that a wasn't even getting closer, I was cultivation too slowly! The reason? The truth was that there was more than one.

First, staying in the forest sucked. I need to waste a lot of time to find food, water, shelter... There's also that my diet consisted mostly of plant and herb due to how difficult it was to hunt some beast when they always try running away from you, keeping at least 1-kilometer distance, all due to my Killing Intent. My Oreo cookies being the best food available.

Second, I wasn't really used to cultivate the spirit. It's not like I didn't have any knowledge, as before the 6 years I learned how to cultivate in the future. But I suspect, as people grow, they learn about their spirit, changing even unconscionably their cultivation, adapting to them, making it more efficient. With a spirit already cultivated, adapted to Bai, it was incredibly difficult for my cultivation, more difficult that cultivation from 0. It was like starting a game at the maximum difficulty in the middle of the story, it will be difficult to adapt. In this case, it was even more difficult, like if even the language was different.

Third, I wasn't really in the best state of mind to cultivate. Leaking Killing Intent, in constant alert, was the worst to enter the ideal trance state to cultivate.

Lastly, the spirit leading the cultivation was Bai's Sword, not my cookie. Bai concentrated in it to spirit cultivate, the Oreo and Fenrir followed the sword. There's also the fact that I sensed that Fenrir won't be able to create another ring, 5 being the maximum possible to it. Of course, it didn't mean that the previous rings were unable to age, with his last evolution and answering at my own increase of comprehension, Fenrir was able to even eat souls and it was fed by all my kills, a lot of them of high ranking spirit masters. Now, Fenrir was 60.000 years old, with old its rings that age, greatly improving its effects. Fenrir won't create another ring and it won't be easy to find a ring compatible with the Oreo and Fenrir at the same time, as only being compatible with one will create a rejection from the other.

With this problem my attainments in spirit cultivation were pitiful, it would be better for me to continue cultivating the spirit at Slaughter City, even with limited spirit power, my cultivation speed was greater because of the familiarity.

Another option would be forcing the change of my cultivation, making it mine. Even if it could permit me to cultivate, I would need some time to change it, at least a year. This would also have negative effects on my further cultivation unless I decided to cultivate from 0, not a chance!

This option was simple crossed, I wanted to become the strongest. For this I need my strong foundation, this method would weaken it. And knowing the canonical story, I didn't really have a lot of time before the appearance of gods, even if I could stop Renxue, I wasn't sure of being able so it is best to be prepared.

This left me with my last resort, I didn't really want to use it, but thinking logically, it was the easiest, the quickest and the safest to gain spirit ranks. This option was asking for help from Bai. He was the most familiar with the body and was the one who cultivated spirit energy all these years.

Resigning myself, I invoked the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sword on my right side. It continued without the nine color lights, seeming like turned off, clouded by a black fog.

I leaned my head on the sword with my eyes closed, making contact with my forehead. Then I concentrated my mind power in it, entering its mind space.

Opening my eyes finding in my mind realm, of course, it was only a part of it. The mind realm of this body is very vast, it was divided into two spaces, each for one spirit, and then further divided the sword one for each personality. Each mind division more extensive than a normal spirit master of our rank. This was the main reason, for Bai to be able to absorb more aged rings.

I found myself in a space surrounded by a black fog, this was simply a condensation of my Slaughter Intent, I used it to keep Bai away of interfering. I invoked my Black Sword at my left hand and lifted it. The fog started being attracted to the sword and my sword started absorbing it, it didn't pass a lot of time before the fog almost disappeared. The world around me now illuminated with the 9 colored lights of the Nine Treasure Sword.

At the center of this world, stood Bai, I let some fog around him trying to immobilize him, but for what it seemed there wasn't much meaning as Bai was surrounded by a white aura preventing the fog to touch him. I dispersed the last fog and waved my hand "Long time not seeing you, Bai"

He looked at me with an angry look, he had his sword on his right hand. He stepped forward and charged to me with his sword at hand shouting "Bastard!" he swung his sword at me. Seeing the sword coming, I simply ignored and let it cut me. Bai's sword slashed through me cutting me in half. After a second both of my parts connected again returning to normal.

I shook my head "You continue being an idiot, Bai. We're only mind-bodies, these attacks are useless".

"You! Bastard, return my body!" He shouted.

"It's also the mine, you only had the usufruct for some time, now it's my turn. Can you calm yourself? I want to talk, it's the only reason I let you free" I said

He clenched his teeth but knowing it was useless fighting he decided to listen "What do you want?" he spatted.

"I want your help, I want you to spirit cultivated, due to you being the principal personality and who started, it is very difficult for me to cultivate" I explained.

"So the great Paul needs the help of me now?" he said sarcastically "In your dreams!"

"Be reasonable. It's for the best of our strength. I'll let you free, of course, keeping you out of control, similar to I was after the attack of Shi Nian. You have experimented with how is to be caged, you will be able to see the outside world." I reasoned.

"I will say the same as you, if you want the best for the body, give me the control!" he shouted "Or are you too scared to not being able to have the control again, losing over me?"

"Haha" I laughed "Really? The little naive Bai is teasing me trying to trick me to accept that, how cute" I teased him "I really won't mind, but it's not the time, I'll need to be in control to obtained the greatest strength, you won't be able, even with my help"

He clenched his hand "My answer is still no, you will stuck in your rank until you return me the control!"

"Really? You didn't really think the things that I could do, no? Maybe I will go to your friend, family, and little girlfriend. I don't think it would be to difficult to kill them all, it won't be too difficult to appear as you lowering their defenses" I threaten him. Of course, I wouldn't touch my family. I never had one in my last life. Remembering the 6 first years of this life I wanted to consider them as my own, never wanting them to be harmed. However, Bai didn't need to know it. For his friend, yeah, I really didn't mind killing them.

"Bastard!" he was really mad, white light started gathering at his sword, an incredible amount "I will free me myself!" He swung his sword to me shooting a powerful white light ray

"Even now you're taking advantage of my comprehension. Nevertheless, congratulations for half-stepping in the Sword Heart Realm. Let me show you, I really one" A huge amount of black aura concentrated in my sword, forming a giant black pillar of black light, I swung my sword, my black aura easily swallowing Bai's white. His attack couldn't be compared with mine, mine was a controlled concentration while he was scattering. If necessary, I could even maintain my sword's state.

The despair look of Bai's was priceless "What's your decision?" I asked while the result of my attack was little by little filling the area with black fog again.

He clenched his hand and teeth and seemed to start growling, thinking that he couldn't do anything. Suddenly he calmed. I looked at his eyes, even with resentment in them, they were a lot calmer. "I accept. Let me free, even without controlling the body I would cultivate. In exchange, don't dare to touch any of my loved ones"

"Good for me. Glad that you started to cooperate, this is for the good of our body" I said. I grinned in my mind, knowing that Bai couldn't accept that, he must have thought something to recuperate the control. Anyway, with being free he would have more opportunities, I didn't really mind-destroying his hopes.

I absorbed all the black fog, leaving the mind space completely free of it, the nine colors returning shining brightly. I then left the mind space leaving Bai there.

Once Bai was alone "I will return, it's just a matter of time, with that I'm sure that I could take back the control"

I opened my eyes finding me outside. Now I only needed to wait.