>>5584998

The poor things must be worried sick, since you had promised you'd visit them when you left them behind after meeting the old god on the mountain.


You tell Fu your destination and your reasons for choosing it as his household treats the both of you to dinner before you set off on your journey into the lands forsaken by man and god alike.

"Isn't that where you met Ping, Lei and Feiqing?" He asked politely, as he lounged in his chair, tipping it backwards as his little sister, Ju, played with your ears mercilessly, sitting on your back as you, in your natural form, sit across from him at the masterfully carved and decorated dinner table his servants had prepared for the evening's meal, even bringing out a long brocade of lilac cloth to service as a tablecloth before they brought out the first course of the nights' meal

"I met them not far from its borders, I'm sure they've told you of how I saved them from the sun worshipping cultists who thought their blood and ashes would end the magical blizzard some cultivator or sorcerer called down on the turf of the Winter blossoming wisdom sect" You explain, as you think of turning back to your human form just to get the little girl on your back to stop pulling your ears before remembering you'd need to redress yourself if you did. You decide Ju's playfulness was the lesser of the two humiliations

"Think our friend the organ thief had something to do with that?" Fu asked, grabbing a piece of apple coated and cooked in honey, plucking it from the boiling sugar without so much as flinching "Considering he's been doing most of his killing in that very same forest"

You tilted your head, and upon a little reflection, realized that was probably exactly right. After all, Jing...whatever was a former disciple of that sect and had been branded and outcast and crippled just as she had been, though you weren't aware of exactly what he had done to deserve such a harsh punishment before he became a corpse eating monster. Though you can't judge him for that, since you've also eaten the corpses of intelligent beings before both human and beast though you hadn't partaken of either in quiet sometime.

"Probably, he has a motive and if he truly is aided by Xuebai, he'd have the knowledge and power to summon such a storm" You mutter to yourself before your eyes widen with shock as a second, more horrible realization strikes you and you slap a paw on the table and stand up, nearly bucking poor little Ju off of your back

"Tsssh, I just remembered the Primordial Forest of the Tragic Lovers is in the territory of the winter blossoming wisdom sect" You hiss and spit as Fu nods
Cont

>>5584999

"Indeed it is" He says calmly "But, they are a little preoccupied fighting your old enemies, the Ling, are they not? how will they know you're also their enemy? So long as you don't pick a fight, I'm sure they'd overlook the trespass of a renowned hero such as myself and a mysterious red haired beauty, even if they can sense we're cultivators. There are wolves howling at their door, after all"

"Oh, do not misunderstand, Fu!" You laugh, throwing your head back "I'm not worried they'll attack us, I'm worried I won't be able to restrain myself from killing them if they cross paths with us, for what they've done to my honored mother and venerated senior sister! I'd cut them to ribbons and break their bones if they so much as met my gaze!"

"And I'd chop them down like timber if you asked me to, they unleashed a terrible monster on the world with their cruelty" Fu calmly replied, grabbing another sweet to snack on "But we should be boasting so loudly, they might here us, even leagues away"

"Oh, I know, but I can't miss the chance to brag, Heh-Heh-Heh" You snicker, raising your paw to your snout, whiskers twitching "We'll just move quickly through their territory, no reason to stir up a hornets' nest, we'll simply fish in their troubled water and slip by unnoticed while all they're focused on fighting the Ling Clan's dogs and underlings"

"Looting their burning house" He said, with his mouthful of egg tart "Though if they pick a fight..."

"We'll just kill them" You and him say nearly in perfect unison, both grinning ear to ear

"Can I kill them to?" Ju asks, kicking her feet as she wraps her arms around your neck and sets her chin between your ears.

"Actually, we might crosspaths with Qiang and Yujijiao if we're lucky" Fu gasped sounding almost excited

"if we're lucky, neither us or they will draw any attention as we slink through our enemies territory" You say rolling your eyes

"Oh for certain" he said thoughtfully "But if we do run into them, say, if we've already been found out or suspect we're being spied upon, their assistance would prove valuable"

"If" is all you say in reply, though Fu's wise and pragmatic advise does linger in your thoughts. If you do run into trouble, it'd probably be wise to call on Qiang for help in dealing with it. How fortuitous that her mission and your journey will briefly cross paths! Though you doubt you'll need to, since you remember the exact route to the true Primordial wilderness like whiskers on your face! But, perhaps when you leave it, you'll once again be ambushed by some cocky novices who think they'll be the ones to hunt the happy bloodshed?

As you anticipated at the dinner table, your and Fu's treck through the forest of the tragic lovers in uneventful and even boring, though your disciple does try to entertain you by guessing the age of the ancient trees that make up its canopy and naming their exact species by the scent and feel of their bark and leaves alone.
Cont

>>5585000

And you notices signs of other magical beasts, marking their territories or the location of their heroic last stands against their hunters, and you only notice more and more of these signs as you get closer and closer to the boundary.

But the landscape on the edge of the border between the forest and the basin containing the last holdouts of the old world, has changed since you last came here. Roads have been paved or uncovered, trees older than most nations have been cut down and you spiritual sense you can tell you are not alone. Like lanterns in the night, you're aware of several other cultivators nearby, marching in formation as if in patrol.

"Even trees can hold grudges" Fu growls, holding his forehead "I can hear their voices on the wind, crying out in anger"

You take in a deep breath, and then you to notice just how saturated the air is with the miasma of resentment, hanging low to the earth like a dense, clingy black fog. Motioning your student to follow you, you cloak the both of you in a cloak of darkness as you sneak further into the clear cut area.

it is not long before you see the reason all the trees have been cut down. There's a towering wall around the edge of the cliff of the basin that contains the Primordial wilderness, surrounding it as far as the eye can see. It is patchwork, and seems to have been made in a hasty scramble. A desperate barricade put up to halt and invasion, that has only now been properly connected and fortified. The vast water fall has had an iron wrought gate put into it, locking it off without stemming its flow, and the whole wall is shrouded in the spray of the mist it kicks up. The air is also no longer as humid and hot as it was when you first passed through here, which is a blessing considering there are no longer swarms of biting flies and beetles. But that does little to temper the outrage you feel at seeing a wall between the forest and the Basin, cutting it even further away from the world than before.

"The wall" Fu whispers sharply, noticing the fire in your eyes "Look at the wall! It isn't built to keep people out of the basin, it is only built to guard against what is leaving the basin! The side we're on is completely exposed and undefended"

"That's exactly what's pissed me off. They don't consider the beasts on this side of the wall to be worth their notice" You hiss under your breath "But that arrogance will be their undoing because they forgot to account for my presence on this side of the wall. What they've done her is an insult...no, and afront to the world"

"An affront that's well manned and guarded fiercely" Your bandage wrapped disciple pointed out "If we want to avoid attention, we can't start a fight or slaughter here, I have no doubt its one we'd win, of course, but It'd be troublesome to deal with the consequences afterwards, a real pain in the ass"
Cont

>>5585003

What do you about the wall, Huanliuxue?

>Fu is right, just sneak past the wall and into the Primordial Wilderness (Stealth Trial. DC 32. DC raised due to Fu's lack of experience in being sneaky)

>Fuck the consequences! These bastards have defiled the ancient woods to cage in the last pockets of the old world unpolluted by their stench! You're killing them, here and now! (Martial Trial. DC 65)

>There's actually a way you can remove this eyesore without drawing attention to your passing. All you have to do is make the defenders go mad and kill eachother, that'll make it impossible for anyone to realize you caused it. Unleash the demonic art Blood Rain, Chaos Mist (Magic trial. DC 75. Failure means the BRCM spreads out of control)

>Decide to be diplomatic, and approach the defenders of the gate and actually ask why they built the wall before doing anything drastic, and use your jade like beauty to convince them to let you and Fu pass without being scrutinized.

>Write in

>>5585004
Honestly? I'm apathetic to this act. A wall means fear, and fear means that they will keep their freaking heads down and fingers out.

>Just sneak through.

The wall is a net benefit, but we will exact our pound of flesh later.

>>5585004
>Fu is right, just sneak past the wall and into the Primordial Wilderness (Stealth Trial. DC 32. DC raised due to Fu's lack of experience in being sneaky)
I'd rather we punish their arrogance in ways other than destroying their little sand castle.

>>5585004
>Fu is right, just sneak past the wall and into the Primordial Wilderness (Stealth Trial. DC 32. DC raised due to Fu's lack of experience in being sneaky)
Builders of walls far from civilization must beware that they can be used against them... another time.

Also hey this outing would be a great opportunity to get some ingredients for that blood qi garden. One was the ancient battlefield soil iirc.

>>5585004
>Fu is right, just sneak past the wall and into the Primordial Wilderness (Stealth Trial. DC 32. DC raised due to Fu's lack of experience in being sneaky)
The wall is good, means less people going in

>>5585004
>Decide to be diplomatic, and approach the defenders of the gate and actually ask why they built the wall before doing anything drastic, and use your jade like beauty to convince them to let you and Fu pass without being scrutinized.
There are wonderful ingredients in the forest if you’re willing to brave it. We are. I can’t imagine this would be a hard sell to fellow cultivators.

If they send someone along with us, we can always kill them later if they prove hostile to beasts.

>>5585004
>Fu is right, just sneak past the wall and into the Primordial Wilderness (Stealth Trial. DC 32. DC raised due to Fu's lack of experience in being sneaky)
I say that maybe when we go out we actually do something.

>>5585074
>One was the ancient battlefield soil iirc
That might be good, but It might also be a soil of corrupted Blood Qi. The one we had was pure because of time travel shenanigans, and only because we make that impossible roll for the Old God home, but we didn't go for the (possibly) intended Blood Qi source. Still, maybe it's a good idea to actually search for it and find a way to safely take it from the Ancient Forest to our sect without having problems with the wall

>>5585262
I figured we could find out if it's usable when we get there, I'm more worried about disturbing a subsection claimed by a buried slumbering dragon. If not, the primordial wilds themselves closer to the Geges should work too. I suppose we'll find out if our gourd has a limit too, good thing we brought Fu for digging I mean training yep.

>>5585004
>Fu is right, just sneak past the wall and into the Primordial Wilderness (Stealth Trial. DC 32. DC raised due to Fu's lack of experience in being sneaky)

>>5585004
>Fu is right, just sneak past the wall and into the Primordial Wilderness (Stealth Trial. DC 32. DC raised due to Fu's lack of experience in being sneaky)

I get the feeling that there is a reason for this, and if not we can deal with it on our way back.

>>5585004
>Fu is right, just sneak past the wall and into the Primordial Wilderness (Stealth Trial. DC 32. DC raised due to Fu's lack of experience in being sneaky)

>>5585004
>Fu is right, just sneak past the wall and into the Primordial Wilderness (Stealth Trial. DC 32. DC raised due to Fu's lack of experience in being sneaky)
We’ll sate nature’s grudge later

Ending the vote, tallying now.

Fu is right, just sneak past the wall and into the Primordial Wilderness:9

Decide to be diplomatic, and approach the defenders of the gate and actually ask why they built the wall before doing anything drastic, and use your jade like beauty to convince them to let you and Fu pass without being scrutinized:1

Near landslide victory for simply sneaking past.

Update will arrive shortly

Fu is right. It'd be a real pain in the ass to punish these dogs even if you're confident you and Fu could easily humble them by beating their collective asses. Sure the beasts they've slaughtered and the trees they've cut down can't be brought back but that just means avenging them with bloodshed won't do so either. Though knowing that youngsters just stepping out into the world, naive and unaware of its multitude of dangers have been cut down and butchered makes you blood boil and seeing all the ancient trees being cut down to serve as a timber for a useless wall just makes your blood boil all the more ferociously, and the fact that a wall was build to surround the last truly wild place in the world makes you livid being words, now is not the time to fight. Its clear, now that you've taken a moment to think and calm down, that these fools think the beasts emerging and appearing from the woods have crawled out of the basin. This is troublesome for anything that wants to get out, but for now isn't this a good thing? If they've built a wall that means they're too frightened to venture into the Primordial wilderness let alone explore it beyond its borders or chart an expedition into its depths.

And that's good. Otherwise, if they were unafraid they might get bold and think they could survive in the basin and seek to stem the tide of demonic beasts directly or they might grow curious as to why the basin is so filled with Beast and so rich and dense with Qi and begin investigating the only sanctuary for Magical beasts outside of your own temple. And if they did that, then they might come across the Geges, your adorable little sisters and if they did find the two bug princesses and had any sense of ambition, cunning or greed, they'd do horrible things too terrible to consider or contemplate at length to them the least of which would be stealing away their precious divine blood honey!

So, as their elder sister, you cannot bring danger to their doorstep over a flight of pique. If anything would encourage these cowards to step into the basin, it'd be all of the defenders on the wall built around it turning up dead. That sort of thing would draw enough attention to make the big shots and arrogant young masters of the set curious and who knows what kind of monsters or dragons crouching amongst men would be hidding amongst the chaff and fodder?!

Taking all of this, the danger the Geges would be in and that some actually perilous enemies could appear if you lived up to your name and painted these insulting walls red, you decided your disciple spoke with wisdom beyond his age.

"More trouble than the satisfaction of cutting them down would be worth" You huff, lifting your chin up haughtily "We'll spare these fools for the day, follow my lead Fu and stay light on your feet. Teacher will show you how to walk like a cat"
Cont

>>5586991
"A great honor, this student is overjoyed to be given such a gift" Fu chuckles with a toothy grin, cupping his fist before lowering himself to the ground, half crouching "You'll remain your true self for this lesson?"

"If anything it'll be less suspicious than if I don't. They expect to see beasts at the border, not radiant beauties and fairies accompanied by scarred warriors" You snicker and smirk "Though I'm confident I'll slip by unnoticed, so its not much of a concern how we'll look if we're caught"

"If I'm caught, you mean" Fu remarks, catching on quickly. You answer with a cheeky grin.

Roll 1d100. DC 32. Best out of four

Rolled 47 (1d100)

>>5586992

Rolled 49 (1d100)

>>5586992
Fu is actually Jeong Xina confirmed.

Rolled 32 (1d100)

>>5586992
cats are literally sneak!

Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>5586992

I guess the wall has blood scented catnip, yikes. Close call.

