"Isn't it easier to just kill them? Why go through all the effort?" Li Yao asked.
[You just don't want to handle the paperwork for both sects,] the Empress responded, her voice laced with amusement.
[Besides, if you really killed them, since you can't kill the entire sect, a new leader would just emerge and we'd have the same problem.]
Li Yao's head tilted slightly in confusion. "Why can't I kill the entire sect?" she asked, genuinely puzzled by the limitation.
The Empress sighed deeply [Do you want to be labeled a demonic cultivator?]
"But they attacked first," Li Yao protested, feeling wronged.
[No one cares. If people can benefit by labeling you a demonic cultivator, they will,] the Empress explained. [Don't worry about it too much, this is actually a precaution.]
"Precaution?" Li Yao's eyes widened with curiosity.
[That's right. Although it seems as though they're losing out, they're actually benefiting by allying with us. They're smart people, so they should already understand this,] the Empress elaborated.
Li Yao's fingers drummed against her armrest as she considered this. "But how does this benefit us? Aren't they just mooching off of us?" she questioned.
[It's always nice to have friends,] the Empress replied. [It'll be easier to focus on external threats without having to worry about threats within your walls.]
Li Yao nodded slowly. The explanation sounded reasonable, though she didn't completely understand all the nuances.
Her mind quickly switched to another matter that had been occupying her thoughts.
"When are we going to raid the tomb of the Tribulation Transcendence expert?" Li Yao asked, her eyes suddenly sparkling with excitement.
[I thought you forgot about that,] the Empress remarked, surprise evident in her voice.
"How could I forget? Even if senior brother has spiritual roots now, they're still low level," she said.
[Shouldn't you keep the pill for yourself to use when entering the Tribulation Transcendence stage?] the Empress questioned, probing Li Yao's priorities.
"Why bother? That's like a few months from now. By then, who knows, senior brother might be able to refine it with his alchemy skills," she replied with absolute confidence.
Does this girl even hear the words coming out of her mouth? the Empress thought incredulously. How could the Tribulation stage be a few months from now? Some people never reach it in thousands of years! She just sighed internally. Maybe Li Yao didn't know much about the world and was still naive. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
[Well, we can also use this chance to forge your golden core,] she said. [We'll leave three days from now. Although the sect is still in danger, they won't act for some time, so we can use this chance to improve your strength.]
Li Yao nodded resolutely. She thought to herself that she needed to improve her strength even more. The coming enemies were getting stronger and stronger, and she didn't know if she could handle it without further advancement.
...
In the Wuming Cult's main hall, the sect master's roar shattered the solemn silence. "WHAT?" His thunderous voice caused the entire hall to tremble.
His fists clenched tightly, veins bulging along his forearms. How was that possible? All the spies he had meticulously placed throughout the Azure Cloud Sword Sect—cultivators who had infiltrated over decades, each position carefully calculated—eliminated in an instant. Not just discovered, but completely eradicated simultaneously.
This confirmed his earlier suspicions even more, the Azure Cloud Sect definitely had an expert helping them. For them to be able to uncover the spies and kill them all in an instant, they must be quite skilled.
He needed to accelerate his plans. Whispers had reached him that other demonic factions were beginning to detect his movements, circling like vultures. The treasure he had devoted centuries to obtaining—he couldn't allow it to be snatched away by those opportunistic bastards.
Still, he remained cautious. Though he suspected the orthodox faction's involvement with the Azure Cloud Sect, he couldn't act rashly. If those self-righteous cultivators were attempting to provoke him into exposing himself, he would need contingencies.
"Come in," he commanded, his voice now controlled but no less menacing.
The massive doors swung open silently. An elder entered, his face half-hidden beneath a hood.
"Sect Master, do you have any instructions?" he asked, bowing deeply, his forehead nearly touching the floor.
"All the spies we've placed in the Azure Cloud Sect have been eliminated," the sect master stated flatly.
The elder's composure shattered. "What? How is that possible?" He stumbled backward, shock evident in his face. No wonder the cult leader was so irritated—he had personally deployed those spies to avoid any information leaks. But now, all the hard work he'd put in had been destroyed in a single day.
"That doesn't matter now," the leader dismissed with a wave of his hand. "I think they have external help, but I can't confirm it at the moment."
"I want you to take over the nearby sects and use them to fight the Azure Cloud Sect. Test their limits," he ordered, a cruel smile forming on his lips.
The man bowed once more and backed away before turning to leave the room, the heavy doors closing behind him.
Alone again, the sect master's gaze drifted to the array of maps spread across his table. His finger traced the location of the Azure Cloud Sect, then moved to several marked positions surrounding it.
He wondered what game the orthodox faction was playing. Whatever their scheme, they would soon discover that the Wuming Cult had survived for millennia by turning traps against those who set them.
...
When Xiang Yu returned, he proceeded directly to the spirit vein. He no longer bothered with the crude camouflage of leaves and branches. After advancing to eighth-grade formation master, he had crafted several intricate concealing arrays and established them at the entrance.
