Li Yao sat on the Sect Master's seat, surrounded by countless memorandums spread across the large desk before her. Her eyes skimmed over the documents for a few seconds before frustration overwhelmed her. With a sudden burst of irritation, she slammed her fist against the table, causing several papers to leap into the air before fluttering back down haphazardly.
"Why is this so difficult?" she thought bitterly. When she had accepted the position, she'd imagined herself leading armies and standing at the frontlines when battle came, not drowning in administrative paperwork. She'd much rather be watching her senior brother practicing his techniques right now. Why should she care about budgets and resource allocations?
The Empress could only sigh as she observed Li Yao.
[Let me see that], she finally spoke as she materialized next to her.
Li Yao spread out the documents for the Empress to examine.
[First, you need to allocate a budget for repairing the damaged buildings. The sect still needs to function after all], the Empress instructed, her voice taking on a lecturing tone. [Next, reinforce the sect boundaries. Although the battle is over, the sect has grown considerably weaker, and nearby sects might get ambitious ideas.]
The Empress continued with her guidance, [You also need to select a new Elder of the Scripture Pavilion as well as appoint a new Grand Elder. Though keeping the Grand Elder position vacant for now is acceptable. Such a role is traditionally filled by seniority, and the only suitable candidate would be your master—but he likely won't accept it, so leave it vacant for the time being.]
She gestured toward another document. [You should also summon a sect-wide meeting to formally announce your new position as Sect Leader. You can also use this opportunity to identify and remove Elder Mei's remaining subordinates, which will help establish your authority.]
Li Yao listened with growing amazement, her earlier frustration dissolving into admiration. "You're really good at this," she remarked sincerely.
[How do you think I became the Human Empress?] came the slightly smug reply.
"I thought you just beat everyone up," Li Yao answered, causing the Empress to facepalm.
"Is that not true?" Li Yao pressed, genuinely perplexed.
This girl is truly beyond saving, the Empress thought privately.
[While power is certainly necessary to rule an entire race, you also need to convince the masses to follow you willingly. If you rely solely on raw strength, they might not truly listen to your commands], the Empress explained patiently.
"Can't you just beat up those who don't listen?" Li Yao asked, her brows furrowed in honest confusion.
[You—] the Empress began before sighing deeply and abandoning the attempt. [Nevermind], she concluded, retreating back into the depths of Li Yao's spiritual sea.
Li Yao sat alone, wondering what had frustrated the Empress so greatly. Her contemplation was interrupted as the door to the chamber slid open.
"Sect Master, I heard a commotion. Did something happen?" Elder Huang asked as she entered the room with a respectful bow.
Elder Huang thought to herself that while she had been assigned to guide Li Yao due to their prior relationship, addressing her former junior as "Sect Master" still felt peculiar.
Nevertheless, she had witnessed Li Yao's overwhelming power firsthand during the battle. In the cultivation world, superior strength commanded respect—the one with the stronger fist was always the elder, regardless of age or experience.
"Martial Aunt, don't be so formal," Li Yao said, waving her hand dismissively.
"Sect Master, if we don't maintain proper protocol, how can you convince others of your authority?" Elder Huang countered firmly.
"There's no one here to convince, so you can just act normal," Li Yao insisted.
"Alright," Elder Huang conceded with a slight smile. "Do you have any instructions?" she asked, her tone notably less formal.
Something remarkable happened then. As Li Yao began issuing orders, the aura surrounding her transformed completely. Gone was the petulant young woman frustrated by paperwork, replaced by someone who radiated natural authority.
"Yes. First, assign people to repair the damaged sections of the sect and bring me a comprehensive damage report," she commanded, her voice carrying an unmistakable weight of authority.
"I also want to hold an official inauguration ceremony, so announce a sect-wide gathering. Recall all members who are currently outside the sect, and prevent those inside from departing for the time being."
Li Yao's posture straightened as she continued, "And don't forget to monitor nearby sects closely. Report any unusual movements to me immediately."
Elder Huang could only bow deeply before departing. As she closed the door behind her, she marveled at this unexpected transformation. She had always viewed Li Yao as merely a mischievous, talented girl, but this commanding presence was entirely unexpected. When Li Yao spoke in that manner, it felt as though one stood before an emperor addressing his court—Elder Huang had almost felt compelled to kneel and accept the imperial edict.
Her Senior Brother's disciples were truly extraordinary.
...
Xiang Yu sat cross-legged in his room, focused intently on the two crystal vials placed before him on a small wooden table. The Ice Palm technique had already been registered in his system—that part was simple enough. Now only these bloodline essences remained.
