Chapter 120: The Strongest
It took a little while before we arrived at the mountain's peak, where the Blazing Sun Sect was built. Oftentimes, it was easy to forget the whole Sect was built on a giant mountain due to just how large everything was.
Even the mountain itself was unusual. During summer, it was full of greenery all the time, even at the highest peaks. I only noticed recently that the clouds in the Sect were higher positioned than typical clouds should be.
Up here, the air was thinner, and it was hard to breathe. I kept taking deep, rapid breaths and somehow felt out of breath.
Various buildings were scattered across the upper parts of the mountain. From towers to strange giant mansions and even fortified fortresses, it seemed like every powerful cultivator in the Sect had built their own dream home up here, all with unique tastes.
But the most ridiculous of them all was the building at the top-most peak of the mountain. Up there was a marble palace with golden towers pointing at the sky. The whole place looked overly extravagant, even from a distance.
As we approached the strange chateau, I noticed the first thing that stood out like a sore thumb. Despite the extravagant appearance, no guards were in sight, and I couldn't sense anyone. Perhaps they were hidden, but guards were supposed to be seen to dissuade anyone from attacking and to handle people who wanted to meet the Sect Leader.
Well, as the Sect Leader, I doubted he needed guards. But this blatant lack of protection seemed more like a message and, at the same time, an invitation for anyone dissatisfied with his leadership to try their hand at assassination. These were some of those things that only worked in this world where leaders had personal power.
There was a good chance the Sect Leader could take the whole Sect out on his own if he wanted. As far as I knew, there were no other Nascent Soul Cultivators here. At least, that was public knowledge; who knew what the ancestors were up to.
We arrived before a giant silver door leading to the palace. No one was here to stop us, so we just floated in front of the gate.
"From now on, everything is in your hands," Song San said before using a slight tug of his Qi to push me off his flying leaf. I didn't resist as I jumped in front of the door, and before my feet even touched the ground, Song San had set off.
But I didn't care about that and just stared at the silver door. Surprisingly, there was no array around here to stop the cold.
I walked toward the silver door and knocked a couple of times. Though there was barely any sound from knocking on a dense silver door, a Nascent Soul Cultivator should still be able to hear it.
After waiting for a couple of dozen seconds, there was no response. I put my hands on the cold silver door and felt a chill pass through my body as I tried pushing it open.
Despite my efforts, the doors didn't even budge. Only when I pushed as hard as I could, sweat trickling down my brow, did the door finally budge. However, as soon as that happened, I let go and stepped back, and the doors closed again. I breathed heavily and narrowed my eyes at the silver door.
There was something strange about it.
Dancing Jade Armor!
Qi flew out of me and took a humanoid shape, forming a jade soldier with cool-looking armor. A dragon was engraved on his chest, and two bear heads were shoulder pads. But that wasn't all; he now had two bright, shining eyes, although his facial structure still lacked real definition.
Working on the shape of the constructs created by Dancing Jade Armor was like drawing… Well, to be honest, it wasn't like drawing at all. But making faces was challenging due to the intricate details required. Of course, this was all a cosmetic change that I worked on for fun and never affected the technique's power. But it did look cooler.
"I need to increase the brightness in your eyes," I said to the jade soldier as if he could understand. In the future, I planned to look into an illusionary technique that would make its eyes crimson red. The deep green didn't have the same scary effect as red.
"Push the door," I instructed.
There was no need for verbal orders since he only worked with mental commands. But if anyone was listening, it would be okay if they misunderstood how this technique worked.
I put my hands on one door, and the jade soldier put his hands on the other. We both pushed at the same time. Even though I exerted as much power as possible, the gate barely budged, and we only managed to open the door by less than six inches.
Yeah, there seemed to be some mechanism that would stop the gate from moving unless we exerted our full power. But just as I was planning to let go, as a last-ditch effort, I created some jade strings to hold the door in place as we took a breather.
I wasn't expecting the strings to hold, especially against an artifact designed to handle bigger and more powerful things than a Qi Gathering Cultivator's power. But just as the doors were about to close, there was a deep, grueling sound of metal clunking.
Huh?
I looked at my jade soldier, who was still holding the door in place. By now, the Qi I had input into the technique should have run out, but that didn't seem to be the case.
Was I missing something? I was pretty sure I had calculated everything and was familiar with the Dancing Jade Armor Technique.
So why was the technique sustaining itself longer than usual?
The only logical answer was that the technique was supercharged because jade was around. Judging by how the technique worked at unprecedented levels, there must have been a lot of jade around!
But I wasn't going to complain. I took a deep breath before pushing on the door again. This time, the door nudged open a couple more inches and was held in place by the jade strings.
Using all the power I could muster for an extended period was difficult. But doing it in short bursts of strength was relatively easy, and that was what I was doing.
When the door was a foot open, I slipped through and let go of my techniques.
What greeted me inside was a bright light and a place that was wholly too extravagant. Golden dragons wrapped around marble pillars, and the floor was made of jade. At least now I knew why my Dancing Jade Armor Technique was supercharged.
I looked around and finally found the only person in this place. He was surprisingly average-looking, with dark hair, brown eyes, and olive skin. He wore a red robe embroidered with golden writings that resembled an array. He was sitting on a throne of gold adorned with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and many other gems of different sizes. Some of those gems were the size of my fists.
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Was that the Sect Leader? He was not what I was expecting. The guy looked so… normal. Like he wouldn't stand out in a crowd.
Though his demeanor was definitely abnormal, as despite some young kid just entering his palace, he looked at me without a care in the world. He wasn't even annoyed that I had just cheesed through the front door test or whatever that was.
"Many people have cheated through the test at the front door. Usually, they were prepared. But it seems like you just came in here and figured it out on your own," he said, his voice strangely calming and comforting.
He did not look arrogant, unlike what I expected a Sect Leader to be. But that uncaring look in his eyes, as if he was watching the weather, was a bit unnerving. It seemed like nothing could startle or surprise this man.
Many thoughts went through my mind as I prepared many plans for how I should act, depending on how the Sect Leader reacted. But he seemed so nonchalant about everything.
"Sit down," the Sect Leader pointed toward some of the seats around the hall.
I nodded and followed his instructions, sitting on one of the seats. But as soon as I did so, I realized I had been too lost in my thoughts and forgotten about the customary greetings, like bowing and all that.
Uhhh... Was it now too late to do that? Perhaps he had forgotten about the greetings too, and me doing that might remind him, and he could slap me into a bloody pulp.
"Liu Feng..." the man muttered, sending a chill down my spine as I realized he knew my name. "You are quite an interesting guy."
I was about to open my mouth and thank him. But I recalled that it was better to shut the hell up in these situations if I had nothing of substance to say. Hopefully, this was the right thing to do, though it was hard to tell since the Sect Leader looked as nonchalant as ever.