>>5586999
Lmao. Good success. Ten over DC

And then, without anymore needless talking, you sprint forward, dropping your cloak of shadows as you clear the distance between where you and Fu stood and the wall you had been glaring at in the span of a breath, without using the Phantom Cat Step or its older brother the Blood Red Lightning Cat Step. To say you climbed the wall would be a gross understatement. You soared over it, using your Youling-Qinggong to turn less substantial and then leaping up to be carried on the cool breeze kicked up by the falling waters of the giant waterfalls the wall itself sit above. Ghost Empress Melody follows after you, chasing your tail as your curl around to watch Fu's attempt as you quite literally go over the heads of one of the Winter Blossoming Wisdom Cultivators manning the wall. The simpleton scratches at his nose as an Ox sized Cat and her Guqin levitate in the air just behind him, barely shrouded by the mists of the churning, crashing water just below his feet.

The shadows you draped over Fu are failing now, and you can see he is struggling to apply your flowing feline movements to his own, clumsy and graceless human stomping. He is big for his age, with broad shoulders and back, so you're curious how a boy as strong as he is will move with the ease and quietness of a cat, if he can at all. You of course always move like yourself, whether your walking with four legs or two. Fu bows his head, takes in a deep breath, lifts his eyes and flashes a manic grin as his eyes flare with a light you can only call mischievous. Pulling his arm back of his head, he grips one of his axes by the throat of its haft and then flings it with as much ease as he were skipping stones. Frowning, you lift your head to follow the flight of the axe as the guard in front of your yawns and sweeps back his hair.

And as you track the axe through the air, you find yourself mirroring your disciple's cocky grin. He threw it at a great bell they had hung over one of the waterfall gates, to serve as an alarm in case they were attacked or over-run. Being struck by an axe would make a different sound than properly ringing it would, different enough to cause confusion across the wall without making them think they were under attack. Then, right before the axe strikes the bell, Fu sprints desperately forward, stumbling once or twice as he swings his arms up and down with so much force you'd think he was fighting back against a river's current if you didn't see he was running across an open field of dirt. A cloud of dust engulfs him as he runs as fast as his legs can carry him, bowing his head and pressing his shoulders in as he and his axe get closer and closer to their respective targets.

Trusting in his aim, he leaps into the air, using his own lightness skill to fly over the wall as his axe strikes and ricochets off the bell, creating this horridly shrill ringing note with a bone shivering reverberation that makes your teeth chatter.
Cont

>>5587053

The guard that Fu just leapt over stumbles back, looking around frantically but never behind him as Fu's axe bounces off the edge of the wall and into his hands as he hangs on the nearest ledge, red in the face and out of breath.

"I don't know how Qiang can be so calm all the time, that was nerve wracking" He pants as you hover beside him, giggling and resting your head atop your paws as he is washed with the water of the falls.

"You've made quite the commotion up there" You tease as you hear the men stationed on the wall shouting and arguing amongst themselves, believe one of their number had decided to pull a cruel prank on the rest by pounding the bell with their fists. Fu flashes an amused smirk as he looks up at their shouting fools, before glancing down into the abyss of open air and rushing waters below

"Two miles to climb down, yes?" He asks as he begins the decent, his hands adept at pinching onto the rocks jutting outside of the cliff, even the ones worn smooth by the ever surging waterfalls.

"A miserable two miles of biting insects and hot air" You groan as you make your own way down, remembering the path you lead Ping, Feiqing and Lei down years before, hopping between rocks since just floating slowly down with your specter lightness skill would take too long and be entirely too boring to tolerate. Fu doesn't follow you, and instead just continues clambering straight down the edge, even braving moving through the waterfalls themselves. You never realized how incredible his grip strength was before now, and you find yourself gawking as you watch him descend by water slicked stones and moss covered roots, barely even being tossed around or loosened by the stone breaking force of the falling water. He makes it seem like light exercise even as he swings and throws himself from one handhold to another.

You end up taking longer to get down to the loamy soil beneath the falls, because you just can't look away from Fu's death defying feats of confidence. He trusts those hands of his more than you ever could your own! It must be because he has such strong arms! He's certain his strength won't fail him so he doesn't panic! And that means his palms never become slick with sweat! Or...or he just has trained his grip to be truly monstrous from all the stunts he can pull while swinging around those two axes of his. Its one or the other, you decide.

When you both reach the ground, you can't help but to once again admire the strange natural beauty of these ancient, untouched wilds. The Qi is as resplendently Pure, Thick and Heavy as it was when you last visited, and already you feel to have not only recovered from the climb down but are more energized than you were before you began climbing. Revitalized and brimming with excitement, you turn to Fu, to see that the boy has been struck dumb by the marvel of the primordial wilderness and the quality of spiritual energy within it.
Cont

>>5587055

"Beautiful" Is all he can say. And he repeats it, often, until you grow tired of it and smack some sense into him with a swift strike of your paw.

What do you do and where do you go now that you and Fu have arrived at your destination, Huanliuxue?

>Visit the unborn dragon in the lake, and her siblings and show off your human form and tell them of the adventures you had since you last left.

>Make a beeline immediately for the home of the Geges, to introduce them to Fu and establish a base camp for the two of you to return to after a day of training/ fighting

>Make for the ruins of the first cities of mankind and the stubborn old ghosts that still dwell there

>Float down the river and subjugate the cannibal tribes that dwell alongside it. You're already worshipped by the more civilized clans here, so you might as well conquer the rest.

>Intrude into the tree top territory of the fabled Bird Clan

>Write in

>>5587057
>Visit the unborn dragon in the lake, and her siblings and show off your human form and tell them of the adventures you had since you last left.
Let's make it know to Huan that she decided to born

>>5587057
>Visit the unborn dragon in the lake, and her siblings and show off your human form and tell them of the adventures you had since you last left.
Gotta pay our respects.

>>5587057
>Visit the unborn dragon in the lake, and her siblings and show off your human form and tell them of the adventures you had since you last left.

>>5587057
>Visit the unborn dragon

>>5587057
>Visit the unborn dragon in the lake, and her siblings and show off your human form and tell them of the adventures you had since you last left.

>>5587057
>Visit the unborn dragon in the lake, and her siblings and show off your human form and tell them of the adventures you had since you last left.

Man, this has to be our most divisive vote yet. I don't envy tally anon

>>5587057
>Intrude into the tree top territory of the fabled Bird Clan
I wanted to go to the birdies last time already

>>5587662
Indeed, this and the last vote have been very intimidating.

>>5587662
His is the dao of the tally, even in the face of such titanic quandries shall the answer be made clear and devised so easily it is as though flipping one's hand.

Already senior brother Tally anon approaches foundation establishment, such is the ardor of the approach.

Ending the vote now, tallying the results

Visit the unborn dragon in the lake, and her siblings and show off your human form and tell them of the adventures you had since you last left.: 6

Intrude into the tree top territory of the fabled Bird Clan: 1

Near landslide victory for (Trying) to visit the (once) unborn dragon soul

Update will arrive shortly

>>5587786
heheheheh

>>5587725
I feel ya anon, maybe we can do it on the way back

Fu is laid out on the ground, ruefully rubbing the spot on his head where you smacked his senses back into him, eyes tightly shut and face contorted in pain.

"Did you need to be so forceful?" He complains, opening his eyes and sitting up with a swift lunge forward, pouting as he continues to knead the bump on his brow, glancing around to find you before quickly turning the other way once he does spot you, standing tall proud and entirely nude before the dragon lake, hands pressed onto your hips and with only your long, fluffy scarlet hair to cover you at all. And there was enough of a breeze to lift your mane up and hold it aloft like a cloth streamer or banner.

"Huanliuxue!" He barks angrily as if there's anyone around to leer at you and drool over you "At least pretend to have some shame! You nearly made me spit up blood"

"If it bothers you so much, Fu, fetch my spare clothing. I'd have thought you'd have grown accustomed to the feminine form with my mother waltzing around so proudly and Lanfen practically hanging onto you like a tick" You snicker, glancing back and teasingly swaying your hips back and forth as Fu clenches his jaw and covers his eyes with one of his numerous, now muddy, bandages "Besides! Beauty is meant to be admired is it not"

"Look at it from my perspective, a student does not want to open their eyes and see their master prancing around as naked as they day they were born" He said as he busied himself digging through your traveling supplies to find one of the robes you had bought before visiting Anjing-Yinshi, this one was various shades of red like blood slowly drying over the cloth and was patterned like it had blood spilt over it and had large, cosmetic stitching all over it, woven from sleek black hair. It reminded you of a bloody corpse pieced back together, with how uneven and unsymmetrical it was. The left side sleeve was cut off at the elbow, and the right side of the robe was shorter than the left, exposing most of your leg when you wore it. Its belt had fangs woven into it to form a crooked grin.

You thought it elegant, but you did not wait for Fu to pull it out from underneath everything else and dust it by swinging it in the air a few times before you approached the lake. Striding through the cattails and passing the mist, you waded into the crystal clear waters, a tingle going up your spine as you felt just how cold they were when you were not shielded by a dense layer of fur. It was like liquid ice, and even with the ripples and waves of your steps your reflection was as clear as if presented within a mirror.

You stop just short of going far enough to need to stand on the tips of your toes to keep your head above water, on the edge of the ink black depths of the lake but already adapted to the cold of the water and finding it more pleasant and soothing than anything else. The formless shadows converge and swarm around you, but never emerge from the water or get within arms reach of you.
Cont

>>5588016

Like before they're content with simply watching you warily. That they approach you to begin shows they're much less cautious of you than they were before and are more curious as to why you've returned and the form you're wearing. And you're human now because you wanted to impress your little nameless bescaled sister, but you don't sense her presence amongst the shoals of formless shadow. A creeping sense of worry crawls up your back and sinks its teeth into your neck as you look around, hoping still to spot her and wondering if something had happened to her. Even though spirits lack flesh they can still be preyed upon. Even immortal souls can be devoured.

But your grim and gloomy musings are interrupted as the little dragon spirits suddenly scatter like fish from a rock, diving into the unknowable darkness of their home as the waters rise like a waterspout, a great peak forming from the morose of black and turning to white rapids. Something massive was lurking in the waters just a few yards from you, unseen and motionless until it emerged. The mass beneath the water surges forward and you find yourself thrown upwards before you can even adopt a fighting stance or try to defend yourself. Well, not so much as thrown as lifted up suddenly and harshly.

Water falls around you and you hold onto whatever has lifted you up out of the water to stay balanced and keep from falling off it. And looking down, find a pair of gigantic milky eyes studying you tiredly like a scholar reading a scroll by lamp light. Looking down, you realize what lifted you up was this great dragon's grey scaled snout. A snout which you're still astride, the long flowing catfish like whiskers brushing against your feet.

The dragon narrows it half blind eyes and lets out a booming laugh that bounces you so much you're nearly thrown off from your perch atop his head. Involuntarily, you let out a displeased snarl and dig your nails into his scales, barring your teeth. The Dragon bows its head apologetically, as you still crouch, hackles raised and fangs bared. The dragons mane is white like silk strands, tinged gold with sunlight and sparkling radiantly and indeed, even his antlers seem to be wrought of solid, polished gold.

"I had thought a poacher had come down from the walls up on the hilltop" He says meekly, clearly embarrassed by his intimidating display of power and size "For why else would a human walk so brazenly into the cradle of our young, if not to snatch them away into the night. Forgive me, forgive me. These old eyes of mine did not see the shape of your soul until it was right in front of me"

You feel yourself lowering down, as the dragon's body becomes enveloped in mist and motes of silverly spiritual energy, like moonlight plucked from the night sky.
Cont

>>5588018

And moments later, you find yourself sitting in the shallows of the lake, Fu already at the shore, axes in hand and a crooked back old man holding onto your hand, twirling and fiddling with his mustache that hangs past his bear and to his knees. His earlobes are large and stretched and his head completely bald. He is ancient, beyond ancient. The oldest thing you've ever seen!

"Forgive me, Forgive me" He repeats, patting your hand like he were your own grandfather "It was most impolite and rakish of me to lift you up as I did. I was only intending to frighten you away, you see. I am well aware of my age, so the boy who reeks of hate can put down his axes, I do not intend to steal away your master. Far too old, you see, hah hah"

Fu's jaw drops with his axes

"You're a dragon!" He gasps, pointing and gawking, looking at you like you didn't see and hadn't just been bucked into the air by his nose

"What else could I be?" The old man says with a playful wink, lifting you up and patting your shoulder, smiling joyously as he looks into your eyes "And I have heard so much about you, "Elder Red Sister"! But I did not believe you to be so bold as to break one of heavens' foolish taboos. What a marvelous young girl you are, I can see why she admires and idolize you so greatly"

"She's alright" You sigh in relief as Fu stomps into the water, staring wide eyed at the old man

"You're a dragon!' He shouts, much more like an excited child than the raw disbelief of the first time he shouted it

"The eldest dragon. Weak and tired" The old dragon huffs, patting Fu on his shoulder "And you are Fu of the Two Axes, I heard you killed a disreputable demonic beast some years ago, yet your anger towards him lingers. Is letting go of past pain truly so difficult? And yes, she's alright. In fact, she is currently dreaming and waiting to be born"


"She is!" You gasp just as excitedly as Fu shouted 'You're a dragon' the second time, covering your mouth with you hands even though that won't be enough to hide away your ecstatic smile "Oh I was hoping I could show off my new self to her and tell her of all the things I've done to earn it"

"It won't be long until she hatches" He nods, stroking his beard "Well, from my perspective at least. I forget how humans track time and know beasts have little concept of it"

"He's a dragon" Fu says quietly, running a hand through his hair, revealing more of his face than he usually cares to

"I am a dragon" The dragon chuckles as you shake your head and cross your arms over your chest, forgetting just how far you have to hold them out to keep from squeezing your chest

"He is a dragon" You cackle before lifting up your chin and speaking respectfully to the old dragon "Well that's good news, I was worried she might've gotten whisked away herself and I'd have to go and crack some skulls, shame I can't meet her though. I've been wanting to talk to her again"
Cont

>>5588020

"As protective as an elder sister and monarch should be" The old man says as he looks over the lake, ignoring Fu's gawking and your state of undress, which is actually starting to piss you off a little since usually even when you're clothed men and some women can't keep their eyes off of you. It feels somewhat insulting that he can look away so easily "And who says you couldn't? Your slaying of that gluttonous toad has made you rather popular amongst the youngest generation, they'd vouch for you and so would I. And my word would convince even the most cautious parent to let you into their nest"

An overwhelming feeling of joy bursts in your chest, warming and lightening you to the point you feel a little light headed with glee.

"I never thought I'd see a dragon" Fu says coming back to his senses without having to have them be hammered back into place

What do you do, Huanliuxue?