He recalled his junior sister's explanation that refining these blood essences would grant him actual bloodlines. Though his knowledge of bloodlines remained limited, he understood their significance in the cultivation world. It was almost always better to have one than not.
The two vials contained essences from truly extraordinary creatures—one from a phoenix and one from a dragon. These weren't merely rare beasts but mythical entities of immense power.
A question nagged at him: why had Li Yao given him both? The phoenix bloodline was traditionally considered feminine in nature, more suited for female cultivators. More importantly, was it even possible for one person to simultaneously possess two different bloodlines?
"Well, there's only one way to find out," Xiang Yu muttered to himself.
With a decisive motion, he uncorked both vials and tipped their contents directly into his mouth. The moment the essences touched his tongue, he instantly regretted it. He instinctively tried to spit them out, but it was already too late—the essences had seemingly dissolved, instantly absorbed into his bloodstream.
Heat erupted throughout his body, starting as a warm tingle but rapidly intensifying into a scorching inferno that seemed to originate from his very marrow. Desperate for relief, he tore off his outer robes, but the burning sensation only worsened. His skin flushed crimson as sweat poured from every pore.
"I'm starting to think that it wasn't a good idea to try them all at once," he thought, grimacing through the pain.
The competing bloodlines were waging war inside him, each attempting to claim dominance over his body. Dragon and phoenix—two mythical creatures—battled for territory within his meridians and organs. His internal organs began rupturing one after another as incompatible energies clashed violently. Though his Transcendent Dao Physique continuously attempted to heal the damage, it simply couldn't keep pace with the destruction.
Through the haze of agony, an idea formed in Xiang Yu's mind. Hastily donning a fresh set of clothes, he bolted from his room, sprinting as though his life depended on it—and it did.
When he reached the concealed cave entrance, he didn't even bother with his usual careful disguising of the opening. He simply plunged inside, scrambling through the narrow passage until he burst into the larger chamber housing the spirit spring.
Without hesitation, he dove into the multicolored waters, fully submerging himself. Only then did the relentless burning subside enough for him to think clearly. The spring's energy worked to neutralize the external symptoms, but he could still feel the bloodlines ravaging his organs before the spring's healing properties could repair them.
As he floated in the shimmering waters, Xiang Yu focused his concentration inward. If he could just guide the blood essences to stabilize until they appeared in his system interface, he might survive this ordeal. From his previous experiences, he knew that once abilities were recognized by his system, they ceased their chaotic behavior and became tools under his command—just like his Abyssal Void Flame.
The thought triggered a revelation. The flame! Perhaps it could help.
With careful focus, Xiang Yu summoned the Abyssal Void Flame, directing it toward the warring bloodline essences within his body. As the dark flame approached the battling energies, something unexpected happened—both bloodlines immediately ceased their conflict, recoiling as if in fear of the flame's presence.
Xiang Yu stared in astonishment at the bloodlines within his body. They weren't just subdued—they were trembling in fear, cowering away from his Abyssal Void Flame as if facing their natural predator. The sight perplexed him deeply. This flame had already proven extraordinary when it had effortlessly cleared his mental demons during meditation, but to witness it intimidating bloodlines of mythical creatures considered apex beings in the cultivation world? That was truly remarkable.
Even if these were merely essence extracts rather than the actual creatures themselves, their reaction spoke volumes about the flame's true nature. What kind of power did he actually possess?
Taking advantage of the bloodlines' terrified state, Xiang Yu focused his concentration on refining them properly. The process proved surprisingly simple—with the essences subdued by the flame's presence, they offered no resistance. Within minutes, his system displayed a new entry:
[Bloodline: Dragon, Phoenix: Thin Blood (10/1000)]
Xiang Yu released a long, steady breath, calming his racing heart. Curiously, he found himself less impressed by the legendary bloodlines he'd just acquired than by the Abyssal Void Flame's unexpected power. A frown creased his forehead as he considered the implications.
If the flame possessed such extraordinary capabilities, didn't that suggest it might have an extraordinary background? Or belong to some ancient, powerful being? Would some terrifying immortal eventually come knocking at his door, demanding the return of their treasure? If that happened, he'd be utterly doomed.
Deciding not to dwell on that troubling possibility, Xiang Yu carefully guided the flame back to his spiritual sea. If his theory was correct, now that the bloodlines had been registered in his system, they should remain stable. Just as he predicted, even after withdrawing the flame's presence, the dragon and phoenix essences remained peacefully in their respective territories, no longer battling for dominance.