"Are the rumors about you being Song Song's lover true?" he inquired.
How should I answer that? Saying yes would offer a semblance of protection. But lying to someone of that caliber, unless it was the last possible option, was better to avoid.
"No, Lord Sect Leader. We just work together. The best way to describe our relationship would be that of a servant and master," I said.
"Yeah, I didn't think little Xing would raise someone to make the same mistakes she made when she was young," the Sect Leader nodded.
Xing Ju was Song Song's master and the Core Elder who had talked to me while I was in prison. There was probably some bribing going around at the time since the granny wanted the Liu Clan to support Song Song, and that was why she gave me advice and went easy on me when we were in the cell.
Calling that ancient granny "little Xing" was a bit weird, as it was how someone would address a kid. Though I doubted he meant it disrespectfully.
Even though the Sect Leader looked like someone who was not over thirty years old, he was still much older than the granny. He was probably the Sect Leader even when she was a young girl. It was strange to think how a young-looking man was much older than the granny, but this was cultivation, where a kid could be a thousand-year-old monster.
"You know, I met your ancestor about four hundred years ago," he said. "He was a Core Formation Cultivator, and it was before he made the Liu Clan. Though we never knew each other that well, I only encountered him several times. He was an ambitious guy."
I never realized this before, but talking to people who knew my great-great-grandfather was a strange experience.
"Oh, what did you think of him?" I asked, hoping that my ancestor had made a favorable impression.
"Well, he was ambitious, as I said. He was a lone cultivator who reached Core Formation through pure talent alone. That is very rare," the Sect Leader nodded and looked as if he was lost in memory lane. "No doubt he had grand ambitions of becoming a Nascent Soul Cultivator. But when he reached nine-star Core Formation, he gave up and formed a clan instead. That is quite common, and I have seen many like him. Even if someone reaches the peak of Core Formation and has everything prepared for that last step to break through, very few take it. Failing to break through to Nascent Soul means a fate worse than death."
Someone coming from nothing and tied to no organization, reaching the peak of Core Formation sounded exceptional. That was the kind of power that could rule a region, and except for the great sects, nothing was stopping them from doing whatever they wanted. But the way the Sect Leader described it seemed like it was nothing that special. This man had lived long enough that even such feats seemed almost common to him.
How many times had someone pulled something like what I was doing? No wonder he didn't seem surprised.
Lying to a man like this was useless. Small talk or getting directly to the point mattered little. He had seen it all, and there was little surprise. I would likely end up the same too, just another guy who barged into his castle and offered him something.
Knowing that, then there was no need for small talk.
"I'm here to bargain," I said.
"Bargain with what?" he calmly asked.
"I know the place where monstrous beasts are going to attack with their main force," I said, looking him in the eyes.
"Normally, I would take that as a youth's arrogance. But you have written that book and even defended your city well with limited resources. Tell me where it is, and I will have a couple of Core Elders go and defend the place," he leaned his head on his fist, with his elbow resting on the armrest of his golden throne.
For some reason, I felt at ease even though I was talking to someone of his stature. Was it because it seemed like no matter what I said or how I acted, he wouldn't be bothered by it.
"As a reward for this information, I want Song Song to be set free," I said.
"I can't intervene in the Song Clan's internal affairs. But you can ask for anything else," he said. "While I have decided to listen to your words, even if you know exactly where the monstrous beasts will attack. For now, your words are still just hearsay and not worth the effort of getting into a scrabble with the Song Clan."
There wasn't even anything I could criticize him for. It was a logical decision on his part.
"How about at least getting her to house arrest?" I asked.
"Sure," the Sect Leader easily agreed. "If your information is correct. If not, she will return to wherever the Song Clan is keeping her."
Okay... that was kind of anticlimactic. I thought I had to try harder to convince him.
"To get this information first requires some preparation," I said. "I need the names of every disciple that has left the Sect and which city they have gone to."
He met my gaze, and his brown eyes felt like they were looking straight at my soul. "Someone will be here soon and will bring the books."
Someone? He already had someone called for this? How did he reach them? Was it some kind of telepathic communication?
Despite wanting to know, I kept my curiosity in check for now.
In less than a minute, a red-masked guy wearing a dark robe just shimmered into existence next to the Sect Leader.
I had a hard time keeping my face straight as I stared at the "thing." This red-masked guy was different than Song San, who only had no presence. I couldn't hear his shoes touching the ground as he appeared, and I couldn't sense the movement in the air as this guy moved about.
He had three thick books in his hands, and with a wave of the Sect Leader's palm, the books flew out of the grasp of the red-masked guy. The books floated right before me, and I grabbed them as the levitation effect immediately disappeared.
How weird, I couldn't sense any Qi even when the books floated.
I opened the book and went rummaging through the names, acting like I was looking for something specific. Though I tried not to give away my intentions, it would be hard to hide anything from the observant eye of a Nascent Soul Cultivator.
But even if he found out my reasons for this, it should not affect me that much based on his demeanor. However, my idea would likely be dismissed if he knew how I came to such a conclusion.
It took only a short time until I found what I was looking for.
[Hu Jin — Red Lotus Town]
Despite seeing the name, I tried not to give it a second glance and kept flipping through the pages. After a while, I closed the last book and turned toward the Sect Leader. The red-masked guy was no longer around, and I hadn't noticed when he left.
"The main force of the monstrous beasts is going to attack Red Lotus Town," I said.
Normally, I wouldn't speak confidently about something I knew so little about. But sometimes, one had to act confident, even when they weren't.
The Sect Leader looked at me silently for a few seconds before finally asking, "How confident are you in this?"
"Very," I replied. His only response was a brief nod.
This was the kind of plan that would work only in this world, based on what I knew so far. Those favored by the heavens always got the main slice of the action.
While I hadn't technically lied to the Sect Leader. I muddled the truth in convenient places, especially about how sure I was about the whole thing.
How confident was I in this? Not very. This whole thing worked on logic I barely understood.
Chapter 121: Casual Murderer
Ms. Xing Ju strolled down one of the estate's many corridors. The wooden flooring creaked beneath her footsteps.
She had deliberately commissioned the floor to be constructed this way, as there were frequent attempts on Song Song's life during her youth by assassins. The creaking floor served as a deterrent against stealthy intruders.
Fond memories of Song Song's childhood escapades in this very location surfaced in her mind. A sense of warmth enveloped her aging heart, and a gentle smile graced her weathered face.
Although she was Song Song's mentor, she was also her grandmother. Cultivators were unlikely to have familial feelings for their offspring. Still, she had personally raised Song Song.
Xing Ju recalled the first time she met Song Song. She was just a young girl with a vacant look in her eyes. There had been no emotion in her gaze for quite a while.
What kind of life must she have lived until then to have an expression like that?