>Decide to arrange your visit properly and continue on your journey, thanking the older dragon for explaining the situation as you head to meet the Geges

>Not wanting to bother her parents, just tell the old dragon what you wanted to tell the little dragon spirit and trust him to tell your stories to her

>Put off your training and visiting the Geges for a few hours, and with Fu, Ride the eldest dragon to meet your friend's new family

>Ask the old timer if any of the cultivators atop the "Hill" have come down from it.

>Seeing that this old man knew of Fu, ask if there's any trouble making monsters nearby you can test your fangs and claws on, since you and Fu did come here looking for challenging opponents

>write in

>>5588022
>Ask the old timer if any of the cultivators atop the "Hill" have come down from it.
>Seeing that this old man knew of Fu, ask if there's any trouble making monsters nearby you can test your fangs and claws on, since you and Fu did come here looking for challenging opponents
>Decide to arrange your visit properly and continue on your journey, thanking the older dragon for explaining the situation as you head to meet the Geges
He has offered to invite a cat inside a house. Logically, we must now refuse the offer as we are a cat.

>>5588022
>It feels somewhat insulting that he can look away so easily
Careful with that thinking Huan, this gold crowned dragon probably courted the jade beauties of arrogant young masters as a hobby prior even to the rise of the Five Colors Celestial Emperor. Old, aloof, friendly, and karmically positive dragons aren't beyond having painted histories.
I wouldn't be surprised to learn this dragon offered the second of our greatest benefactors sagely advice.

This is a powerful chance to ask an ancient being stuff we might want to know about the past, or pry for cultivation secrets lost or forgotten, if we are truly brave. Sadly there's nothing too deep I can think of atm. Idly thought of asking for a drop of his blood, but in this situation it could come across as being rather spoiled.

>thank the older dragon for explaining the situation
>>Not wanting to bother her parents, just tell the old dragon what you wanted to tell the little dragon spirit and trust him to tell your stories to her
I think it would be best if we're both reunited in each our new forms, right? It has some fun weight to it.

>Ask the old timer if any of the cultivators atop the "Hill" have come down from it.
>Seeing that this old man knew of Fu, ask if there's any trouble making monsters nearby you can test your fangs and claws on, since you and Fu did come here looking for challenging opponents

>>5588022
>Decide to arrange your visit properly and continue on your journey, thanking the older dragon for explaining the situation as you head to meet the Geges
It would be good to meet our dragon sister future parents.

>>5588069
reading comprehension problem. changing
>Not wanting to bother her parents, just tell the old dragon what you wanted to tell the little dragon spirit and trust him to tell your stories to her
to
>arrange your visit properly and continue on your journey

File: 1668526144281201.png (2.91 MB, 1328x2651)

2.91 MB PNG

Just figured I'd mention that there's a new cultivation quest on the board, Facepunch quest, it just started. Have to do my due diligence and assist my fellow Daoists by telling you guys about it, and that Ring grandpa is on its third thread as well. Check it out if you have the time to or any interest to

>>5588069
>this gold crowned dragon probably courted the jade beauties of arrogant young masters as a hobby prior even to the rise of the Five Colors Celestial Emperor.

You should've seen him at his peak! youngster! You can only imagine the breadth and glory of his conquests

>>5588022
>Put off your training and visiting the Geges for a few hours, and with Fu, Ride the eldest dragon to meet your friend's new family

>>5588022
>>5588049 +1

>>5588022
Supporting >>5588049
And I wonder whether we should bring the geges to meet the dragon. It would be good for her to immediately make friends.

>>5588049
>Support

Offering us an inside nest? We must refuse. Especially after we ask for it!

>>5588049
Support
Properly catlike as huan should be.
Besides even with the elder's approval the parents may not be so thrilled.
Who would let a cat near an egg?
At most arrange to visit before going home so it's not a surprise.

Ending the vote, tallying the result now.

Ask the old timer if any of the cultivators atop the "Hill" have come down from it.:6

Seeing that this old man knew of Fu, ask if there's any trouble making monsters nearby you can test your fangs and claws on, since you and Fu did come here looking for challenging opponents:6

Decide to arrange your visit properly and continue on your journey, thanking the older dragon for explaining the situation as you head to meet the Geges:6

Put off your training and visiting the Geges for a few hours, and with Fu, Ride the eldest dragon to meet your friend's new family:1

Near landslide victory and three way tie for Asking the old timer if any cultivators have come down from their wall, asking if he knows of any strong monsters you can fight nearby, and deciding to properly arrange your meeting and thanking the dragon before continuing on your journey.

But these three actions can be easily done together, so they will be.

Update will arrive shortly

>>5589126
Sorry, miscounted.

Decide to arrange your visit properly and continue on your journey, thanking the older dragon for explaining the situation as you head to meet the Geges had 7 votes not 6, so there was no three way tie. However the three actions will still be taken together

But, like a shard of ice that refuses to melt before unrelenting sunlight, pragmatism and caution endure the happiness overflowing within you, and while your face burns from how merry of a smile you're wearing, beneath it all, beneath the relief and the joy that the little dragon is alright and will one day be born safely to a hopefully happy and caring mother and father, a question lingers in defiance to the cloudlike high of these potent and pure emotions.

Has any tried to steal away the unborn dragon souls before? Has anyone come down from the two mile tall cliff the dragon calls a hill? Are there enemies nearby? No good cultivators who still believe all talking beasts to be demonic in nature and cruel maneaters without a heart or consciousness, the kind of dog that you'll have to put down if you cross paths with them?

"Your thoughts have darkened into a mire of turmoil and paranoia, Elder sister red fur" The dragon chuckles, making your eyes pop open as you wonder if he just peered into and read your mind like it was written out on a scroll "Yes, yes I did youngster. And I assure you, no human cultivator has entered this basin before your student over there stepped his feet down beside the lake! They've done naught but cower on that hill, starring into the mists as if a great horned giant will suddenly rise out of them and smash them into paste! Freeloaders the lot of them! And while I may be an old man, if any of them did step down the hill and approach my charges, I'd deal with them as a"

He flashes a sudden, jovial and good humored grin, wagging a finger in the air in a way you recognize. It is the exact motion a cat like you performs when they're readying to pounce, wiggling their hindquarters to test their balance and if they'll make the lunge to their prey safely.

"A cat deals with rats" He snickers and Fu laughs at his joke, you try not to but are unable to resist as the old man's girlish tittering turns into a thunderous roar of laughter that you are certain the cultivators you're talking about and insulting can hear even two miles away.

"Well" You say, as you struggle to subdue your giggling "since you seem to know everything, everywhere and all at once. Even knowing about modern day heroes like Fu over here, Do you know if there are any strong monsters nearby for him and I to hone our claws on? We came here to train, you see"

"Oh and here I thought this visit was purely whimsical, an escape from the stresses of being a beast in a world of men" The dragon said kindly but sadly as he sat himself atop a rock "And I know of plenty. But the strong attract opponents naturally, I'm sure you'll run into a few just on your morning walk"

"That doesn't help us find them. If they're our equal or better, they'll sense my master's imperial aura of a thousand graves and if they have any brains at all in their heads, keep a wide berth between themselves and us" Fu boasts in your place, puffing out his chest and grinning cockily.
Cont

>>5589268

"Some with brains will realize such an aura presents a conquest, a challenge to be overcome, power to be earned and taken" The dragon says as he plucks a piece of grass and begins to chew on it, resembling nothing more than an old cow "You...you're a bold one even in your thoughts, Heiress, Hahhahhah! A breath of fresh air even if you do not speak what you think, most are so cowed by the august presence of a dragon even their thoughts tremble and slink back"

"Can all dragons read minds?" Fu asks curiously, grin turning to a contemplative frown

"No, it is a art I trained when I was young" The dragon answers "It is an expression of enlightenment, you see, to behold another's ideas as if they were your own. I mostly use it to mess with youngsters these days, though it did help me survive to this venerable age I've obtained"

"I see, I see" Fu mutters, rubbing his chin and you wonder if he is thinking about spending years and years of his life to obtain the same skill, it would be quite useful in a fight

"A ruler should always be proud, or else they're not worthy to rule" You proudly boast, lifting up your chest and raising your chin as the smuggest most feline smirk ever worn on a human face appears on your lips "Weak rulers sow nothing but pain and suffering, strong rulers, willful rulers, those are the foundation upon which an enduring kingdom can be built upon"

The old dragon smiled warmly, as if he was praising you with that smile alone.

"I see, that would explain why, even if only in your thoughts, you'd call a dragon a cow and feel insulted he wasn't leering you over like a piece of meet, the pride of an emperor. I suppose its fitting for a cat to consider themselves the equal of a dragon" He says ponderously as Fu shoots you a disapproving look and you feel your cheeks warm and then burn as they turn as nearly red as your hair.

"FOR!" The old man suddenly roars, throwing back his head as he abandons his human disguise and rises up into the air "What is a cat but a tiger made small? And what is Huanliuxue if not a cat made giant, standing taller and prouder than even tigers do? When a cat stands above tigers, what does that mean for the world, hmm"

That's a question you need to meditate on, there's wisdom in those words but you can't quite grasp what they exactly mean, especially as embarrassed as you are now. Fu, thankfully, seems to have forgotten the dragon revealing your petty outrage so wantonly and is now, thankfully, pondering the dragon's question himself rather than judging his teacher for her pique. Then the dragon dives back into the lake and rest his massive head on its shore

"I suppose I should tell you where your worthy opponents mark their territory, to save you the trouble of hunting them down like so many mice" He chuckles and raises up a claw glowing with whisps of golden spiritual energy and taps it to the ground, creating a map of the region written in Golden Qi
Cont

>>5589270

Then he lets out a great, fish scented yawn and begins to slip back into the bottomless depths of the dragon lake.
"I am certain you have the intelligence required to read this map, now, if you would allow me to take my leave and return to my slumber" He mutters tiredly

"Thank you, for explaining the situation and trusting me to tell me of the little dragon soon to be hatched" You say, cupping your fist and bowing deeply, Fu repeating the gesture right after you perform it "if I could trouble you to arrange for my visit to her family's household, so if not now, then before I return back to the wider world, I can meet her again and tell her of all my glorious deeds and great victories"

"Since you've been so polite, I shall" The dragon says earnestly "I would not deny you such a humble request, may your journey through these wilds be untroubled, except when you look for trouble of course, Hahhahah"

And with that, he was gone.

And Fu handed you the robe he fished out of your luggage, and he let out an exasperated sigh when you returned to your natural form after you pushed a stray lock of hair back into place with a swift flick of your wrist.
_
[Meanwhile, Elsewhere in the depths of the Primordial forest of the tragic lovers...]

"I already told you, I do not serve the Ling Clan nor am I a member of the Guardians of The Celestial Sunlight Sect" Qiang groaned, nearly growling from sheer exasperation as she stood, one foot a top a toppled log and hand over the hilt of her currently sheathed sword. Though she wanted to do nothing else but free it and teach the annoying brats harassing her proper manners, as it was clear to her, from her point of view as a killer, that they were trying to bully her into giving them an excuse to attack. 'Red hair was rare', she reminded herself, 'and valued, if I didn't take up the sword I'd have spent my life in a brothel'

Was that why these white and blue robed simpletons bothering her? If so they were completely lacking wit. Kidnapping and selling a cultivator would be a challenge. It could be accomplished yes, but not by these weaklings. She could sense, intuitively, that they had never ended another life.

'Oh, that's why they're doing it. This is a time of war and their elders and seniors speak proudly of the lives they ended' Qiang realized, her half lidded eyes opening just a bit more while her expression remained placid and wholly unconcerned with the gaggle of idiots who found her. Not do to any fault of her own, but because Yujijiao's presence caused a bit of a stir in the local wildlife and Qiang felt it was her duty to clean up after her junior sister's messes. She lazily glanced over to the leader of the pack of young cultivators, flashing her killing intent by just narrowing her eyes. A lethal threat.
Cont

>>5589271

He gulped, but did not lower his dagger axe or motion for his toadies to step away. 'They want glory of their own, how banal' Qiang thought with a heavy sigh, hanging her head back and staring at the stars as she relaxed her whole body and went limp like a puppet without anyone pulling its strings

"That doesn't mean you are not allied with them! This could be a test, take the head of a winter blossoming wisdom sect disciple and be admitted to our ranks! That kind of test!" The head idiot cried out accusingly as Qiang slowly rolled and lifted her shoulders, before lifting her arms above her head and stretching. There was going to be a fight, there was no avoiding it. It would be a good idea to limber up while her enemies were so tense their assholes could bend iron. A relaxed mind and hand cut more cleanly than one trembling with rage and anticipation, that was something any assassin worthy of being called such knew.

"Yeah! Why else would you radiate such strong killing intent, You're vicious minded that even the natives of these words run in fear from you" Another one of them with a piggish nose snorted "You have to have come here with murder on your mind"

She glared at that chubby cultivator, hoping her expression would be enough to make it apparent that they had put murder in her mind when they chose to harass her and try to pick a fight with a trained killer. She didn't think it'd get through his thick skull, but didn't want to waste any more energy or breath on these fools.

Yujijiao curled around her feet, unseen but ready to strike the moment the bullies lifted so much as a finger against her elder sister. A breeze whispered through the trees, pulling on Qiang's crimson hair. She tapped her fingers on her sword's hilt. The band of glory seekers were still accusing her, shouting all sorts of fantastical accusations her way, but Qiang had tuned them out, she extend her spiritual sense and closed her eyes, tempering and pacing her breath as she waited for the inevitable start of battle.

a branch snapped, a leaf fell, a dagger axe cut through the air. She unlatched her sword's scabbard from her belt, and swung it, feinting as if she was going to unsheathe it and strike to kill.

A downward swing turned to a desperate guard, and she swung the scabbard with all her might into the idiot's stomach, using the Phantom Cat Step to increase the force behind the blow and line it up properly.

She opened her eyes, and pressed the end of her sheathed sword into the cut of the ringleader's belly, pinning him to the ground as she twisted and ground the dull point into his guts. His face reddened and his cheeks inflated as he looked up at her with defiance and discomfort.