These formations, far more effective than physical disguises, bent light and perception around the cave opening, rendering it virtually invisible to passersby. He planned to enhance these protections further once he broke through to the next level.
Inside the cavern, the multicolored waters of the spirit spring shimmered with gentle radiance. The boar continued floating aimlessly through the glowing pool, showing no signs of transformation despite its prolonged exposure to spiritual energy. Xiang Yu sighed deeply, gathering another handful of medicinal herbs and tossing them into the water for the creature to consume.
It seemed increasingly clear that to produce third-grade spirit food, he would need to venture out and capture actual spirit beasts—a prospect he had absolutely no desire to pursue. Such hunting expeditions would expose him to unnecessary danger and were ultimately unsustainable for his long-term plans.
What he truly wanted was to cultivate a spirit boar capable of reproduction, establishing a self-sustaining source of spirit ingredients. Even as he acknowledged the ambition of essentially creating an entirely new species, the potential benefits made the effort worthwhile.
Setting aside these thoughts, Xiang Yu turned his attention to practice. Though he was tempted to stimulate his bloodlines for rapid advancement, timing was crucial. How would he explain appearing at dinner covered in injuries?
Instead, he decided to focus on his elemental techniques. Since his lightning palm had reset its experience points after breaking through, he decided to use this time to accumulate some experience for the next reset. With his superior enlightenment, gaining points was quite easy.
After sufficient practice, he transitioned to his newest acquisitions—the light and dark palm techniques. He noticed that these elements had the least amount of experience and decided to give them a little push so they could catch up to the wind and ice palms.
Xiang Yu observed with fascination how these contradictory energies seemed to accelerate each other's development when practiced simultaneously. The light element would surge forward, only for the dark to respond by matching its advancement, creating a perpetual cycle of improvement reminiscent of his bloodlines' interaction, though without the violent internal damage.
When the techniques finally reached comparable levels, Xiang Yu departed to prepare dinner.
During dinner, it was only Xiang Yu and Elder Guo. Elder Huang and Li Yao were still busy as always. They chatted casually as they ate, with Elder Guo sharing stories and cultivation insights while Xiang Yu listened attentively, occasionally asking questions.
When he returned to the spirit vein, Xiang Yu removed his robes and stepped into the spirit spring, feeling the spiritual energy immediately begin to permeate his skin.
"This time, I'll push myself twice as long as yesterday," he thought. His eyes drifted to the two hundred eighth-grade healing pills he had refined earlier. "I've prepared properly. Tonight, I'm really going all out."
Xiang Yu took several deep breaths, clearing his mind and steadying his nerves. The anticipation of what was to come sent a shiver down his spine. After one final moment of preparation, he released his control over the bloodlines within him.
The effect was instantaneous. The dragon and phoenix essences shot through his veins like lightning, hurtling toward each other with primal aggression. The moment they collided, Xiang Yu's skin ruptured in dozens of places, blood seeping from the wounds as internal damage spread like wildfire.
Pain erupted through every fiber of his being, far more intense than his previous session. Xiang Yu clenched his teeth so hard he feared they might crack, yet he refused to make a sound. "It's even worse than last time," he realized through the haze of agony. He had assumed the pain would become more manageable as his body strengthened, but he'd overlooked a crucial detail—the bloodlines were growing stronger alongside him.
An hour later, Xiang Yu's trembling hand reached for his tenth pill. He swallowed it with difficulty, his throat raw from suppressed screams. "Still a few hours left to endure," he reminded himself, his determination unwavering despite the torment.
After another two hours, his condition had deteriorated dramatically. His skin was torn open across his entire body, and his internal organs had been reduced to a chaotic mess of damaged tissue. With bloodied, shaking hands, he grabbed twenty pills and swallowed them in one gulp. His critically damaged body absorbed their effects immediately, desperately trying to repair the devastation. Yet each healed wound would reopen seconds later as the relentless bloodlines continued their vicious battle.
Another hour passed. Xiang Yu clung to consciousness by a thread, his vision blurring as he forced himself to swallow another pill. "I've taken so many pills," he thought hazily. "If it weren't for my Transcendent Dao Body's ability to refine them, I'd have died from pill poisoning long ago. Anyone else's body would have started rejecting them after the first dozen."
As yet another hour dragged by, Xiang Yu reached his absolute breaking point. His body screamed for relief, begging him to stop the bloodlines' conflict. The sensation resembled holding one's breath underwater far past the point of comfort—every instinct demanded he release control and end the self-imposed torture.
With herculean effort, Xiang Yu fought against his survival instincts. His hand trembled violently as he reached for another twenty pills, swallowing them desperately. The medicinal energy provided momentary relief, allowing him to reclaim a sliver of clarity.
"How long has it been?" he wondered, his thoughts fragmented by pain. His question was answered as the familiar notification finally appeared before his eyes:
[Calculating Settlement]
...