Ever since she could remember, Xing Ju had never seen Song Song act like a normal kid. She never cried or complained about food, even when she didn't like eating meat.
She was always a strange child and continued being that same dead-eyed child for years, with no apparent emotions, like she was a doll. But that all changed when Song Song decided to murder one of the Sect Leader's concubines.
After that, a demon had been born in her heart. Her whole demeanor changed. Perhaps that was how she had always been, hiding it behind a dead stare. Since then, Song Song always had a spark in her eyes—a very deadly spark.
She cared for no one, and nothing could faze her. She was a monster without weaknesses.
Xing Ju reached one of the hallways filled with portraits of her and Song Song through the ages. While she had always been an old woman, Song Song still changed, and with each passing year, the paintings seemed to show a more deranged look in her eyes.
The old woman knew many saw Song Song as the perfect tool for their agendas. They just needed to make Song Song the Sect Leader, and since she cared little for ruling, her dear "advisors" would do that for her.
Of course, they were playing with fire... However, no one could have guessed just how dangerous that fire would be.
Recently, Song Song began changing. Her ruthless ways were still there, but now there was a semblance of intelligence behind her actions. That just made her even more dangerous.
Song Song was undoubtedly clever enough to know she was being used as a tool by her "supporters." It wasn't like they tried hiding it too hard, either. But she still had no one to replace her supporters. That changed recently. Once again, Song Song grew even more dangerous.
She walked past the hallway and ended up at one of the windows, which gave her a good view of the snowy gardens and the slope of the mountain, which looked ready to break off into an avalanche. But even the possible natural disaster didn't scare the old woman enough to stop her train of thought.
For some reason, Song Song had put up with this newcomer. Xing Ju could never understand how the same Song Song she raised would tolerate someone of no value to her.
Xing Ju thought he was just another kid, someone Song Song took a fancy to. Like everyone else, he would try to use Song Song, and her granddaughter would learn a valuable lesson from that experience.
That was all Liu Feng was supposed to be. Even with his sudden changes, he was supposed to be just another stepping stone in Song Song's path. Someone who would teach Song Song something important while ending with some heartache for her.
Like everyone else, he saw the potential Song Song represented as a tool. So he definitely wouldn't do something as stupid as going against a Core Elder when he was still within arm's length of them! Yet he did, and Song Song became even more dangerous. It was like she was slowly growing into a demon incarnate of slaughter.
One thing was for sure: when she got out of that prison, there would be a massacre. So, it was in everyone's best interest to keep her there until she gave up on such foolish ideas.
Xing Ju opened the window, letting the cold brush against her face. She looked down and jumped without hesitation, landing on her feet, barely making a crunch in the soft snow. But even being in the snow did not cool her anger.
It was all because of Liu Feng; he either actually cared for Song Song or was just plain stupid! There was a good chance it was both.
Even Xing Ju, Song Song's own grandmother, didn't care as much about her as he seemed to. He was willing to risk his worthless life for someone like Song Song, who would take him out on a whim.
Either way, the kid had to be dealt with. He was bringing out the worst in Song Song. The guy was making her worse... somehow.
Xing Ju walked along the yard, staring at the places where flowers would have grown if it hadn't been winter.
For now, Song Song had to stay in prison. Hopefully, her stay there would teach her to be more patient, and by the end of winter, she would be out. She needed to understand that the world was not her plaything and that not all people were toys she could break whenever she wanted.
As Xing Ju was thinking that, she felt a change in the air and turned toward one of the walls surrounding the mansion. Some snow had accumulated on the walls, and a man wearing a dark cloak and a green mask stood atop the snow. Despite the snow having just fallen and not having had a chance to freeze over, meaning it was soft snow, the man stood atop it without making a dent.
"What is someone like you from your part of the world doing here?" Xing Ju inquired.
As someone who had lived in the Blazing Sun Sect, Xing Ju knew about the secret organization that acted as the Sect Leader's choreboys. Despite mostly doing menial tasks, they had some powerful members.
She never quite understood why someone as powerful as the people who led this organization would be okay spending their long lives in the shadows. They could never enjoy their lives like a standard cultivator at their level did.
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Oh well, she cared little about what living like that felt. At the end of the day, there would always be strange things that, even at her age, she would never understand.
"There has been a direct order from the Sect Leader that the Song Clan must release Song Song. The Clan Head is also being personally notified by the Sect Leader at this time," said the masked man. His voice was soft and sounded young, but that did not reveal much about cultivators.
What did he just say? Xing Ju doubted what she just heard.
"Why would the Sect Leader intervene in Song Clan business?" Xing Ju frowned.
The masked messenger shrugged. "The Sect Leader's decisions are his own. It's not my place to question them."
Of course, a slave wouldn't question their master, Xing Ju thought. But she decided to keep those thoughts to herself, knowing just how dangerous the dark and hidden part of the Blazing Sun Sect could be.
"The Sect Leader also said a familiar face should be there to release Song Song. After you're done with that, make sure to drop her off at the place where young master Song San used to live in his youth," said the masked man, staying quiet for a couple of seconds before adding, "She will be confined to that building for the foreseeable future."
After saying that, the space around the masked man blurred, and he disappeared as if he hadn't been there to begin with.
Xing Ju contemplated reporting this to the Song Clan Head but decided against it. After all, if the Sect Leader was there meeting with him, she wanted to be nowhere near that. The Sect Leader's orders were absolute. Even as a Core Elder, there was a good chance she would die if she ever went against the Sect Leader's direct orders. Especially someone like her who had little time left to live. The Sect Leader might just be looking for someone to make an example of to keep the other Elders in line and remind them of their place. She would be the perfect target.
It was better not to give the man a reason to act like that, so she immediately went to do her job.
Xing Ju gathered Qi at the bottom of her feet and exploded it outward, allowing her to cover massive distances. She used it to fly in this case, with a continuous stream of Qi gathering at the bottom of her feet and burning like a fire as she flew forward.
The sound she made while moving through the air was always too loud, and she could barely hear anything else.
But this time, it didn't bother her much as she was absent-minded the whole flight, trying to figure out why the Sect Leader would do something like this.
Someone must have convinced him... How would someone do something like that, and why?
Why would someone want such an unstable danger like Song Song out of prison?
The only person she could think of who had that kind of authority was the Song Clan Leader. But doing something like this was very much unlike the Song Clan Leader... he wouldn't release her anytime soon...
Also, the masked man said that the Sect Leader would notify the Song Clan Head. There was no reason for the masked man to lie. It made no sense for the Clan Head to be the one who released Song Song and the Sect Leader to be there to notify him of his decision?
She reached the melted tower where the Song Clan kept its prisoners in no time. Xing Ju barely even paid attention to the tall, purple-haired woman as she bowed and kept moving.
As soon as she reached the tower where the cylinder-shaped prison was, she didn't bother climbing down the stairs and just jumped.