Two were going to try and take her from behind, Qiang glared at them over her shoulder and with a flick of her thumb freed her sword from its sheath. Yujijiao shifted her coils and tripped them with a flick of her massive tail.
Cont

>>5589272

The two tumbled to the ground and slid into the mud, their pale blue and snow white robes muddied and soiled. When they managed to pull themselves out of the mud, they immediately scrambled away from Qiang with a cry that sounded like "H...Hieeeee!"
"She...she threw them back with just a glare! What kind of monster is she!?" One of the ones who hadn't joined the fray grasped
"I've never seen a technique like that! To be able to exert such intense pressure with a mere glance, how fearsome" Another cried out
"She must've formed a sword with her mind, and struck with it. An invisible blade!" They continued raving
"She compressed the breeze into an edge, what masterful control of Qi manipulation!" Another shouted "She is no ordinary opponent

Qiang stood, frozen in place, with a single thought in her head 'What the hell are these idiots babbling about now?!'
_

"Finally out of that water logged cave!" Fu shouted, throwing his arms up as the two of you stood just out of the mouth of the same cave you used to come to the field of titanic flowers the first time you traveled through here, once more going around the jungle and avoiding what mysteries might be contained within its immense and sweltering expanse, by once more scaling the sand and bone covered white mountain with its rib like spires to travel through the tunnels lit by glowing mushrooms that were once inhabited by that loathsome toad that ate children and who was eaten by you.

"Welcome to the Land of Giants, my pupil, does it not rival the heavens themselves with its idyllic beauty and serenity?" You announce, stepping forward to allow Fu the chance to take in and properly admired all the splendor of the place, from its towering flowers, jade hued streams, bright blue cloudless sky, the chime tailed birds sitting on the silk leafed trees, the giant horned rabbits bounding and munching lazily on grasses as tall and wide as houses.

And of course, most beautiful of all, The Gege's children. The Dog sized bees bumbled here and there, gathering pollen as the iron armored ants stood in formation around the flowers they harvested from and marching along beneath them, patrolling for danger and escorting the pollen heavy bees back to their joined hives. And they also formed a grisly sight that starkly contrasted the peaceful image of the flowerfields. As bee and ant alike swarmed over the corpse giant horned rabbit, snipping and cutting away its fur and flesh into manageable chunks to be carried away with the pollen, dripping with its still steam blood and gore.

One of Tiexingege's diligent children spots you and comes marching up. Fu reaches for his axes and warily eyes the massive insect as it walks up to you, tilts its head, snaps its mandibles and taps you a few times on the brow with its antenna
Cont

>>5589274

"What is it doing?" Fu asked through his teeth, glancing to you as you bow your head so the mindless child can more easily examine you. It skitters back, lifts up its head, and scurries away, vanishing into the grasses as it rushes to alert its mother that her elder sister has returned.

"Summoning its mother" You explain softly, a gentle smile already on your face.

What do you do while you wait for the Gege's to meet you, Huanliuxue

>Just sit down under a flower and explain their history to Fu and that it was here exactly where you told Feiqing and Lei about the true history of the world

>Visit the strange, flowering wearing tribe in your human guise, since your curiosity towards them has reignited after you've spotted an idol you're assuming they made for the Geges.

>Get some practice in fighting the Corpse eating monsters in the first graveyard alongside Fu (Martial Training. DC 75)

>The dragon that was sleeping when you last passed through here is awake, go talk with them and ask if they know the future parents of your little sister.

>Don't wait, follow the ant and waste no time introducing Fu to the Geges.

>Write in

>>5589276
>Just sit down under a flower and explain their history to Fu and that it was here exactly where you told Feiqing and Lei about the true history of the world

>>5589276
>Get some practice in fighting the Corpse eating monsters in the first graveyard alongside Fu (Martial Training. DC 75)
>Explain their history to Fu and that it was here exactly where you told Feiqing and Lei about the true history of the world

Our first disciple must be strong of both body and mind. While fighting, we will lecture him and he must respond intelligently to it.

>>5589276
>>5589304 +1

>>5589304
Why not
>Support

>>5589304

I'll support. Very Huan to give a history lesson in heated combat.

>>5589304
>>5589276
perfec, support

>>5589304
Supporting, hopefully the DC doesn’t increase too much

>>5589304
+1

Having trouble falling asleep, so if I'm late with the update today or miss it, that's why. Figured I should give an early warning just in case sleep continues to elude me.

Also, a topic for discussion, Jingyu and Yaonan, which is the more monstrous?

>>5589906
Jingyu. Yaonan is for the most part a battle maniac who gets off on bloodshed and violence, but Jingyu desecration of the dead and violation of what's natural for his own gain feel far more monstrous. But frankly they'll both die horrible deaths I feel, one for trying to come after our spiritual roots and the other for being a Ling.
Also hope you get some rest Gramps

>>5589906
I’d say Jingyu as well. He was literally grafting pieces of others to himself and was “reborn”. There’s a decent chance he’s no longer “Jingyu”, but something else that happened to come, in part, from him.

Yaonan’s motivations are less well-known to us, but what I’ve seen so far still puts her in the category of “human” at least. Love, anger, (blood)lust. She isn’t trying to become something else, just perfecting what she already is.

This is setting aside any argument about “humanity is the real monster” stuff. Jingyu just seems less aware of any good vs. evil morals that should apply, which is the mark of a “monster” in my mind. You can’t use morality with a monster since it doesn’t understand. Yaonan knows the number of people she kills is wrong and just doesn’t care.

>>5589906
Jingyu, no doubt. He's less deserving of Enmity until he kills a child but he is absolutely the archetype of a capital M Monster to my own sensibilities though notably not Huans.

I don't think Huan would actually take any objection with his methods, because is it not the way of the wilds to nourish yourself on the blood of your prey? He just does so in an unconventional manner of consumption.

The big issue is when he goes after the weak and undeserving. Then he runs into violation of another of our threefold views.

>>5589906
Yaonan. Fo sho

>>5589906
Using the heavenly gradient scale of human to monster, putting both Yaonan and Jingyu under the harshest of lenses, I would believe it to be Jingyu. Most

He was convinced to go as far as he has, but there is an implicit acceptance of it that goes beyond the ghostly words of our sister or what might be presumed as possession.

Yaonan is a battle junkie, an animal of wrath, defiant of a family she believes has wronged her. Though perhaps they have- they don't tell their children they carry demonic blood and power, so far as we know. And that is a fine betrayal in itself crafted to keep their dark history and its natural dangers to their own children out of view. I don't want to speculate too much based on the intermissions, but she strikes me as a product of her bloodline and her Ling household. Within this, her humanity is quite strong. It's just not the "good" parts.

Jingyu betrayed his sect out of spite and greed, Xuebai using him as a tool at that juncture. Giving into despair as a failure isn't where he stops after that, coveting the bodily treasures of his superiors was certainly a jealousy threading his mind before. This is where he becomes a monster, hunting people for parts while still using self pity as an excuse for power (at least based on the interludes).

How much of his history as a poet is coming across as being an actor in a play is another concern. If he's truly self aware but just pretending to hold onto his despairs as a form of "theater of principles", well that's actually badass, but would make him even more monstrous.

I would say his path defies the heavens even more than us, he is not borne of a celestial legacy to beastkind, but of his own efforts and our elder sister. Which... wait a second.

>>5590201
Ah. You’re wondering if he was affected by our roar.

That is a good question I’ve only realized because of your response. Maybe we should have sent a better diplomat…

>>5590201
If you look upon her introduction vote, she is abused, neglected and hated for her looks. She's then left when her mother died [who was the only one to give her any time], and went killing until the sects scooped her up.

She is absolutely a product of her family.

>>5590268
Yes, that. I mean, what if he looks almost pettable now? Will he even be grateful? Something to consider.

And I had to reread the letter we got from the past to make sure there wasn't a way for our ancestors foresight to be twisted as some weird Jingyu/Xuebai combination to become the "future heiress" in our place.

If Jingyu the half-fox steals our eyes and Xuebai possesses/transforms him more with other parts of us that fit our color and grudge cultivation, there is a legitimate possibility for the thing that results from that to take our place in our ancestors foresight. But only then. Nothing weird timey-wimey to be worried about, I don't think we'd be so incautious to let such things transpire, but the broadness of the future heiress gave me some weird speculations. I'm certain now it's addressed to us. Mostly. And if not us, a daughter.

>>5590297
If we are to gain any more hate for the Ling, I can only wonder at Huan's reaction to getting Yaonan's backstory. Not that we can spare her, but I'm sure Huan can acknowledge the travesty. What a shame.

>>5589906
Jingyu is more demonic in the classical sense

>>5589906
Jingyu is a simp and Yaonan is a thot.
I can't decide which is worse

>>5590388
I'm just gonna say it, if Yaonan wasn't a complete fucking sociopath I'd bang her.

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Sorry for making you wait over the weekend. When I finally got to sleep, I was woken up by a loud crash, some villain had allowed one of my feline companions to enter my hidden meditation chamber and the little furry idiot knocked over the router trying to climb up somewhere and I spent all next day figuring out how to get it to work again, gave up and went to my local vendor to replace it. The cat has escaped punishment, by being adorable and because it didn't shatter any of my teawares, which would've caused me to suffer an extreme case of Qi deviation.

Anyways, now that I have relayed the tell of my woe and misfortune, Ending the vote now, tallying the result.

Just sit down under a flower and explain their history to Fu and that it was here exactly where you told Feiqing and Lei about the true history of the world: 1

Get some practice in fighting the Corpse eating monsters in the first graveyard alongside Fu: 7

Explain their history to Fu and that it was here exactly where you told Feiqing and Lei about the true history of the world: 7

So You'll wile away time by fighting the ghouls of the most ancient cemetery with Fu, and give him a history lesson in the mean time, concerning the Geges' history together and how you first told his martial brothers the true history of the world shortly before meeting them here.

Update will arrive shortly
>>5591779
Junior possess a dangerous dao heart...but may be a dragon among men!

>>5591779
If the best-case situation comes to pass and we don't have to put her down like the Ling dog she is, maybe she can find her dream man in Lei.
For all her lust for bloodshed, she does some to have a maiden's heart, even if her views on love and romance are horrifically warped.
And Lei seems to be the easy going time that doesn't mind a woman that is constantly trying to beat his ass.

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>>5591958
>Junior possess a dangerous dao heart...but may be a dragon among men!
It can't be helped, I simply wish to summit her mount tai.

>>5591971
Lei is so casual about bloodshed and violence it sometimes beggars belief. They were made for each other. It really is a shame she's a Ling and a monster beside. But I suppose only the future will tell.

>>5591974
>But I suppose only the future will tell.
Monsters that they are, with Jingyu ultimately being Xuebai """"Student"""" and Yaonan being only one or two incidents away from all but slaughtering the Ling for us in a bid for power, I feel like there's a path to reach...if no non-violent terms, then non-lethal ones.
What's a Heretical Cultivator without some heretical underlings?
As much as I love the lovable goofballs we call students, they're all very...nice. Non-problematic. And while I love them dearly for it, some variety would be nice.
Having Huan's surely jaded sister and her flunky, as well as a Ling Dog in need of some training on board will make things, if nothing else, very lively around the sect.
But again, I'm dreaming of the best, while expecting the worse.
We'll see how it goes.

"This place reeks of ancient evil, curses slumber in the soil here" Fu muses outload as he stretches, loosening up his arms and cracking his neck as his namesake two axes stand in the ground in front of him, the end of their hafts driven through the grounnd "I can taste the Yin in the air, thick and dense like the stench of a decayed corpse. Strangely enough, its almost a soothing aroma, like we have stepped onto a patch of our temple's ground far separated from the rest. The vital breath of ghosts saturates the air and earth here, seeping into everything like ink spilled over a manuscript. It makes my bones tremble and my skin pale!"

"You aren't complaining now, are you Fu? I know Deathly Yin and Ghostly Yin energies can be unnerving and even deadly if they're out in enough force" You snicker as you confidently swagger into the confines of what might be the worlds oldest burial sight, spotting fresh mounds of dirt marking the site of freshly buried corpses and freshly upended graves marking the passage of the loathsome corpse eating beasts that prey upon the dead, ancient or freshly expired "But as my first disciple, you should be able to endure, nay even tolerate this miniscule amount of Yin essence"

"Miniscule? Hah! You overexaggerated master, this yard of corpses reminds me of nothing less than your own august aura of death and despair. I finally see what the others mean when they speak of standing before you being akin to intruding upon the grounds of a seemingly endless crypt!" Fu says with a chuckle and a grin, lifting his axes up from the ground, grabbing them just beneath their heads "I wasn't complaining at all, far from it! If this place matches your presence, than surely it must contain a challenge worthy of the Bloodshed and Woodcutter, eh?"

"I enjoy when you act so boyishly" You sigh warmly, swishing your tail as he jogs to match you pace, still wearing a beaming, youthful smile on his face "And that's exactly right! This is where the inhabitants of this untamed land come to bury their dead! And all beasts know to eat is to gain strength, is to surivive"

"The spiritual energy and earth of this basin is so dense and rich, I think even the dogs of the unworthy deities would degrade themselves to consume the corpses left in this patch of accursed earth" He remarks candidly, licking his lips to try and bring some warmth to them as his eyes dart here and there frantically, bulging and wide. Despite his bravado, it seems Fu isn't exactly excited to encounter the old spirits that dwell here. Luckily for him, those aren't the foes you've come here seeking.

"While their flesh might be rich in Qi, devouring it would only suit the desperate and depraved" You explain, sniffing the air and sensing the tell tale scent of a carrion eater "Its why ascended beasts of my caliber are so rare. Most only know strength can be gathered from their prey, never realizing the source of the power they meagerly cultivate"
Cont

>>5592026

"Not like the orthodox are concerned with efficiency and results. I've seen how the cream of their crops compare to the even the least amongst our sect, their restraint and rigid adherence to their guidelines cripples them in the short and long term" Fu explains to you something you already know, in a scornfully mocking cadence "They do not innovate, they do not explore. Maybe the chaos of this era will whip them into shape and make them proper cultivators like you, master and teach them the virtue of experimentation and risk, yeh?"

'I hope not, that'll make them all the more troublesome to deal with. Even if they follow insipid and ponderously slow methods of cultivations and only practice safe techniques and pursue laws with few risks and challenges in its way, their are many monsters in the world of cultivation still, even if they are held back by their ideals' You think to yourself as Fu clatters his teeth one of his axe arms trembling as he jumps at a shadow cast by a swaying branch and by reflex chops the tree in half with a flick of his wrist 'after all, the Ling Ogress and the Corpse cutter have both shown how powerful the current generation can become if they cast aside any concept of honor or morality, and my students have shown how strong one can become even without crossing every line and forsaking every scruple in their pursuit too attain further power and cultivation, just by stepping out of the cage enforced by the daoist orthodoxy'

Up ahead, beneath a simple grave marker of branches bounded together with deer sinew and addorned with petals as large as an ox, dirt is flung high into the air and a slobbering, wet smacking sound can be heard alongside the cracking of bones and slurping of marrow. Fu's eyes narrow, and all his nervousness is immediately replaced with a black rage, as grudge smog trickles from his pours flickering like flame. A righteous indignation has possess him.