With the immediate danger past, Xiang Yu turned his attention to the wealth of information flooding his mind. As soon as the bloodlines had registered, his system had provided comprehensive details about bloodline classifications. They followed their own hierarchical ranking: lesser, common, gifted, noble, legendary, mythical, divine, and primordial.
Humans possessed merely common bloodlines, while dragons and phoenixes ranked among the mythical tier—five levels higher. The gap was staggering, but what truly stunned Xiang Yu was discovering two rankings beyond even mythical. What inconceivable beings possessed divine or primordial bloodlines? The very thought sent a shiver down his spine.
Despite their mythical status, the dragon and phoenix bloodlines wouldn't instantly make him OP. Bloodlines also had their own internal subdivisions: thin blood, common blood, half blood, true blood, high blood, noble blood, pure blood, and progenitor (first blood). Having refined only a small amount of essence, Xiang Yu occupied the lowest tier—thin blood.
Nevertheless, even this minimal connection offered substantial benefits. The phoenix bloodline provided enhanced fire affinity, poison resistance, increased comprehension, and accelerated healing. The dragon bloodline proved even more impressive, strengthening his bones and toughening his skin, significantly boosting his physical power. At the same Body Refining level, he would now consistently outperform others in raw physical strength.
Most importantly to Xiang Yu, the dragon bloodline offered something he had desperately sought—an understanding of the wind element. Unlike phoenixes, which specialized solely in fire, dragons came in numerous varieties, including wind dragons. This connection finally gave him insight into the wind element.
He was a little disappointed that he hadn't gained any affinity with light or dark elements, but Xiang Yu reminded himself to be patient. One step at a time—he was already progressing far beyond what someone with his initial limitations should have achieved. As long as he continued at this pace, he'd eventually get there.
...
As Xiang Yu basked in the restorative waters of the spirit spring, a sense of accomplishment washed over him. The dragon bloodline had granted him what he'd sought for so long—an understanding of wind qi. With his experience in creating elemental palm techniques, it took mere minutes to develop his wind palm technique and acquire some experience points for it.
The phoenix bloodline proved equally valuable, its enhanced healing properties already mending the internal damage from the earlier bloodline conflict. His body felt invigorated, tissues knitting together at an accelerated rate that exceeded even his Transcendent Dao Physique's natural recovery.
He wondered what he would become when the two bloodlines finally reached progenitor level? The thought was thrilling. With the help of his system, he would eventually get there.
He suddenly had a bold idea. He'd noticed how the dragon and phoenix essences behaved. They seemed to be opposites. Not opposites in the traditional sense, but opposites in that they didn't get along at all.
They behaved as though they were ancient adversaries with a primal hatred so deeply ingrained that even their diluted essences instinctively battled upon contact. Their conflict wasn't necessarily detrimental, though. It could be harnessed.
Deliberately loosening his control over the bloodlines, Xiang Yu watched as they immediately resumed their struggle, each fighting for dominance within his body. Rather than panicking, he observed with calculated interest. This conflict could be useful—a constant stimulus forcing both bloodlines to strengthen themselves against their rival.
Before allowing this internal war to continue, however, he took time to fully heal. Between the spirit spring's energy, his Transcendent Dao Physique, and the phoenix bloodline's regenerative properties, his body restored itself completely within minutes.
"I can't just let them fight unrestricted," he reasoned. If he did that, he'd only be harming himself. If his healing couldn't keep up, the result wouldn't be worth it at all.
But a solution was already forming in his mind. His lips curved into a calculating smile that gradually transformed into an evil grin.
"If I study pill refining, I could create thousands of healing pills," he thought. "Combined with my physique and the phoenix bloodline's recovery abilities, I could rapidly regenerate while allowing the bloodlines to battle continuously."
His body would become a battlefield—and a crucible. Each skirmish between dragon and phoenix would strengthen both, and his physical form would adapt, growing more resilient through repeated recovery.
Although his body would be a little hurt, it was a necessary sacrifice. His expression darkened with determination. To gain power, some sacrifices had to be made. He hoped his body would forgive him.
Catching his reflection in the spring's shimmering surface, Xiang Yu paused, startled by the maniacal grin that had overtaken his features. He quickly composed himself, smoothing his expression into something more neutral.
He remembered that it was almost lunchtime. His carefully structured daily schedule had been thoroughly disrupted; he would need to create a new one to accommodate these developments.
More urgently, however, he needed to properly conceal the spirit vein. In his desperate rush to reach the spirit spring, he had completely neglected to hide the entrance.
...