Doing this was much faster than walking, and she was at the dark bottom of the prison in no time. Her landing created a loud noise that rang through the whole prison, but the floor beneath her feet didn't crack despite the impact. Strong and precious materials were used to build this place.
Without waiting any longer, she used her Qi as a tidal wave to push open the door that led to Song Song's cell.
Song Song was still there, wrapped in dark bandages. Her mouth was also covered again, and she made no effort to talk this time. The only other sound and movement in the cell was the blood dripping off Song Song's wrists.
"There is an order that you're going to be released today," Xing Ju explained, summarizing the rough situation of what had happened and what she knew.
Suddenly, there was a tugging in the dark bandages wrapped around Song Song. Precise spikes of Qi hit the dark sealing bandages in specific places and caused the wrappings to snap instantly.
As the wrapping was undoing itself, Song Song tugged her wrists and ripped them straight out of the place they had been nailed, letting the metal nails perforate directly through her wrists.
It was undoubtedly a painful process, but Song Song seemed almost nonchalant as she did it.
A naked Song Song softly landed on the ground, her cold blue eyes staring at Xing Ju. Then she raised her hands and looked through the holes in her wrists.
Xing Ju was confused at first. Then Song Song groaned, spit out a ring, and put it on her finger.
"Yeah, I'm ready now," Song Song said nonchalantly, seeming calm.
A new pair of clothes materialized on her—a plain and simple dark robe.
Xing Ju glanced at the ring on Song Song's finger. It was a storage ring, one Song Song was familiar with as she accurately materialized her clothes.
Suddenly, the pools of blood that had formed on the floor bubbled up. Xing Ju realized something she had missed the first time she visited.
Song Song had been here for a while, and most of the blood that had fallen on the ground should have dried. But instead, it still looked fresh.
Her suspicions were confirmed when the blood from the floor flew toward the holes in Song Song's wrists. The flesh mended itself, and her wounds closed up. Soon enough, there was no injury and no scars where the nails had pierced through.
Xing Ju's eyes widened, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw that.
With every major breakthrough, a cultivator experienced a metamorphosis. Their perspective on Qi changed, and they saw the world differently. Just like the difference between Body Tempering and Qi Gathering was massive, where the latter could sense and see Qi, the difference was even more profound when someone became a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
The higher a cultivator rose, the more things they could "see" in a sense.
When one became a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, one had to align one's Qi with a compatible element. Changing their Qi to an incompatible element could doom someone, no matter their talent. That also wasn't something they could ever change again after they locked in their choice and began the process.
However, when someone reached Foundation Establishment, it took months, and even years in some cases, to fully attune their Qi with an element. The speed at which one improved after that often indicated how compatible a cultivator was with their element.
Song Song had not been here even a month, and she had already attuned to her element. She seemed to have reached a level where even one of the more advanced and complicated usages, like regeneration, was already within her grasp.
The pools of blood that had formed below her were a form of training, and she had been doing that this whole time.
Her element was blood, and she was extremely compatible with it!
"What is it, teacher? Are we going now or what?" Song Song asked calmly.
This brought Xing Ju out of her thoughts, and she nodded. "Come, follow me."
As they walked outside, the doors behind them closed. Almost immediately, the back of Song Song's clothes bulged just where her shoulder blades were. A beautiful, intricate, and nearly artistic pair of bat-like wings sprouted.
"Hopefully, you're not too old to keep up, teacher," Song Song said as she flapped her wings. She took off with practiced ease as if she had done this many times. But Xing Ju knew this was Song Song's talent at play.
Xing Ju used her raw power and Qi to fly, easily keeping up with Song Song. But she was still surprised by her speed.
Song Song's improvement was worrying...
When they arrived at the top, the tall woman was still there and bowed her head. "Honorable Core Elder of Beauty, and Lady Song-"
Whatever she was about to say was cut short as, with a swing of Song Song's hand, the tall woman's head went flying. The lack of hesitation and committing murder before she was even entirely out of prison... even Xing Ju was so shocked by what happened that she hadn't been able to act in time.
The prison guard here was still an Inner Elder!
"Why did you do that?!" Xing Ju yelled at Song Song.
"I could hear her when she was torturing the people. It was annoying, and she always did it late at night when I was trying to sleep," Song Song shrugged. "I had to change my schedule because of her and spent the night training. Who did she think she was to force me to change my sleeping schedule?"
Her bloodlust was palpable. It was as if people daring to be a slight inconvenience to her by accident were deserving of a death sentence.
Yeah, Song Song's time in prison had changed her for the worse...
Chapter 122: Touching Grass
After my offer to the Sect Leader, there was little to do around the palace. The red-masked guy who had brought the books took me out and used a flying coffin to get me back to the Song Clan compound where I had been staying recently. During the entire journey, neither of us spoke a word. He dropped me off and left without saying anything or giving me a date for Song Song's release.
I knew I had played all my cards and pushed my luck by going straight to the Sect Leader about this, so I kept my mouth shut and watched the red-masked guy store the coffin artifact in a storage ring. Even though he didn't have a ring on his finger, it was probably some other storage artifact like Song San's.
After that ordeal, I lay on the ground and let out a breath of relief. The soft grass cushioned me, helping all the tension from that meeting slip away. This had all been a gamble; depending on the sect leader's personality, it could have turned deadly.
I looked at the cloudy sky and couldn't help but smile. An involuntary chuckle came out.
The Sect Leader had no reason to lie to someone at my level, so he would likely keep his part of the deal.
How the hell did I pull this off? I walked into a room with one of the most powerful people on the continent, walked out alive, and even got what I wanted!
The only one who might suffer from this deal was Hu Jin. Sending two Core Elders to his location might change the threat level. I had no idea how luck and fate behaved around that guy, but there was a good chance he would survive and come out of it with some extreme benefits. So, I was not too worried about the guy.
Suddenly, a shadow blocked the sun, breaking me out of my thoughts. I turned toward the source and found Song Song wearing dark robes, a teasing smirk on her face.
What? I had just finished talking with the Sect Leader… that guy worked fast!
"How are you enjoying your freedom?" I asked.
"I would rather be killing some of my so-called supporters who conveniently forgot I was imprisoned," Song Song said with a deadly sweet smile.
I reciprocated her smile and apologized, "Sorry, I was busy with other things."
"You shouldn't joke about something like that," she rolled her eyes. "I know no one else cares about me enough to inconvenience themselves to even try and say something to free me."
It was sad that there wasn't even a twitch in her expression when she said that. Sure, she said it as a joke, but it was the kind of joke believed to be true. Well, it kind of was. As far as I knew, even her teacher hadn't tried to free her, and her father was the one who put her in there in the first place.
"How did you even do it?" she asked. "My teacher didn't explain anything, but I know only one person in the Sect can force my father to change his mind."