"I take it this is our quarry, master?" He asks softly, his voice gentle as silk upon the skin yet as wrathful as a storm, thunder rumbled in his throat as his eyes locked onto the disturbed grave and you saw a wailing ghost pulling and tugging and the greasy hair of the carrion eater

"One of them, yes. I don't look down on the eaters of the dead, all living things kill to survive" You say, as your fur stands up on end and makes you seem larger than you are "Yet, ever since I've attained human wisdom, I can't help but to feel disgust even though, logically, they do less harm than those who eat what they hunt rather than pick through the scraps. Guess its because the dead endear more respect amongst men than they do the creatures of the wild"

"A corpse must be respected" Your student says simply "But, now that you mention it, it is odd how men idolize lions yet scorn buzzards"
Cont

>>5592027

"Monu never has" You say with a roll of your eyes as you quash the revulsion you feel, knowing if you were desperate enough you'd do the same as the ghoulish creature "She ferments corpses you know, to brew into medicines and refine into poisons"

"Granny Monu is also a witch" He says simply, not accusingly or disdainfully, almost respectfully in some odd way in fact "and the foremost example of why even we kindly heretics attain strength and progress so easily"

"She is my teacher and mother after all" You proudly state as from the corner of your eye you see Fu begin to stalk towards the opened graves, axes in hand and shining in the red light of the setting sun, and also spy another of the corpse eaters,watching from behind a marble pillar with wide, almond shaped eyes, its jaw gaping and hanging wide open with rows of crooked, hook like teeth. And a thought crossed your mind.

Fu is your first follower, your first student, your first ally besides Monu and yourself. He needs to be strong in both body and mind. So why not make this battle a little more challenging for him and yourself? Turn it halfway to a lecture and see if he can listen while balancing on the precipice of life and death! Oh that does sound fun!

"Heh-Heh-Heh" You cackle mischievously "Fu, I think since you're going to meet my younger sisters soon, you should know of their history and how they came to befriend me and achieve peace between themselves after a grave and nearly lethal misunderstanding"

He glances back, eyes aflame with curiosity as the second graverobber raps its knuckles on the pillar it hides behind, and you can see several more greasy maned heads rise up from the ground, ready to join the fray in defense of their brother and his meal.

"Oh? Do go on" He exclaims, wearing a toothy grin as you and he stalk towards the first corpse eater

"Their story begins with a storm, a fierce willed girl, a toad and a pure hearted princess of the skies" You begin solemnly as you think back to remember the story the two Geges told to you, of the moment Tiexingege's mind awoke in the midst of a storm and how she first encounter with Jionghuagege and how she saved her life that day from the Toad King, and how Jionghuagege awoke to the world by realizing the fun of flying amongst the petals, and how she was coerced into serving as the toad's toady, feeding him honey not long after, being threatened with being eaten alive if she didn't obey. And that the bastard even tried to force her to feed her own children to him. Somehow his putrid taste returned to your tongue.

As if reacting to your expression of distaste and disgust, one of the corpse eaters lets out a spine chill wail. But you do not stop talking

"See, the two were fortunate enough to awake close to one another and not long after one another" You explain as Fu curses loudly and begins grappling with the wailing monster that lunged at him, already tearing for his throat.
Cont

>>5592028

roll 2d100. First roll. Best of four, for Huanliuxue. Second roll, Best of three, For Fu. DC 80

Rolled 71, 29 = 100 (2d100)

>>5592029

>>5592039
Not a great start, but a really neat roll all things considered.

Rolled 4, 15 = 19 (2d100)

>>5592029
wew. This'll be a hard one.

Rolled 26, 62 = 88 (2d100)

>>5592029

Rolled 91, 94 = 185 (2d100)

>>5592029
the dao

>>5592093
goodness me

File: 1666220028539111.gif (4.42 MB, 382x640)

4.42 MB GIF

>>5592093
Nice.

>>5592093
10 over DC good success for Huan, unfortunately

>>5592090
Fu is twelve under DC, but not twenty, so he takes a failure to the chin, despite this miraculous forth roll.

Update will arrive shortly

>>5592117
Sorry, not twelve, 18. I had forgotten the dao of math.

Fu continues screaming profanity as he is tossed to the ground and forced on the defensive, throwing up his arms and gritting his teeth as more and more of the carrion eaters emerge from the soil with the bow jointed, hanging arms and gaping maws stretched to cry out their wailing call to action and attack, a feral war cry that fills the air with the stench of rotten meat and sour spit. The one that bounced pins him, it slobbering jaw sucking and snapping at his throat as his eyes burn with a rage you've only seen in the boys eyes once before, when he brought his axe down upon Old Crooked Fang's neck again and again in a frenzy.

You however, dodge easily, masterfully utilizing your phantom cat step to blink and move through the shambling and leaping horde of grave diggers, hopping from grave marker to grave marker as you continue your tale while Fu fight's for his life as more and more of the rot lickers swarm around him, sensing weakness and like any good predator taking complete advantage of it. Fu snarls and grabs hold of his attacker's spindly wrists.

"Tiexingege was born during a storm that flooded the world of the littlest creatures, and though she was afraid of being washed away, she valiantly saved the lives of her mundane sisters, preventing them from being washed away by damming up the stream that had washed over their nest" You calmly explain, utterly serenely and composed as you leap again, over a now fallen corpse stealer that tried to tackle you the ground, and you prance over the heads of his infuriated comrades before skipping to land behind them, tail swishing and claws outstretched. There's a snapping sound, and you turn to make sure Fu is alright, to find he has broken the wrists of his first attacker and had thrown him to the ground, and is pummeling much like an ape would, swinging his arms without thought or technique, given completely over to the ferocity lurking behind his eyes. You aren't sure if he can hear you now, enraged as he is, but you'll keep telling your story as if he could.

"She realized it was the sap and dew of the great flowers of this dreamlike valley that turned her to a demonic beast, something that she could not replicate with her own siblings and children, they grew larger in size but never in intellect. So discouraged, Tiexingege sought out companionship, and Found Jionghuagege"

"FUCKING DIE!" Fu bellows, as, with his bare hands, he throttles and rips open the neck of the first ghoul to attack him, as three others hang on his back and rake their claws across it, despite this, he stands, and begins swinging his arms wildly, without skill or style, instinctively seeking out his axes as more and more enemies pile atop him and grab onto his legs and ankles with their grubby claws.
Cont

>>5592194
"Now" You continue, after making sure Fu wasn't in any serious danger, haltingly speaking as you kept glancing back to him as you fended off your own opponents, drenching your claws in destructive AND ghostly Yin Qi, empowering your Whispering Death Claw (呢喃死亡爪子, Nínánsǐwáng zhuǎzi) while you coat your fangs in dripping Blood Qi, wielding the The Vein Draining Fang (血管 倾浆 獠牙, Xuèguǎnqīngjiāngliáoyá) as well. The first two opponents who rush you are cut down by your claws, their life essence draining out of their thin wounds in motes of pale white light that looked like dust caught in sunlight

"Jionghuagege" You continue, with the throat of the third in your mouth, its hot blood pouring down your throat and intoxicating you like a potent wine "Awoke from the comfort of her kin, while Tiexingege was lifted up by her drive to protect the, for the fear she felt was not for herself, but for her sisters. While Jionghuagege opened her eyes for the first time due to the simple joy of playing with her sisters among the flowers. However, this joy would not last, as while her counterpart ascended in relative safety, Jionghuagege was soon found by the repugnant king of toads, who bullied her into being his underling, demanding tithes of her miraculous, magical honey and even her own children in exchange for not swallowing her up like he did so many young dragons"

You gasp, surprised to see Fu also tearing out one of the monster's throat with his teeth, blood covering his eyes and soaking deep into his off white bandages, as he continued to punch and kick those that surround him, even as they tore at his flesh and bit through his skin. The only thing keeping him from being completely overwhelmed was his sheer aggression and mad ferocity.

"A...and so she would have remained in his service, too gentle hearted to fight back, too polite to really, if the thuggish yet gallant Tiexingege didn't happen upon her one day, and pitying the bullied Jionghuagege and unable to just leave her to fate, stood up for her, this began their friendship and sisterhood...and was also the start of their misunderstanding...Do you need Help Fu?"

"I'M FINE!" He shouted back, waving his hand as he was nearly dragged down, his words gurgled from the blood in his mouth which you knew wasn't just his own "JUST KEEP TALKING AND FIGHTING YOUR OWN BATTLE MY TEACHER! THIS IS NOTHING TO ME"

You stare at him, as you absent mindly impale several of the ghoulish creatures on your claws, ripping open their chests and using you blood control and vein draining fang to exsanguinate them immediately, using the Vein Hunting Eye (血管猎-眼睛, Xuèguǎnliè-yǎnjing) expertly to find where their arteries connect to their hearts before you even strike, to rip them open as you peel apart their ribcages with a crack and pulse of channeled destructive Yin Qi.
Cont

>>5592196

It was actually somehow beautiful, seeing him struggle atop a mound of corpses he had made with his clawless hands and fangless teeth.

But, if he thought he could handle this trial, you had no business lending a helping hand, it'd be an insult to save him while he still fought so stubbornly.

"If you insist" You say lazily, flicking a claw over the throat of a ghoul as it over extends, trying to grab hold of the scruff of your neck, leaving itself open for your ghostly feline martial arts. Standing on your hindpaws, you bat and paw the next in the way, grabbing hold of them with your claws and throwing them to the ground to finish them off with a squelch by pulping their head with a swift series of stomps, using the weakest and slowest variation of the Shooting Star Stampede (流星挤踏, Liúxīngjǐtà) to stomp its skull into a paste with a half dozen kicks

"Now where was I?" You ponder outloud as you blink around four clever carrion eaters, and grab on of them by the back of their neck, finding their spine too thick to bite through, so instead you pour metal Qi into them, transmuting the marrow and blood in their spine partially while also shocking them still, with the impurities now hidden in their bones like a venom, a new trick you just though up after having seen how Feiqing imbued his own skin, flesh and bones with the metals he worked, you snap their neck and tossed them aside "Oh yes! See, the two princesses didn't understand eachother, despite their bond. Tiexingege believed foremost in strength and self reliance, while Jionghuagege preferred the comfort of a elegantly lived, worry free life. They were as Yang and Yin. The Black Iron Ant Princess saw Jionjuagege as weak, in need of protection and training, and didn't understand the meeker Shining flower bee queen saw what she intended as lessons and exercise to toughen her up to face the world on her own feet and by her own power, as the same sort of rough treatment and bullying she faced under the shadow of the toad king, and never even realized her sworn sister was trying to train her"


"Ah! There views of the world were so different, There three views incompatible" Fu cries out as with a disturbing grin her gouges out the eyes of one of the beasts, as one of his own eyes was half shit, its lid drooping and bruised. He..he wasn't looking too good "Have you seen my axes anywhere, by any chance"

"Pr..precisely" You say quietly, wincing as you watched the young man tear one of the beasts from his neck, ripping out its teeth with a rough palm strike. They were still embedded in his throat. The sight made you shudder. You couldn't look away even as you dodged and knocked the towering brute who tried to knock you off balance with his quaking stomps off his own feet with a headbutt to his exposed gut. Then taking advantage of his unbalance state, threw him to the ground by grabbing hold of his ankle and gently pulling back
Cont

>>5592197

"See! Tiexingege thought Jionghuagege, in avoiding her and her lessons, was looking down on her and taking the glory and renown they won together in the battles they fought all for herself. And Jionghuagege believed Tiexingege was trying to brow beat her into subservience. And as they were children, never thought to explain themselves or try to see things from the others point of view" You say as you redirect a punch behind your head with your tail, causing the fist to break the jaw of its thrower's friend "As they thought the other thought like they did and shared their three views of the world. So already the two felt lied and betrayed, one thinking they were used as a stepping stone, and the other thinking the other's earnest attempts to toughen them up was her pushing her around"

"UHHUH!" Fu grunts, between headbutting a shrieking grave robber's head into pieces, gripping it tightly in his own hands as others tore at his arms and tried to pull chunks of flesh from them and his legs "AXES! SEE THEM? YES? NO?"

"So, Tiexingege saw Jionghuagege as a self centered schemer, and Jionghuagege saw Tiexingege as a remorseless brute, they're friendship breaking apart and deteriorating the longer they spent together" You saw as you slip under the legs of another ghoulish cretin and kick them over with one of your hindpaws "It all started after they overcame an older magical beast together, but each believe they deserved the credit for the feat. Tiexingege thought so because her poison coursed in its veins and Jionghuagege cause her stinger struck the final blow and neither could agree which killed him first. That is were their tensions began and...Fu?"

"Rggggh" Fu growled as he bit through the hand of one of his many, many assailants, giving a thumbs up as he tried to choke the life out of another by holding it under his armpit. 'I should probably lend him a hand soon' You thought, as using temperature lowering spell, boosted by your supreme yin physique, you froze the arm of one of the monsters you were fight, and with and pawing pat, exploded it by making the blood inside the frozen limb boil with a bit of clever blood alchemy

"Well, see their children were still beastial and driven by instinct, and being instincts, both Geges didn't understand subtly all to well, not having yet realized the gap in communication left by the pheromones and that the world they inhabited now was far more complex and simpler than that of bugs!" You shout as you try to break away from the larger and beefier ghouls that have chosen to fight you while the thinner, more starved counterparts hold Fu down and begins to pull him into their mob "And they thought, when Tiexingege's tried to steal honey or Jionghuagege's attacked the scouts she scent out in search of supplies and threats, that the other had ordered the attack as they were already upset with the other and assumed the worse. And that's where I come in and!"
Cont

"SAVE THE DAY!" You bark, as you unleash the Blood Red Lightning Cat Step (血紅色列缺猫步, Xuè hóngsèlièquēmāobù) and the The Red Death Scythe (红色死亡 镰, Hóngsèsǐwánglián) to tear through the horde surrounding Fu, their blood and lifeforce flowing out of them in great rivers as they weaken and collapse, allowing Fu to rise out from their midst, having fallen to one knee and toss them off as they breath their last. Some of them are missing limbs, which had been sheared off by the sheer speed of your claws as you slashed through them. Hopping to slow yourself down, you spin around and erect a Dying Grudge Shield (垂死怨怼㕹,Chuísǐyuànduìfá), just in time to catch the tree trunk the largest of the beasts swings down like a club. It bounces back, fragmenting as Fu stands up, screaming defiantly to the heavens and painted as red as you with blood. and slams into the beasts brow.