[Body Refining: 11th Layer (5760/11,000) (+1000/11,000)]
[Qi Gathering: 6th Layer (300/600) (+300/600)]
[Mind: Level 4 (2734/4000) (+10/4000)]
[Spiritual Root: Medium-Grade Omni-Element (20/2000)]
[Transcendent Dao Body: Level 1 (270/1,000,000) (+10/1,000,000)]
[Chaos Body: Level 1 (150/10,000) (+50/10,000)]
[Bloodline: Dragon, Phoenix: Thin Blood (260/1000) (+100/1000)]
[Enlightenment: Superior (110/4000) (+10/4000)]
[Spirit Flame: Abyssal Void Flame: 5th Grade (10/50,000) (+10/50,000)] 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
[High-grade Lightning Strike & Palm: Minor Success (5/200) (+5/200)]
[High-grade Fire Palm: Minor Success (66/200)]
[High-grade Water, Wood, Earth, Metal Palm: Minor Success (18/200)]
[High-grade Ice, Wind, Light, Dark Palm: Beginner (28/100)]
[Cook: 4th Grade (420/600) (+20/600)]
[Appraiser: 6th Grade (1/400) (+1/400)]
[Talisman Maker: 8th Grade (100/200)]
[Alchemist, Formation Master, Blacksmith: 8th Grade (50/200) (+50/200)]
[Experience Points Doubled]
[Alchemist, Formation Master, Blacksmith: 8th Grade (50/200) → 8th Grade (100/200)]
[Talisman Maker: 8th Grade (100/200) → 7th Grade (0/300)]
[Appraiser: 6th Grade (1/400) → 6th Grade (2/400)]
[Cook: 4th Grade (420/600) → 3rd Grade (0/700)]
[High-grade Ice, Wind, Light, Dark Palm: Beginner (28/100) → Beginner (56/100)]
[High-grade Water, Wood, Earth, Metal Palm: Minor Success (18/200) → Minor Success (36/200)]
[High-grade Fire Palm: Minor Success (66/200) → Minor Success (132/200)]
[High-grade Lightning Strike & Palm: Minor Success (5/200) → Minor Success (10/200)]
[Spirit Flame: Abyssal Void Flame: 5th Grade (10/50,000) → 5th Grade (20/50,000)]
[Enlightenment: Superior (110/4000) → Superior (220/4000)]
[Bloodline: Dragon, Phoenix: Thin Blood (260/1000) → Thin Blood (520/1000)]
[Chaos Body: Level 1 (150/10,000) → Level 1 (300/10,000)]
[Transcendent Dao Body: Level 1 (270/1,000,000) → Level 1 (540/1,000,000)]
[Spiritual Root: Medium-Grade Omni-Element (20/2000) → Medium (40/2000)]
[Mind: Level 4 (2734/4000) → Level 5 (0/5000)]
[Qi Gathering: 6th Layer (300/600) → 7th Layer (0/700)]
[Body Refining: 11th Layer (5760/11,000) → 12th Layer (0/12,000)]
As soon as the doubling interface appeared, Xiang Yu found himself instantly transported to a different location. His surroundings shifted dramatically, and he immediately recognized the place as his spiritual sea—though it appeared strangely transformed.
The spiritual sea had become remarkably more vibrant than before, filled with gently flowing qi that pulsed with vitality. Most surprisingly, there was now an actual sea of qi within his spiritual sea. Xiang Yu marveled at this development, finally understanding why cultivators referred to it as a "spiritual sea" in the first place.
Though modest in size—merely ten meters in radius, more of a puddle than a true sea—its appearance marked a significant advancement in his cultivation.
As he gazed across this miniature ocean, something at its center caught his attention—a peculiar object floating gently on the surface. Curiosity drew him forward, and Xiang Yu stepped cautiously into the qi sea.
The sensation was unexpectedly refreshing, like plunging into cool spring water after a long journey. The qi immediately began replenishing his mental strength, washing away the lingering exhaustion from his bloodline training.
Wading deeper, he approached the mysterious object. It appeared egg-shaped, its surface a pristine white that seemed to glow with an inner light. Something about it called to him, compelling him to reach out. As his fingers made contact with the smooth shell, it cracked immediately, fracturing into delicate pieces that dissolved into the sea around him.
From within emerged not a creature as he might have expected, but a human baby. Xiang Yu stared in bewilderment at the infant, noting with increasing confusion that it bore a striking resemblance to himself—the same distinctive features, just in miniature form.
"What is happening?" he wondered, "Did I somehow give birth to a child? Is this even possible?"
Confusion mounting, Xiang Yu quickly summoned his system interface, desperate for answers:
[Realm: Body: 12th Layer (3/12,000); Spirit: Qi Gathering 7th Layer (2/700); Mind: Level 5 (1/5000); Soul: Infant (1/100,000)]
...