"So, who might that be?" I asked jokingly.
Despite her ruthlessness, Song Song was a smart girl and should have been able to figure this out on her own.
"How did you convince the Sect Leader to go against my father? This could totally blow up into an internal conflict," Song Song said.
Internal conflict? Well, they had the monstrous beasts to deal with for now. By the time they could swing their fists without worrying about monstrous beasts, tensions should have cooled.
"I call it a strategic investment," I said, the teasing smile slipping off my face as I stared into the clouds. "If I were to guess, the Sect Leader wanted to stir some tension in the Song Clan, and we were the perfect tools for that. I just gave him the reason to try it. Or, we could be optimistic and say he blindly trusted my words."
"You really went out of your way on this one…" Her tone sounded like she was sorry for making me do this, but at the same time, she looked happy.
"Yep. Now, I'm probably part of ten schemes I have no idea about, just from the Sect Leader. I'm officially in the eyes of the big shots," I sighed and looked at Song Song. "Please hurry up and get to the Nascent Soul Realm so I don't have to worry about these things, and I can just relax and read when I feel like it."
"You should be cultivating too, not just lying down and staring at clouds," she said, using her foot to lightly kick me to the side, like a mother berating her lazy son.
"Hey, some of us have average spiritual roots, which get strained quickly. If I cultivate too much, it might cause permanent damage," I grabbed a handful of grass and threw it at Song Song's face for kicking me.
Someone with Song Song's instincts could definitely dodge a bullet at point-blank range, but she didn't. The grass didn't have the momentum to reach her face, but it still got entangled in the lower part of her hair.
"I know a way to fix… Well, not fix, but somewhat mitigate that effect," she said.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
That immediately made me sit up and stop joking around. "Really?"
"Yep, there are pills that can help remove impurities from spiritual roots and improve your cultivation speed," Song Song nodded.
Removing impurities? I sensed no impurities in my spiritual roots. Also, they weren't exactly a physical thing. So, how could they even have impurities? That was interesting...
"Can you get me some of those?" I asked.
"Sure," Song Song shrugged. "Though you will only need one pill since they're not effective after that."
"I'm also curious how they work. As far as I know, spiritual roots have no impurities. So I want to test the pills and their effects first," I explained.
Song Song rolled her eyes at my words but still nodded. She might not understand why I liked knowing certain things, but she let me do my thing and would pave my way to it.
"Also, this time, please don't kill any cousins. I can't get you out of prison a second time," I warned her. "There really isn't much left to give."
"What did you give him?" Song Song frowned immediately. She almost sounded worried.
I explained what I had told the Sect Leader. Her expression slowly eased up, and she nodded.
"Why, what else did you think I gave him?" I smirked.
"Your life, deciding to become his slave, or perhaps something stupid like your lifespan," she said.
"Why would the Sect Leader need any of that?" I raised an eyebrow.
No offense to Song Song, but that was a wild theory. I was a Qi Gathering Cultivator; he had plenty of those. If he wanted lifespan for demonic rituals, he could easily get that from mortals since quantity was more important than quality for those things. At least, as far as I knew about it—not that I was very knowledgeable about demonic rituals.
"Oh, yeah, now that you represent me, you will need a storage ring," Song Song exclaimed. "You can't go around looking like a poor homeless man."
She took a bronze storage ring out from one of the pockets in her dark robe and handed it to me. The ring looked nothing special on the surface.
"Just use Qi on it, and you should get a mental image of what is in the storage ring. This one can store about two cubic meters of stuff," she explained. "Just make sure not to put a storage ring inside another. You won't like the results."
Before I could say anything or offer my thanks, she took out a wooden badge with green jade engravings and threw it at me.
"Here, this is my personal access token to the Song Clan Library. You can read pretty much anything, and the place has almost all kinds of knowledge unless it is actively kept secret and only spread by word of mouth," Song Song said.
I looked her in the eyes, and she looked as expressionless as always. It was often challenging to tell what Song Song was thinking. She was also bad at expressing herself, but this was her way of saying she was thankful and appreciated that I had gotten her out of prison.
"Can you also not kill random people for a while? I know you want to deal with all the people you think deserve it. But my word is on the line, and I don't want people to think I'm just a tool to get you out of prison. They might start taking my words with a grain of salt," I expressed.
"Sure," Song Song shrugged without raising a fuss. "I'm going to explore the house my shitty brother used to live in since I'm on house arrest and can't go out. As for you, you can now go to the library and take whatever books you need. My token is the highest access one, so you can just put books in your storage ring, and no one will stop you."
"I don't even know where the Song Library is," I murmured while examining the strange token she had given me. While I could sense that some inscriptions were used on the token, it was hard to read them.
"Just go to the big building where my father usually stays. There is a secret entrance right next to the staircase, and that is the entrance to the library," she explained.
"A library just below the Clan Leader's building? That sounds…" I put no effort into hiding just how uncomfortable being so close to Song Song's father made me.
"Yeah, well, what kind of knowledge do you think we are keeping down there? There are some writings from the Blazing Sun Immortal himself," she huffed, mock offended at my words. "Also, don't lose that badge. It's the only one I have, and even I can't get in there without it."
"Wow, okay, no pressure then," I said sarcastically.
"You know, even though this is technically just a two-person organization, I'm still the leader and could take back the badge I gave you," she smirked.
"Sorry, Honorable and Reverend, Eternally Beautiful and Fair Song Clan Lady Song Song," I said, intentionally lengthening her titles.
"Okay, that's it. Give me the badge," Song Song extended her hand toward me.
I just smiled, stood up, and leaped over the wall, landing on the cold, snowy street outside. Song Song stood atop the wall and crossed her arms.
She was just on the line where the array stopped. Her eyes wandered around as if searching for anyone else listening in, and then her gaze landed on me.
"Don't take too long, or I might just decide to destroy this house and go out on my own," Song Song said loud and clear, enough for anyone spying on us to overhear.
Those words weren't directed at me, per se. Instead, they were a threat that if something happened to me, Song Song might go on a slaughter fest. By staying behind the barrier, she also showed that she was willing to stay locked in that place as long as I was around.
"Don't worry, I will just look for some interesting books, put them in the storage ring, and come right back," I reassured her.
She nodded, and I turned toward the Clan Leader's castle-like place.
Neither Song Song nor I said anything more. We both knew we were too weak to come and go however and wherever we wanted.
.
While I walked through the snowy road, I looked around. It was winter, so not many people were out. But most of those who were out had dark hair accompanied by green or blue eyes.
Tall men, short men, some kids, women, even elderly people—every person I saw and could sense had that sense of danger about them. Not to mention the people I couldn't sense at all.
Though it felt like they were looking at me, I never caught one of their eyes, even glancing in my direction.