But it just stumbles back, a giant too hard to fell so simply. Until back up arrives.

"OI! RED FUR! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU WANTED TO SCRAP!" Tiexingege bellows, looking different than she did before, larger in size and more heavily armored, her chitin looking more like actual armor than it did before and the blades on her arms serrated. In fact, her hide shined more metallically than it did before, as if it had been polished "How could you train without me!"

The blades on her limbs have doubled and become serrated, giving her two steel scythes on each of her limbs

And a distant, silverly sparkle in the sky told you Jionghuagege was making her way over to.

The violence paused, as Fu grabbed another ghoul who ripped itself out of the ground by the throat, lifting up one of his axes to split its skull. Oh! He finally found them! That's a nice surprise. The carrion eaters look towards the front of the graveyard, where a vertible army of black iron ants are gathered, clicking their mandibles in a threatening rythm as Tiexingege uses her arm blades to slice through the tendons of the reeling giant and sends it crashing to the earth.

"Hmm, I was bored waiting for you to arrive" You answer amusedly, as you hear the chorus of a dozens of giant ants chewing through flesh and chomping through bone, and the hiss of acid. That's new. Seems that Tiexingege wasn't the only one whom evolved, in fact some of her children looked different than the rest. Specialized in shape and different colored. Curious. How curious

Green glowing dust falls to the earth and vines erupt as Jionghuagege, smelling fragrant and with curious tufts of fur differently colored than the silver that sticks out from between her own chitin sparkle and shine and you notice that her wings seem to have become those of a butterfly and are wrapped in flowering vines. A wall of foliage forms behind the fleeing monsters, preventing them from returning as Fu, still standing until this very moment, collapses backwards, panting and wheezing from the deadly fight he just endured

>>5592200

"Oh dear, oh dear! Where are the other two! Oh we didn't arrive to late did we! oh what a tragedy, what a..." Jionghuagege frets, bumbling towards the ground as Tiexingege shouts foul words you are certain you did not teach her at the retreating corpse eater. Its only when she gets closer to Fu that she realizes he isn't Ping, Feiqing or Lei?

"Oh! I see" She shouts happily, spitting a weird green goop into Fu's open mouth, much to the poor boy's surprise and disgust but he's too wounded to stop it from happening "You were out for a stroll, admiring the flowers and came upon this poor soul in need of saving, and gallantly interceded on his behalf, even though you put your own noble life at risk. Oh how inspiring! Its just like from a story book, isn't it Tie-Tie?!"

"I'm Fu" Fu groaned "Her first disciple. I hadn't began to cultivate when she came here the first time, else we would've met when you met Feiqing,Ping and Lei"

Jionghuagege seemed amazed he could speak and you couldn't help but wonder if, in the time since you last saw her, she had forgotten humans could talk. But you didn't voice your suspicions, and merely watched as Fu, despite his many wounds sat up and too both your surprise and his, seemed to be already healing at an unnaturally rapid rate.

"Neat trick she has there, right? Its a spell she learned a while ago! Keeps you in the fight even if you've gotten a leg or two torn off" Tiexingege says proudly, tapping her antenna on Jionghuagege's back, as she walks up to Fu and clacks her mandibles in thought "Oh! So many scars! You've got to be a true warrior, the sort of guy who is a born fighter! How'd you get so many! Oh! Right, you're Red Fur's student, you've must've had many adventures with her and fought fierce opponents by her side. A little jealous, I have to admit"

"I..I expected him, your earliest student, to speak with more refinment" Jionghuagege says guiltily. Oh, that explains her surprise, not that she forgot humans talked, but that she expected Fu to talk with the demeanor and holding of a well bred gentleman.

"So what have you been up to!" Both Geges shout together, standing at either side of you, Jionghuagege excitedly and Tiexingege acting angry, though she was just as pleased as the Bee princess to see "And what took you so long to visit!"
Cont

>>5592201

double vote
Fu has failed to learn anything, and has only earned a few extra scars

What have you learned from the fight

>A strike where you first land a physical blow on an arm or leg, then, take partial possession of the limb you strike, force the target to drop the guard or trip themselves

>Further Refinement of your blood control, to the degree you can use your veins as weapons or to spray boiling blood or even separate them from your body completely! (Or do the same for other's bodies once you've infected them with your Blood Qi) or even shape blood outside or within of a body into more complex shapes, like blades or crude puppets

>Inspired by Fu's brutality. Learn how to imbue your strikes with grudge clouds infected by the rage within blood, driving those you strike with the same ferocity, but under your command, rather than just rampaging around wildly.

>How to grapple, pin and lock more effectively, with both claws and human hands, arms and legs.

>Combining the Ice Forming spell and the blood boiling alchemy, create a deadly poke that if properly time can explode small ice crystals within the veins or organs of your victims

>Write in

And what do you tell The Gege's, Huanliuxue?

>"I've been busy raising my other students and helping our kindred survive in the outside world, but what about you two, you seem to be thriving!

>"Duty has kept me in my temple, I have many responsibilities as Sect head now and many disciples to mentor. Forgive me for taking so long, Heh-Heh"

>"Well, first I got attacked by assassin right after leaving, then I tracked down and saved several magical beasts, Conquered a bit of a kingdom of ghosts, Fought in a tournament in hell, killed the king of crow devils, possessed a human I befriended, traveled the land to learn how humans lived and thought, was complicit in the assassination of an emperor, fought an ogress, saved more beasts, fought spider devil OH! And I learned how to take on a human form! Praise me! Praise me!"

>"You two are as adorable as ever. But before I answer that, I need to ask, how have you trained so well on your lonesome. Have you found another teacher in big sis' absence?"

>write in

>>5592203
>>Inspired by Fu's brutality. Learn how to imbue your strikes with grudge clouds infected by the rage within blood, driving those you strike with the same ferocity, but under your command, rather than just rampaging around wildly.

>>5592203
>"Well, first I got attacked by assassin right after leaving, then I tracked down and saved several magical beasts, Conquered a bit of a kingdom of ghosts, Fought in a tournament in hell, killed the king of crow devils, possessed a human I befriended, traveled the land to learn how humans lived and thought, was complicit in the assassination of an emperor, fought an ogress, saved more beasts, fought spider devil OH! And I learned how to take on a human form! Praise me! Praise me!"

>Inspired by Fu's brutality. Learn how to imbue your strikes with grudge clouds infected by the rage within blood, driving those you strike with the same ferocity, but under your command, rather than just rampaging around wildly.

And what do you tell The Gege's, Huanliuxue?

>"You two are as adorable as ever. But before I answer that, I need to ask, how have you trained so well on your lonesome. Have you found another teacher in big sis' absence?"

>>5592203
>Further refinement of blood control

This is big. Massive even, fine control of this magnitude is amazing.

>You two are as adorable as ever.
>Show off a little by using the scarlet healing armour on Fu

>>5592203
>Further Refinement of your blood control, to the degree you can use your veins as weapons or to spray boiling blood or even separate them from your body completely! (Or do the same for other's bodies once you've infected them with your Blood Qi) or even shape blood outside or within of a body into more complex shapes, like blades or crude puppets

>"Duty has kept me in my temple, I have many responsibilities as Sect head now and many disciples to mentor. Forgive me for taking so long, Heh-Heh"
>"I've been busy raising my other students and helping our kindred survive in the outside world, but what about you two, you seem to be thriving!

>>5592239
+1

>>5592203
>Further Refinement of your blood control, to the degree you can use your veins as weapons or to spray boiling blood or even separate them from your body completely! (Or do the same for other's bodies once you've infected them with your Blood Qi) or even shape blood outside or within of a body into more complex shapes, like blades or crude puppets.
>"Duty has kept me in my temple, I have many responsibilities as Sect head now and many disciples to mentor. Forgive me for taking so long, Heh-Heh"

>>5592203
All I can envision now for the Fu-inspired choice is
>Call Xiongji to us, have him kneel
>Place a claw on his shoulder, infuse him with our grudge to control his strikes
>”Go forth and conquer, my general”

but that said, I will vote
>Further Refinement of your blood control, to the degree you can use your veins as weapons or to spray boiling blood or even separate them from your body completely! (Or do the same for other's bodies once you've infected them with your Blood Qi) or even shape blood outside or within of a body into more complex shapes, like blades or crude puppets
since pure blood Qi is something unique to us now.

For the geges,
>”It would be rude for a teacher to brag of her own exploits before hearing those of her students!”
>”What about you two, you seem to be thriving!”
then we can launch into

>"Well, first I got attacked by assassin right after leaving, then I tracked down and saved several magical beasts, Conquered a bit of a kingdom of ghosts, Fought in a tournament in hell, killed the king of crow devils, possessed a human I befriended, traveled the land to learn how humans lived and thought, was complicit in the assassination of an emperor, fought an ogress, saved more beasts, fought spider devil OH! And I learned how to take on a human form! Praise me! Praise me!"
Don’t forget to mention we kept the Emperor soul and are still considering how to use it, or that becoming human involved spitting in the face of the gods and we bellowed a roar that created and awakened several new beasts meaning Huan is singlehandedly responsible for the Beast Era.

Praise her more!

>>5592203
>Combining the Ice Forming spell and the blood boiling alchemy, create a deadly poke that if properly time can explode small ice crystals within the veins or organs of your victims

>"Well, first I got attacked by assassin right after leaving, then I tracked down and saved several magical beasts, Conquered a bit of a kingdom of ghosts, Fought in a tournament in hell, killed the king of crow devils, possessed a human I befriended, traveled the land to learn how humans lived and thought, was complicit in the assassination of an emperor, fought an ogress, saved more beasts, fought spider devil OH! And I learned how to take on a human form! Praise me! Praise me!"

>"You two are as adorable as ever. But before I answer that, I need to ask, how have you trained so well on your lonesome. Have you found another teacher in big sis' absence?"

>>5592203
>>5592337
+1!

Ending the vote now, tallying the result.

Fu's Brutality:3
Improved Blood control:5
Icebomb strike:1
_
"Well, first I got attacked by assassin right after leaving...etc":4

"You two are as adorable as ever...etc":4

Show off a little by using the scarlet healing armour on Fu:1

"Duty has kept me in my temple...etc":2

"I've been busy raising my other students and helping our kindred survive in the outside world...etc": 1

”It would be rude for a teacher to brag of her own exploits before hearing those of her students!”:2

So You've refined your control over blood and the Veins its flowed through and you'll tell the gege's
"You two are as adorable as ever. But before I answer that, I need to ask, how have you trained so well on your lonesome. Have you found another teacher in big sis' absence?"
And
"Well, first I got attacked by assassin right after leaving, then I tracked down and saved several magical beasts, Conquered a bit of a kingdom of ghosts, Fought in a tournament in hell, killed the king of crow devils, possessed a human I befriended, traveled the land to learn how humans lived and thought, was complicit in the assassination of an emperor, fought an ogress, saved more beasts, fought spider devil OH! And I learned how to take on a human form! Praise me! Praise me!"

Update will arrive shortly

Rubbing your cheek first on Jionghuagege's cheek and then Tiexingege's, receiving a happy chirp and delighted fluttering of wings and an annoyed clacking of mandibles from them respectfully

"You two are adorable as ever" You say dotingly and with a rumbling purr, shamelessly showing your fondness for the two younger princesses, as Jionghuagege looks at you with a pleased look in her sparkling eyes, her antenna flashing from green to gold and orange while Tiexingege rolls her head, doing her best to imitate rolling her eyes with the body she was given "But before I answer that, I need to ask, how have you trained so well on your lonesome"

You look down at the two, still purring and smiling as warm as the sun ever shining over their peaceful home of heaven breaching flowers. Tiexingege lifts up her head and moves to talk, before Jionghuagege bumbles over to her and shakes her head, sensing a breach of etiquette that her more roughly demeanor sister hadn't entirely missed. The Ant princess tapped her legs on the ground impatiently, clearly wanting to tell you something, wanting to boast and brag about what they have accomplished since your last visit.

The warmth of your smile twisted to amusement and shrank into a smirk as you narrowed your eyes and leaned over your little sisters, giggling under your breath as you jokingly accused "Have you found another teacher in big sis' absence?"

Jionghuagege glanced down to Tiexingege and nodded, and taking a deep breath, she stomped in front of you and gave a casual salute, clearly something her sister had forced her to practice.

"Nothing of the sort! The old bag of wind just gave us a few pointers is all!" She shouts brazenly and loudly, making you reel back from the pain in your ears

"That have allowed us to progress as far as we have in as short of a time as we did" Jionghuagege says softly, buzzing back off the ground "Though I do believe by focusing on our strengths, Tie-Tie and I made remarkable progress without that kindly old grandfather who smelt of sunshine and rain"

"Hmph! He spilled his guts and secrets out of fear of me!" Tiexingege claims half seriously, speaking an obvious lie as you can guess who this old man they met was, that being the kindly old god living on the mountain in the center of the basin, though as to why he wandered down from his retreat you can't even begin to guess "Or that's what I'd like to say, since his presence alone felt like a crushing boot. He was nice for an old timer, helped me refine my techniques even though I'd already honed them finely against the fuckers who keep trying to steal Jiong-Jiong's honey"

"And he helped to correct our meditation forms and taught me methods to cast more complex spells, he was an utter gentlemen, the most well bred amongst the humans I've met" Jionghuagege says as if she were half caught in a dream "He actually knew how to be polite, unlike the rest of the ruffians around here!"