What a clan… No wonder they slaughtered all the other clans related to the Blazing Sun Immortal. They were a dangerous type of people.
I kept my eyes on the large castle-like building in the distance. I always followed a road toward it while acting like I wasn't uncomfortable in this street.
Ah… I really didn't want to be here… The things I did for books.
Once Song Song grew strong enough, we would make our own rules and break them whenever we found it convenient.
Actually, Song Song might. I would follow any fair rules I came up with.
Well, that wasn't something I had to worry about anytime soon. With how dynamic and violent the cultivation world was, everything might change by the time Song reached that level of power.
The only thing I had to worry about right now was what kind of wonderful books I would find in this library.
Chapter 123: A Shadowy Library
As I exhaled steam rose from my mouth, clouding my vision slightly. But I was finally at the foot of the place where Song Song had directed me.
I walked next to the staircase, which Song Song had said concealed a secret entrance. I made sure to have the token on hand as I walked around the staircase.
Occasionally, I couldn't help but glance at the twenty stairs leading to the castle. An instinctive part of my mind was on full alert, anticipating that something dangerous might descend those steps.
It was an illogical fear, of course. What was the point of being wary of the Song Clan Leader coming down those steps? It was not like I could do anything against him.
Perhaps coming here immediately after the Sect Leader forced his hand wasn't a good idea. After all, I was the source of this trouble.
Just then, I felt a tiny twitch from the wooden plaque Song Song had given me. I felt the arrays inside the plaque shift and twist as if pointing at something. I followed its direction to another wall under the stairs.
I knew better than to trust just my eyes, so I extended my hand forward. I touched the wall, closed my eyes, and focused entirely on my sixth sense, which I used to sense Qi. However, there was nothing.
Undeterred, I used my other hand to place the wooden plaque next to the wall.
Immediately, a pulse of Qi spread through the wall, revealing the hidden opening I couldn't detect before. The wall didn't physically move, but now I could sense that the apparent wall in front of me was just an illusion. Initially, it had felt solid, but now my hand moved straight through it.
What an impressive combination of arrays and illusionary techniques, with perhaps some minor hypnosis. Beautiful!
But I couldn't stay here looking like a fool, staring at a wall, so I walked through it. As I passed through the illusion, I sensed an array washing over me as if checking for something. But it didn't stop me.
On the other side of the wall was a dark staircase leading down. Although there was no light, I could see everything perfectly. It was another neat illusion, one I didn't bother to break.
The illusion hypnotized me into thinking I could see the stairs, displaying an illusion of light.
It was a shame that the person who created this was probably dead by now. I would have loved to meet someone like that. They made my tweaked arrays look amateurish, like comparing a child building with Legos to a worker using advanced machinery to build a house.
I walked down the stairs, the cautiousness and fear I had felt regarding the Song Clan dissipating.
For a moment, I had lost sight of myself. So what if it was dangerous? Every man had something for which they would risk their life, and my thing was my curiosity.
My previous life was meaningless. Nothing was gratifying. I was not living; I was just waiting to die! I was not truly passionate about anything, just hobbies at most. I never felt I would be willing to give my life for anything.
But in this life, I had found it! This feeling!
I had already lived a non-dangerous life, and it wasn't all it was sold to be. When it came to gaining new knowledge, I was willing to risk my life!
Who cared if dangerous people were getting in the way of what I wanted? I was dangerous too. As time passed, I continued to grow even more dangerous. It was inevitable.
A smile blossomed on my face as I reached the bottom of the staircase. But as I stepped onto what felt like mud, I realized it wasn't mud. It was what looked like a liquid shadow. I turned toward the staircase I had come from, and the place was utterly dark. I was no longer under an illusion or hypnosis.
On the other hand, in the new room, soft blue gems on the walls acted as weak lighting. The shadowy ground aside, the library was smaller than I had expected. It was just a little bigger than the first floor of the outer sect library.
It made sense, as this place stored important knowledge, and there wasn't much of that around. But I had hoped it would be a giant library with all kinds of secrets from around the world. However, it seemed like I would have to discover those secrets myself.
As I walked through the library, the shadow that almost reached my knees didn't restrict my movements like mud would have.
When I got close enough to see the first book, I felt like a kid at a toy store.
"Sky Grade Techniques to Reach Heavens," I read the title out loud and picked up the book. After scrolling through the first page, I realized it explained what Sky Grade Techniques were and certain specifics.
Stolen story; please report.
Huh? Sky Grade Techniques grew weaker the more people learned them. It made sense why those kinds of techniques were not spread around more. The technique would literally lose power if more people knew it… How the hell did that work?
At some point, a Sky Grade Technique could even degrade to Earth Grade power if too many people learned it. Sadly, that was where the book ended the subject and didn't explain why that was the case!
"What are you reading there?" a voice said from behind, startling me a bit.
What was it with people nowadays sneaking up on me so easily? Or was I just so lost in this book that I forgot.
I turned around and was greeted by a floating book. It had a golden cover and was opened to a page with an ink drawing of a clean-shaven old man with his mouth open. Though he looked like a static drawing, there was life in his eyes.
Okay… What the fuck was this?
"You don't feel like one of my descendants. Did you kill one of them and take their token?" The talking doodle in the book inquired. The drawing hadn't moved, but the voice was definitely coming from the book. "But even then, you would have to know how to use the library token. To get that, you would have to torture the information out of them, but no member of my Song Clan with access to this place would be broken by silly things like torture. So, I will ask again, how did you get here, kid?"
My first thought was that this guy was the Blazing Sun Immortal, who had sealed his consciousness in a book or something like that. But the Blazing Sun Immortal was called an immortal for a reason. I doubted an immortal would imbue his consciousness in a book to preserve his lifespan.
I put the book back in place, cupped my fist respectfully, and bowed my head. "Sorry for disturbing your rest, Honorable Elder. You are right; I'm not a member of the Song Clan. I was given this token by a dear friend."
"Elder?" The book flipped pages and ended up on a page with the drawing of the same man, except he looked offended in this one. "Back in my day, I was the Song Clan Leader!"
"Sorry, Clan Leader. I'm ignorant of the ways of the Song Clan," I said smoothly, without taking offense to his words.
When it came to these kinds of cultivators, I always treated them as sulking kids in my mind. There was no reason to get offended by what a sulking kid said.
The dangerous ones were the cultivators who hid their intentions and remained quiet even when insulted to their faces. Those were the kind that would actually go through the effort of exterminating someone's whole clan and family. In that case, I wouldn't even see it coming.
"Well, I'm Song Lian, the direct grandson of the Blazing Sun Immortal!" The pages flipped again and landed on a drawing where he had his mouth open, then ended on another page where he wore a proud smirk.