Cont

>>5593430

"Though that doesn't mean he's harmless! I saw the old bastard flip one of those rabbit killers over his head like he were tossing away a pebble! He even dug a mile underground to help expand my hive's fortifications and storage!" Tiexingege adds excitedly, hopping up and down "he was incredibly strong, even though he looked older than dirt! I'd admire him! Hey! You know him don't ya red fur? He said your name when he first came down from the skies"

"He did mention you directly, Lady Huanliuxue" Jionghuagege says sweetly "Spoke very highly of you, which is one reason I believe he is more sensible than most human creatures. And he seemed very well informed in matters of both martial and sorcerous pursuits and proper etiquette and courtesy. I wonder if he was of noble birth, like we three are"

"Not everyone who speaks with eloquence is a noble, or even rich. Some of the best poets of our time are poor men" Fu remarks, standing and patting his freshly healed wounds, seemingly to test if they were actually closed and mended. Jionghuagege dully ignored his challenge to her preconceived notions of the world. Instead, the bee flutters over to him and nearly knocks him over bonking him with her head

"Oh yeah, he was real smart! At first he didn't tell us anything you didn't teach us, about Qi and stuff" Tiexingege explains as Fu struggles against Jionghuagege's open affections and earnest curiosity about him, though her questions soon turn to fretting and tearful pleas for forgiveness, as she thinks all of Fu's scars are there because the two of them weren't able to arrive in time to assist the two of you in your slaughter. You glance away, already feeling the awkwardness on Fu's expression and annoyance in his eyes bleeding into the air around him.

"I didn't understand most of it, least until Jiong-Jiong explained it to me" She continues on, as the two of you sit down besides eachother "But he really opened my eyes to this cultivation thing and showed us methods to increase the results of our handwork and hasten our progress! It feels like the practices we had been doing were akin to laying around all day, without even cultivating any Qi at that!"

"I see...I see" You mutter to show you're still listening to her and closely at that "That'd explain why the two of you have changed so much, and not just in looks"

"Yeah..." Tiexingege mutters, her cheerful tone darkening and becoming gloomy as she quiets down "Say, Red Fur? Do breakthroughs hurt? Old wrinkle face said they could be dangerous, and I'm worried Jiong-jiong won't be able to go any further if it pains her. Neither of us have been getting much results lately, We need to spend all day meditating or eating dew or Qi Rich flesh all day to even get any progress at all!"
Cont

>>5593431

"The ocean becomes a drop in the bottom of your cup" You sagely explain nodding your head "What once filled your dantians to bursting and made up a huge advancement is now a piecemeal. You've reached a bottleneck in your cultivation, simultaneously"

"Is that bad? We've been working hard! Day in day out, training, drilling, even meditating with Jiong-jiong and reading those books he let us borrow!" Tiexingege shouts frustratedly. You were about to say you thought the old man would've told her what a bottleneck was, before remembering she had trouble understanding his lessons and probably got bored or focused so intently on what he taught her about fighting and martial arts that she might've forgotten that she had heard about it admist her worry that she'd leave Jionghuagege behind.

"No, in fact its miraculous that you two reached one together" You explain in a soothing, gentle voice, more purring your words than speaking them "And remarkably fast as well, a little slower than I did. Guess you deserve being called me little sisters after all, Heh-heh. Must be something in the air"

"We've been cultivating on and beneath the tallest flower in these fields, old timer said it was the richest source of spiritual energy of heaven and earth for many miles" She says with a huff "Though I don't think Jiong-jiong knew that when she first started resting atop it, to be entirely blunt"

She paused and stared at you long and hard

"Wait a second! You still haven't told us why you took so long to get back here you trickster!" She bellowed angrily, snapping her mandibles and stomping her feet "You were stalling!"

"Not stalling Tie-tie, remember, she said she'd explain herself once you had finished telling her how it was we've become so much stronger than we were when we last met her" Jionghuagege says gently, humming as she flutters over and Fu follows after her "And do forgive me for the indiscretion and rudeness, I didn't know it was offensive to call one another's pet, Sir Fu"

"There's no need to apologize, you weren't trying to insult me" Fu said kindly "I'm just relieved this scarred face of mine wasn't what was driving you to tears. It was just a misunderstanding, is all"

"Oi! Scar face!" Tiexingege says, bluntly, marching up to Fu who's expression screwed into a grimacing glare at the nickname she had given him "We should train together if you two are sticking around awhile longer, even if I saw the tail end of your fight alone, you're impressively fierce for a fighter! After Red Fur tells us what she's been doing out in the world of men that's been so important"

"Do not call me that" Fu said, forcing a smile, not wishing to be rude by threatening or glowering at the little girl "And I'd be happy to, sparring is a wonderful way to bond"

Tiexingege huffed and walked back in front of you, sitting down by Jionghuagege as their daughters went about butchering and cutting apart the corpses covering the graveyard.
Cont

And the two princesses looked up at you with big, adoring eyes, practically shivering with anticipation to hear your story.

Fu tied more bandages than usual around his face, hiding everything except his eyes.

Taking in a deep breath of air, filling your lungs with the comforting scents of a graveyard and the pleasant aroma of freshly spilled blood, you rapidly told the two youngsters what you had been doing, being vague about everything to get them excited to know more so you could tell the stories of each of your adventures at length rather than all at once!

"Well, first I got attacked by assassin right after leaving, then I tracked down and saved several magical beasts, Conquered a bit of a kingdom of ghosts, Fought in a tournament in hell, killed the king of crow devils, possessed a human I befriended, traveled the land to learn how humans lived and thought, was complicit in the assassination of an emperor, fought an ogress, saved more beasts, fought a spider demon after befriending his sister and killing a couple of their siblings!" You chatter spirited, wagging your tail back and forth and holding a paw under your chin as you sway your whole body to its rhythm "Oh!"

You gasped as if feigning surprise and Fu's eyes widened and with trained precision and speed, he loosened one bandaged and wrapped it over his eyes, already sensing what you were planning to do by the mischievous smirk on your lips and twinkling in your eyes. Hopping up, you leapt into the air, turning human mid air with a flash of Blood Qi to create a carmine colored flare of light and breathed out a dense cloud of grudge fog to be dramatic as you landed in front of them and threw up your arms over your head to show of the whole of your body, grinning ear to ear.

"And I learned how to take on a human form! Praise me! Praise me!" You shout, drunk on just the admiration and awe you imagine you'll inspire in them. But you grin faded as you saw that Tiexingege didn't look too amazed or admiring and more confused, though Jionghuagege was reacting as you expected her too, excitedly and merrily, the ant princess seemed more baffled than anything else

"What's the point of that? Aren't you stronger as a cat, sis?" She asks bluntly, talking like one does when they speak to someone who seems deranged or manic "Wouldn't it be better to learn how to turn into something with, I dunno, horns or natural armor? That body seems pudgy, even for a human. Fat in weird places and short and narrow in others. I don't get it"

"Oh my! Oh my! You're beautiful! So beautiful! More brilliant than any of the stars in the sky! Absolutely gorgeous! You'd look dashing in a dress, Huanliuxue!" Jionghuagege exclaims ecstatically, buzzing around you, intrigued by your transformation as you slouch your shoulders and fall into a slump with a gloomy look on your face "What an incredible ability to have, to completely change oneself! Now you can show those mean humans just how wonderful you are, big sis!"

>>5593434

She continued piling on praises and compliments onto your shoulders, but it did not good, your good mood had been trampled by Tiexingege's bluntness. Grounded into dust and turned to mud. You almost wanted to kick her for it.

"Wait. Didn't that old fart say we could do this with some training? Can we only turn into humans?" Tiexingege grumbled "You need to train more, your chest is pathetic compared to your students and you need to eat less if you're gathering fat on it"

And that was the fatal blow. Pouting, you stomped away to sulk for awhile, laying in one of the open graves, arms crossed and brow furrowed and nose scrunched.

What do you do once you've recovered from this bullying, Huanliuxue? two options can be taken

>Test the Gege's to see what they've learned and how profound their cultivation has become since you left.

>Ask to see the manuals the Old god on the mountain lent them, and what exactly he taught them and showed them

>Spar with the Geges (With or without Fu?)

>Look for one of the strong monsters the ancient dragon told you about, so you can get some real training in

>Feeling vengeful, enlist Jionghuagege's aid in getting back at Tiexingege, by dressing her up in flowers and making a dress for her to wear as punishment

>Visit one of the human tribes as your humanself, to see if they're having any troubles up in their mountain homes.

>Write in

>>5593436
Paaaaaaah!
Qi deviation probably feels less painful. Outch.

>Test the Gege's to see how profound their cultivation is
>Ask to see the Manuals the old god left them, so we can figure out how to help them past this breakthrough.

>Minor write in, when Tiexingege isn't looking or asleep, use blood qi to draw flowers on her.
THIS WILL TEACH YOU TO BULLY

>>5593436
>Ask to see the manuals the Old god on the mountain lent them, and what exactly he taught them and showed them

>>5593436
Supporting >>5593439

>>5593436
Supreme Yin bros....
>Test the Gege's to see what they've learned and how profound their cultivation has become since you left.
>Ask to see the manuals the Old god on the mountain lent them, and what exactly he taught them and showed them
>Draw flowers on Tiexingege with blood qi

>>5593436
>Test the Gege's to see what they've learned and how profound their cultivation has become since you left.
>Ask to see the manuals the Old god on the mountain lent them, and what exactly he taught them and showed them
Tietie hasn't seem the power of fingers yet, but she will one day.

>>5593436
>Test the Gege's to see what they've learned and how profound their cultivation has become since you left.
>Look for one of the strong monsters the ancient dragon told you about, so you can get some real training in
Maybe on the way, we give them a little history lesson regarding why getting a human form is so significant.

>>5593495
>Tietie hasn't seem the power of fingers yet, but she will one day.
Opposable thumbs are damn near a super power.

>>5593436
>Ask to see the manuals the Old god on the mountain lent them, and what exactly he taught them and showed them
>Test the Gege's to see what they've learned and how profound their cultivation has become since you left.

>>5593436
>Ask to see the manuals the Old god on the mountain lent them, and what exactly he taught them and showed them
>Spar with the Geges (With Fu)

>>5593436
>>Feeling vengeful, enlist Jionghuagege's aid in getting back at Tiexingege, by dressing her up in flowers and making a dress for her to wear as punishment
>Test the Gege's to see what they've learned and how profound their cultivation has become since you left.

File: EvrRcQ_UcAYOKML.jpg (589 KB, 941x838)

589 KB JPG

Forgive me juniors, for vanishing for three days. Had no time to sit down and write an update, but still, I shall give however much face is required to mend this. Anyways, theatrics aside, Ending the vote and tallying the result now.

Test the Gege's to see what they've learned and how profound their cultivation has become since you left.:7

Ask to see the manuals the Old god on the mountain lent them, and what exactly he taught them and showed them:7

when Tiexingege isn't looking or asleep, use blood qi to draw flowers on her.:3

Look for one of the strong monsters the ancient dragon told you about, so you can get some real training in:1

Give a short history lesson: 1

Spar with the Geges (With Fu): 1

Feeling vengeful, enlist Jionghuagege's aid in getting back at Tiexingege, by dressing her up in flowers and making a dress for her to wear as punishment: 1

So you'll Test the Gege's to get a measure of their development and ask to see the manuals they were entrusted with and what exactly he taught them in your absence

update will arrive shortly

You decide to stop sulking and pouting after it begins to rain, and hop out of the grave as a cat, though your expression hasn't changed and you still feel the lingering burn of Tiexingege's thoughtless remarks smoldering somewhere in your chest like an infected wound. Stomping through the graveyard, you find Fu and Tiexingege sparring already, and to your surprise it would seem your little sister is evenly matched with your disciple. Certainly neither of them are having an easy time fighting the other and from where you stand you cannot easily determine who between them would be the winner if they were allowed to continue their practice match beneath the grey clouds and trickling rain. Fu isn't wearing his bandages, having taken them off to prevent them from becoming waterlogged, exposing his mangled and ruined face for all to see as he lunges and throws himself forward with renewed vigor after every earth shaking clash between his axes and Tiexingege's natural blades. The clanging of metal meeting metal bites into your skull like the ringing of gong or the booming voice of a towering bell. Bang, bang, bang.

Jionghuagege seems to be suffering with you, though its hard to read her expression considering her face is still that as a bee. But she seems to have made herself a patch of dry land beneath a towering fern grown and fed upon her Qi, so you decided that even if she doesn't share in your plight and pain, you'll act like she is and sit beside her to watch Fu and Tiexingege as they spar.

"Oh, so glad you could join us once again, Lady Huanliuxue" She says politely, her antenna shooting up right and glowing as bright as a flaring star "I was growing concerned that Tiexingege's slip of the tongue had truly wounded you and caused a grave offense. But I didn't have the time to scold her, since, well as you can see, she and your disciple have started to fight. They said it was for practice but...well I am no fighter by nature, you see, so I cannot tell the difference between a spar between friends and a lethal duel"

"Ah of course, we all have our areas of expertise" You say, trying to sound surprise, as though Jionghuagege's distaste for martial pursuits and physical confrontation was at all a revelation to you "Allow me to enlighten you, an easy way to tell if Fu wants something or someone dead, is what he aims for. Now an axe blow is nearly always assuredly lethal or at least crippling if it lands, especially if that blow comes from arms as muscled as his are"

"Such a brutish weapon, but at least it does not harm to its wielder, unlike a bee's stinger" Jionghuagege says "But, I cannot say Sir Fu wields it brutishly, there's an elegance to his strikes, as if he were following the sequence of a complex, traditional dance"
Cont

>>5596875

"You should see how his peers fight. Qiang especially is an artist with her blade" You say with a proud chuckle as you watch Fu spin himself around as Tiexingege throws herself above him to try and strike his back, two strange techniques that perfectly counter the other "But back to Fu and his axes. See, if he wanted Tiexingege dead or mangled, he'd be aiming for her neck or the gaps in her armor. Instead he is swinging towards her arm and meeting her blades, same with her. She has mandibles that could grip and crush his neck, blades that could sever limbs and a stinger filled with venom"

"But she is only matching Fu's pace" Jionghuagege observes all by herself, though you lead her to the realization as gently as an elder sister should, and that brings a new layer of pride to the smile on your feline face "Oh! They're dancing! I see now! Here I was fretting you'd have to interrupt and keep them from tearing each other apart, but now I see they're just playing with each other, more or less"

"Exactly!" You declare, patting the bee on her head, setting your palm atop the gold piece of chitin shaped like a crown on her brow "This is how martial artists like Fu and brawlers like Tiexingege get to know eachother, kind of like sniffing the other's behind, Heh-heh-heh"

"That...is a rather crude analogy I must admit, princess" She says haughtily, fluttering her wings and lifting her head to show her disapproval for your choice of words

"It's accurate, Heh-heh" You sneer, shrugging your shoulder as you lounge and stretch out, laying on your side and yawning as the rhythmic clashing of axes and scythes continue to thunder through the valley so loudly it could be mistaken from for thunder itself! "Say, once they're done messing around, would you and Tiexingege allow me to test you in various ways? I can sense your stronger but without seeing what you're capable of and what you have learned, I won't be able to tell just how far you've advanced and developed with out me"

"Oh of course" Jionghuagege says politely, doing a skittering dance in delight "That sounds more fun than watching these two dull their blades in this aimless contest of strength. I've found I quite enjoy being taught when what is being imparted interests me, and knowing exactly what level Tie-tie and I have reached is something that interests me greatly! And oh, how I've been waiting for a chance to display my newfound mystical knowledge to you, Lady Huanliuxue! To see your eyes filled with wonder and pride would be my greatest delight!"