Yep, there was a good chance this guy had definitely been a puppet leader. If I had learned one thing about this world, it was that arrogant cultivators were usually used as tools by the scheming cultivators. Also, there was no way this dangerous Song Clan had been created in the last generation or two. They had to have been just as dangerous during this guy's generation, or perhaps even more so because they had to deal with families of similar power.
"Wow, sorry Clan Leader. I never knew you held such a prestigious position," pulling off the starry-eyed look was surprisingly easy. I just had to think about the kinds of books this guy might give me if we got along. "Sorry, I'm kind of nervous. It feels like I'm meeting one of those legendary heroes from books!"
"Of course," the book said, flinging the page to a page where he had his mouth open as his voice came out. Then, the book returned to the same proud-looking drawing.
This had to be one of those techniques that extended people's lifespans.
There was a good chance this book was older than most Nascent Soul Cultivators today. But then again, the Blazing Sun Immortal was an immortal after all. This could be just a couple of cultivator generations ago.
"Sorry for intruding on your time, Honorable Leader. But my friend really wants me to bring back some books. Can I come back and talk to you when I have some free time? I would love to learn about your life history!" I said, and I wasn't trying to trick him this time.
This guy might be an arrogant cultivator, which I didn't usually respect. But he was also a living relic.
"Of course," he said, and the book flipped to a page where the man was nodding with a peaceful smile. "Let me help you with any books you might be looking for. What is it that you want? You have the highest access badge and can take any book here."
"I'm looking for some books on arrays. Most of the arrays I know are defensive barriers in one way or another, so I'm looking for some attacking arrays or something similar," I said.
The book flipped pages and landed on a proud drawing. "Then, I know just the books for you! Follow me."
He levitated toward one of the shelves and said, "Thirteen of those books at the top have information on arrays from level one to level five of all kinds. From setting boundaries, fire arrays, lightning arrays, some ritualistic arrays, three dozen demonic arrays that you shouldn't use in public, and some level four arrays where you can inscribe the beast in an item and cause the soul of the monstrous beast to come fight for you…"
The book continued explaining, and I listened with a smile. After a while, I constructed a jade soldier, and the book stopped explaining, flipping to a drawing of a confused man.
"No, please continue, Honorable Leader. You were just getting to the good part. You were talking about the Leaf Controlling Array, right? Where the array allows the user to imbue Qi in leaves and control them as a tidal wave of sharp blades. A bit complicated for a level three array, but I would love to hear more about it," I said, using the jade soldier as a foothold to reach and grab all the books above.
After putting all the books I needed on a jade platform, I closed my eyes, concentrated, and ran Qi through the storage ring. I felt an empty, dark space with nothing in it. Then I touched the books individually and put them in the storage ring with just a thought.
It was pretty easy to use a storage ring. I had seen Song Song use it with a wave of her hand before, but this was my first time.
As I was putting in the books, another book caught my attention. It was an old book with a red cover, and it looked like it had been a while since it had been touched. Even though it was dark and on another shelf, and I could barely read the title even with my good vision, the title alone was more than enough to grab my attention.
'Explanation of Otherworldly Devils'
Chapter 124: Otherworldly Devils
When I looked at the book, my eyes were glued to it. When I realized what had happened, my heart began beating faster, and I wondered whether I might have been staring too long.
A soft shadow washed over my feet, the low light barely making anything visible.
I peeled my gaze away from it, but I had a sneaking suspicion just by the title alone. This place housed some of the rarest knowledge, and either that book was about devils from some hellish realm, or it talked about…
I should read this book here and put it back.
No! I had to think calmly. If someone was spying on me right now and I only read a book here and put it back, it would seem like I had something to hide and come off as suspicious.
With my mind made up, I walked toward the book I had my sights on. My feet pushed the shadowy ground aside like a fluff of smoke.
"I'm taking this book too," I said as I opened it.
'The first records of Otherworldly Devils appeared around thirty thousand years ago. Though that was the oldest record I could find, there were likely many before that. The Clocktower Queen, leader of the grasslands in the Eastern Continent, is assumed to have been the first female leader of her tribe. She likely earned that position due to her many miraculous inventions…'
I skipped some parts about her early childhood, which could be roughly summarized as showing that while she had no talent for cultivation, she was known as a miracle worker. However, the book never mentioned any of her miracles.
'She was killed at the age of twenty-two by a wandering demonic cultivator who wanted to see how a miracle worker's sacrifice would power his dark rituals. There are no records of the results, but later, that demonic cultivator would be killed by the Blood-Teared Immortal, whom many at the time assumed was the Clocktower Queen's childhood friend and perhaps even lover in the later part of her life. Or perhaps he was just one of the many people she helped when they were younger.'
I was about to turn to the next page but stopped myself. Otherwise, I would spend hours just sitting here reading this book.
So, I put it in my storage ring and turned toward the floating book, which looked at me curiously.
"This is amazing. I was just thinking about how there might be other people from different worlds," I said truthfully.
But the face in the book still didn't look impressed. The pages flipped to another drawing of him where he was still unimpressed but now had his mouth open. "You must definitely be a kid from one of the smaller clans."
"Actually-"
"If it can't compete with the Song Clan, it's a small clan," the book interrupted me, and as if to prove his point, he said. "There are records of a rabbit monstrous beast traveling through time. It was injured in the future and returned with those injuries to the past. Nobody has injured the rabbit yet, and it is bound to happen in the future. People from another world who can't even make things levitate with their minds are boring compared to things like that."
I was happy that truly knowledgeable people might not consider my situation exciting or important enough. Though… he was definitely right that the time-traveling rabbit was way more impressive than my situation. I'd never heard about something like this.
"Are there any books about this time-traveling rabbit?" I asked. "Also, what even makes a rabbit able to travel in time?"
However, I was surprised some cultivators were solemn enough to follow and catalog something like that. Perhaps one of those immortals had made an enemy of the rabbit. Also, it could all be a very elaborate plan by someone.
Something like time travel would break the balance of the world and everything I knew so far. Or there should be some strict limitations on that kind of power. Also, someone had injured it, so it wasn't as overpowered as it sounded at first.
"Well, humans aren't the only ones who can become immortals. Also, it isn't like that weakling can attack anyone, it just goes through time like a lost rabbit. We all know that when humans become immortals…" Whatever he was about to say next, the book stopped and flipped to a page showing the face of an expressionless man. Then it flipped again to a page with an open mouth. "Anyway, the world is a big place. Even though we haven't had contact with the other continents due to the monstrous beasts taking over the central continent, just this White Tiger Continent has many wondrous sights of its own, like the Cold Ice Time Palace and Space Breaking Point where people can travel to other realms. There's even a place where people can go insane seeing things no one was meant to see."
Was he supposed to be telling me all this? It sounded like this was all secret knowledge. If I had learned anything about hidden knowledge and Sect conspiracies, it was better to act like I heard nothing. However, if I ever got the chance, I would have to go on a journey and explore this world. It had many incredible sights.
However, with the cultivation I had right now, there was a better chance of dying at the doorstep than reaching any of these places.
"See you later, Honorable Leader," I bowed down to my waist and walked up the dark stairway.
"Very good! At least the younger generation knows to show respect to their elders!" The book said, and everything became eerily quiet as I took my first step on the staircase leading out of there.
No illusion made it feel like I could see anything this time, so I was left in perpetual darkness as I climbed up the staircase.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Once at the top of the stairs, I walked through the wall and was back outside. I was on the snowy ground, and the cold permeated through my clothes. The sky was cloudy, and snow was falling. Nobody lived close to where the Song Clan Leader lived, so there wasn't that constant feeling that the Song Clan members were looking at me.
I concentrated and took out the book on Otherworldly Devils and erected a barrier around myself to protect myself and the book from the falling snow.
There was nothing I had to hide. Why wouldn't I read the only book in my storage ring that would require some practice to use as arrays did? Obviously, I was just interested in this and not some Otherworldly Devil.
At least, that was what I wanted anyone who thought of me as important enough to spy on to believe.
I didn't bother with such things anymore and returned to reading as I walked back toward the compound where Song Song was. This time, I took a longer route on the outskirts of the Song Clan. It was uncomfortable having them staring at me so much.
I flipped past the page describing the Clocktower Queen's short life.
'There are three types of Otherworldly Devils. The first type is those who travel here with their original bodies. They have no spiritual roots, are usually physically weak, and have no potential to cultivate. But that doesn't make them any less dangerous to mortals. These types of Otherworldly Devils carry many strange diseases that kill mortals in droves. This was the type that the common people hated the most, and they started calling these otherworldly humans Otherworldly Devils.'
Judging by the context, the writer implied that this first type of otherworldly devil was known even by ordinary people. But it seemed like this knowledge had faded over time; nowadays, it was not considered common knowledge even amongst cultivators.
It was interesting that some people came here with their physical bodies. They were doomed since they were without the ability to cultivate. But clearly, the mortals in this world and other worlds seemed to have enough in common in their DNA that diseases could transfer.
I flipped past the page and read about the second category, and this one made my heart skip a beat.
'The second type of Otherworldly Devils are those who take over a dead body, or at least a body where the soul is still alive but the consciousness is gone. There is little known about these beings since they are undetectable unless someone could somehow perceive souls. Even then, it is only for some time until the two souls fuse seamlessly. They integrate themselves into society quite well, though often they die young due to searching for greatness… Some of the lucky ones end up crippled for life. What a life that is… Anyway, the soul is often stronger than normal since two souls fuse together. Often, they're good with arrays or alchemy due to previous knowledge. It is unknown if there are any advantages to having a soul twice as powerful as normal.'
Yeah, this was it. This was my type, and I didn't know I had a soul stronger than most. Some things even said I would be better at arrays or alchemy. I should give alchemy a try. It wasn't something I had planned anytime soon, but it sounded cool.
But for now, such thoughts were put on the back of my mind as I continued reading.
'The third type of Otherworldly Devils are those who are reborn into a baby or take over its body in the womb before it can form a soul. It is not known how this process happens. For Otherworldly Devils, this is considered the best start they can have. They are born with the ability to sense and, in some cases, perhaps even circulate Qi. They do not suffer from spirit root degradation, and their young bodies can even use Qi to an extent before they become Qi Gathering Cultivators. Though their bodies often have to catch up with their cultivation, their soul is the same since they just reincarnated and didn't take over a new body.'
This sounded overpowered. They got at least a twenty-year head start against the average cultivator. However, the writer seemed to be looking at only the positive aspects of this kind of rebirth and not considering the negative aspects.
For example, as a baby, they could be born in a village that was about to be slaughtered or a city that was about to fall to a Beast Wave. They were powerless to defend themselves for at least the better part of a decade.
'There were only three recorded people who have revealed they were Otherworldly Devils. They did so only when they reached immortality and no one could touch them. Certain historical notes reveal they were all from the third category of Otherworldly Devils.'
Oh? Some otherworldly people actually reached immortality? Well, it would be weirder if none of them had. This was often a numbers game; eventually, someone was bound to check all the boxes needed to reach that unprecedented level of power.
'The Lustfully Eternal Immortal, from the Eastern Continent. The man who had the largest recorded harem with eight hundred women. He lived around 13,000 years ago. Lustfully Eternal Immortal didn't bother hiding that he was an Otherworldly Devil once he became an immortal, as he had his women often wear outfits that clearly revealed that. Like maid outfits, cat girl outfits, and...'
With that harem, there was a good chance that a large percentage of the population in the Eastern Continent where this guy came from might be related to him. Did he get inspired by Genghis Khan or something?
'The Beautiful Dream Immortal. A kind man, like a saint. He was from the central continent and died when the monstrous beasts took over. Most say that it was due to betrayal of some kind. He lived around 1,000 years ago...'
Oh, now that was a timeline point I could measure. I read in a historical book that the central continent was taken over four thousand years ago. So, this book was written around three thousand years ago.
'The Blood Step Immortal. A murderous man who lived on the Western Continent. A man born with a poor talent for cultivation, he was known to participate in mass sacrificial ceremonies that helped with cultivation and developed more such demonic rituals. He lived around 23,000 years ago and died soon after becoming an immortal. His life was relatively short but filled with violence. In every step of his life, he fought against fate…'
Oh, this guy was from the same continent as I was. The White Tiger Continent was also known as the Western Continent. Nobody called it the Western Continent since we lost contact with the other continents.
Also, it was telling that only these three people revealed they were other-worlders. They only did so after they became immortals; otherwise, it was like asking a demonic cultivator to just try a ritual on you. Fuck, me actually having a stronger soul than usual probably made me a good ingredient in a sacrifice. However, I had no idea what qualified as "good ingredients" in a demonic ritual.
As I approached the latter pages of the book, the author stopped discussing the lives of those three immortals and instead addressed another topic.
'Otherworldly Devils rarely ever get to meet another one of their kind. Because compared to the general population, they're too rare, and coming from another world is not a common occurrence…'
On the last page, the author's name was written.
'Written by: Chaofan Tuosu'
I finished reading the book and was close to my temporary house. Song Song was still waiting atop the wall. I closed the book and waved at her.
"Took you long enough," she said.
"Yeah, because I took the long route back. Your clan members like to stare," I responded, putting the red book in my storage ring.
As I leaped past the wall, the cold that had hung around me on my way here disappeared, and I felt the comfortable warmth of spring within the barrier. Song Song's presence disappeared from atop the wall, and she appeared sitting on the wooden porch.
I turned toward her. "You didn't tell me about the man in the book."
"The man in the book?" She looked at me, confused.