"Well then, let us hope these two will not leave us waiting for long. Even the blind gods above know Fu and Tiexingege are relentless once a battle starts" You say with a smirk as you close your eyes and decide to take a nap, knowing you might well be waiting there until the dawn of the next day before one of them gives in or the whole affair concludes with a draw once both of them collapse from exhaustion.
Cont

>>5596876
_
[Meanwhile, Elsewhere in the depths of the Primordial forest of the tragic lovers...]

"You horrid bitch! You fucking whore!" One of the fools cried out as Qiang left her mark upon him, branding him with the edge of her blade in a way that couldn't be healed, imbuing the metal with ghostly yin qi and a whisper of a grudge to create a wound that'd scar vividly and never truly heal upon his brow. She sighed through her nose, glaring at him, her robes torn in places around her shoulders and stomach.

"I wasn't the one who tried to murder a passerby" She said coldly as she pulled the tip of her blade up, having carved upon his brow, just as she had his conspirators, the character for "Monkey", to show the world and warn others just how blindily stupid they were. She didn't kill them, well, cause it'd more cause trouble to leave behind corpses than a pack of prideful idiots who'd stretch the tale of their defeat to make Qiang herself be a whole school of rampaging heathens and murderous thugs. Nothing hurt a man's pride more than admitting they and their friends were beaten by a girl, and handily at that.

Of course, despite the former assassin sparring them, that did not mean she didn't just punish them as their elders would, if Monu and Ping were to be believed at least.

The man with tears in his eyes and blood flowing down his temple and pooling beneath his eyes for example, was clutching the stump of his severed arm. A crippling injury, but better than being dead. A wound not easily healed, if it could be healed at all, that would prevent them from assaulting other travelers in pursuit of hollow glory, while shouting for all to hear their victims were the "enemy" or "Spies".

"We should just kill them, Huanliuxue would be happy. Her and Monu despise these cold ones" Yujijiao hissed into Qiang's ear as she stood before the gaggle of now crippled idiots. One was missing an eye, another half a leg, a third she rendered mute with a shallow cut in the throat and for the rest, who hadn't aimed to kill her, she had left them off lightly by cutting off a finger or two. She still marked them, out of principle and because if they were stupid enough to follow the one's who received a harsher punishment, they deserved to be called monkeys as well.

A lesser swordsman wouldn't have had the precision necessary to be so selective in the scars they left behind.

"Know that your lives are spared because killing you would be a chore, and I have no quarrel with your sect" Qiang explained, both to them and her martial sister floating and coiled around her "And see no reason to cause one. I'm sure you'll lie about what happened here, but know that I can sneak into your bedrooms like a draft and finish what I started if you think of hounding me. Consider your crippling a warning, and a sign to step away from the villainous path you've chosen to taken"
Cont

>>5596877

With a flick of her wrist, she spun her sword around, cleaning it of blood and sheathed it, strutting away from them unaware of just how arrogant her stride would seem from the perspective of the boys she left behind bleeding in the dirt. Or that Yujijioa thought of how much it resembled the posture of a cat swaggering away from the hunt, mouth and claws bloodied.
_
You couldn't help but feel that the old god on the mountain had swindled you by not teaching you what he has taught the Geges, who seem entirely unaware of just how valuable the techniques and powerful the spells and moves they've been taught actually are. The old man gave them the ripe fruits of his wisdom, and that explains easily how they were able to progress at a pace that nearly rivaled your own blazing ascension through the initial stages of cultivation. They could, despite lingering still in the Qi Condensation stage, fight on equal footing with a low level foundation establishment cultivator. You don't think they could fight you, only because you're this generations prodigy and have also taught yourself and learned troublesome techniques and many powerful abilities and wicked talents. You just have more tricks up your sleeve and more options than they do, and are more experienced with fighting opponents of equal or even greater strength or skill than your magnificent self and have even go as far as to spit directly into the eye of the nine heavens and walk away alive and unscathed.

Still, it does feel like the old god on the mountain could've easily taught to you half of what he taught to them in a day and the rest in a night if he cared to. Though you know he already gave you treasures enough in guiding you through the annals of history and taking care of the Geges and helping them in their cultivation in your absence, the arrogant side of you still feels rather insulted. Which is why instead of allowing that minor indignation grow into a grudge without meaning or purpose, you just asked them if you could read through the Manuals and scriptures the old god entrusted to them.

Besides he probably just didn't teach you because he knew you could create even greater techniques and attain insights far beyond what he has taught and given unto the Gege's so generously. It is only natural he would, after all it as clear as day you're a genius with a rare talent!
Jionghuagege has attained Qi Condensation Rank 9 (Focuses: Spells: Support and Healing, Leadership, Alchemy: Medicine) and is practicing an Ancient Cultivation law taught to her by the god (Wood Aligned law, Spell/Nature attuned/Demonic Beast Creation focused). Tiexingege has attained Qi Condensation Rank 9 (Focuses: Martial: Endurance and Instinct, Leadership, Formations: Battle) And is Practicing and Ancient Cultivation Law taught to her by the god (Metal aligned, Hard Martial Art,
Combat/ Strength/ Army Focused)
Cont

File: 1660361801060410.png (1.73 MB, 1024x1024)

1.73 MB PNG

>>5596878

In fact, if you were to help them break their bottleneck, they could easily breakthrough into the foundation establishment stage. And when Feiqing finished your commissions, he was on the cusp of doing so as well, and surely now that Ping was recovered from his brush with death, it wouldn't be long until he could take the plunge to the higher stage beside him. Fu, Siwang and Qiang were not far behind them either...

But in one fell swoop, with careful preparation, you could have at least Five additional foundation establishment stage cultivators in your sect. You shook these ambitious thoughts out of your head, and focused again on the manuals and scriptures laid out in front of you, written on parchment made of Qilin hide, written in ink derived from dragon horn and penned with phoenixes feathers, the lettering glowed and shifted in the air in front of you. It was draining, exhausting, just reading them. The knowledge within their pages so profound you could feel its weight and burden, it was taking all of your mental energy and endurance to even read a single page to completion. And the diagrams and illustrations within were some complex and in-depth it boggled your mind.

What do you focus your attention and studies on, Huanliuxue?

>Just take what the Gege's have grasped and use it to benefit yourself and Fu's cultivation immediately (Both you and Fu gain a bonus to your next cultivation/ training roll)

>Jionghuagege's law. Demonic Beast creation is a power you greatly desire and you see hints of being able to bend the environment and world itself to the users will... (Mental training/ Study trial. DC 82)

>Tiexingege's law. You haven't studied formations of any sort yet, and being capable of leading an army would be a worthwhile skill for any ruler, let alone once as illustrious as yourself. And the drawings show some really odd looking weapons... (Mental training/ Study trial. DC 82)

>Study them both, greedily trying to grasp all of the knowledge at once and take all of the benefits it'd bring (Mental training/ Study trial. DC 95)

>Be humble for once, and be happy with knowing the extent of the Gege's newly trained abilities, and instead focus on helping them break through and perhaps...just perhaps, guiding them attaining a human form (Training Trial. DC 65)

>Write in

>>5596879
>Be humble for once, and be happy with knowing the extent of the Gege's newly trained abilities, and instead focus on helping them break through and perhaps...just perhaps, guiding them attaining a human form (Training Trial. DC 65)
Huan is the best big sister

>>5596879
>Be humble for once, and be happy with knowing the extent of the Gege's newly trained abilities, and instead focus on helping them break through and perhaps...just perhaps, guiding them attaining a human form (Training Trial. DC 65)
I’d rather level two disciples up instead of rushing our own development. We can puzzle over the manuals later, when we inevitably ask them to bring their cohorts and establish a true bestial palace for all to see. Plus having them break through to higher stages will help in fashioning their own kingdoms.

Can you imagine Feiqing, the geges, and Huan all working together to craft a city? A place that extends out above, on, and below the earth.

>>5596905
Talking about Feiqing, I still want to give him the smithing relic and manual to him. We would lose on the fire resistance, but I think unlocking it's true power would be worth it.
Maybe it can be a reward for when he finishes the throne and axes.

>>5596922
Feiqing, Heir of the Great Forge Devil has quite the nice ring to it, me thinks.

>>5596947
Feiqing follows a law called ancient furnace deity doesn't he? I wonder if mixing divine and demonic smithing techniques, plus whatever is on that ghost manual would let him forge some really interesting and powerful things.
He was a potential MC afterall

Oh shit, I didn't notice that you were Grandfather.

>>5596879
>Be humble for once, and be happy with knowing the extent of the Gege's newly trained abilities, and instead focus on helping them break through and perhaps...just perhaps, guiding them attaining a human form (Training Trial. DC 65)
The more we spread the secret behind attaining human form the less chance of it getting lost again

>>5596879
>Be humble for once, and be happy with knowing the extent of the Gege's newly trained abilities, and instead focus on helping them break through and perhaps...just perhaps, guiding them attaining a human form (Training Trial. DC 65)
I'd say getting to rediscover lost Qi and restoring Monu to her full potential were a worthy tradeoff. Also I need to see our sisters as humans

>>5596879
>Be humble for once

While normally, I'd devour the information greedily, we're a compassionate sort.

>>5596877
>>5596878
Qiang and Yujijiao... revered diplomats of The Palace of Natural Laws! Beginning to think Xuebai might become the voice of reason amongst the four. Also Yujijiao would be a great stand for Qiang.

>>5596879
>Be humble for once, and be happy with knowing the extent of the Gege's newly trained abilities, and instead focus on helping them break through and perhaps...just perhaps, guiding them attaining a human form (Training Trial. DC 65)

It's a long ways off, but I await the day we have enough post-transformation magical beasts that we can fit a manual full of their humanization experiences/perspectives and insights. A work which will transcend generations and uplift possibly even its human readers with great wisdom.

>>5596879
>Be humble for once, and be happy with knowing the extent of the Gege's newly trained abilities, and instead focus on helping them break through and perhaps...just perhaps, guiding them attaining a human form (Training Trial. DC 65)

You know, as the Gege's are now, I think we can begin building a tunnel from their lands all the way to ours.

It'll take years of efforts, but that's not really anything, compared with our lifespans, and their seemingly indefinite supplies of children.

>>5596879
>>Be humble for once, and be happy with knowing the extent of the Gege's newly trained abilities, and instead focus on helping them break through and perhaps...just perhaps, guiding them attaining a human form (Training Trial. DC 65)
Huanliuxue's gotta stop adventuring and take some time to cultivate soon. She has like +180 or something silly like that, and some of her juniors will be the same stage as her soon.

>>5597409
Our own deeproad between the ancient wilds and our sect? Yes please.

>>5597476
We know, we know. After the meeting with sister we will cultivate and not come out for 4 years.

Unless we can set the time for in 5 years, then cultivate.

But anyway yeah, we're set for stupid gains.

>>5597476
We should be thinking of esoteric cultivation means on top of going deeper into the crypts. If there's something special we can pour on top of our bonuses, above just sitting on the star throne with the yin skull in our mouth, etc, in the method itself then the gains could be made heaven shaking. We're equipped to make it a challenge to ourselves rather than "just" refining our crypts dense meta/ghostly yin qi, a prodigious challenge for a prodigy even.

I'm struggling to think of fitting things for our ghostly/grudge cultivation. Since cultivation rewards tend to be in line with the methods.

Trying to contain the grudges of all those we've access to in our crypts to open a bridge from our soul to the fabric of enmity? Submersing ourselves in our own purest yin keyed to destruction and surviving? Something more complex to the essence of spirits in their phase of nature? Or take the minimal risks that come with advancement and just sit & refine qi. So many options.

>>5597609
We still haven't done anything with the blood fruit right? That's something else we could look into for future development. As much as I want to take an adventure break and finally progress our cultivation, I want to at least dive down the next layer of the crypt first as well

>>5597627
That's right. We could use it as an accessory Qi in our tomb, even, without consuming the fruit itself. I'd only worry about the fun interactions it might have with our ghost court while we're nose deep in dao.
Same, the benefits would be well worth it.

>>5597627
>>5597721
I don't like the idea of using the Blood fruit for our next meditation just like that. Not unless we meditate in a environment more aligned with the Blood Qi, because from my logic that will only consume a valueable resource and we won't take the full potential of it by being tainted with the Yin Qi of the crypt.

If you really wanna stack all up with our huge Bonus, we still have the Emperors soul, and not only that we have that ghost general trapped that refused to talk after our victory. And not only that, we have Lei demon lying around catching dust in her box, and I don't want some stupid accident to happen where someone break it by accident.

I say that after securing the demon's box we should grab the Ghost General, make some special ritual ground and when we start our cultivation we drain him whole for years of his grudge that might have festered after his defeat. Either we drain his Yin Qi until he's a ghost light, or we drain him whole and be done with him. In the main time Ping and Qiang can keep order on the Crypt, we already heard of scouts coming to our level and they are really strong, so keeping guard of our Crypt level while we cultivate will give them experience and training, maybe they can bring our Moth daughter and train in the upper levels.

>>5597855
Cultivating on the soul of one long dead and seeped in grudges, a divine yet horrifically unvirtuous soul, and the spiritual form of a demon. What a strange idea.

>>5597855
I like these ideas very, very much. Highly heretical.

>>5596879
>Be humble for once, and be happy with knowing the extent of the Gege's newly trained abilities, and instead focus on helping them break through and perhaps...just perhaps, guiding them to attaining a human form (Training Trial. DC 65)

>>5597609
>We still have the souls of several ghosts who don't like us, right? How about we have them try to posses us while we use the strength of our own soul to stop them. That way we might be able to absorb Yin and grudge energy from them more directly since it is already inside our body

>>5597855
Those are sound suggestions but i would argue now is a good time to clear out the whole crypt so we can cultivate on it's lowest level, trap the ruler of this cursed kingdom and cultivate on his grudge against heaven so we can refine our own.


But i would do so only after talking to xuebai at least once and devising a method for the ghosts to cultivate, else they may go crazy if they wait the years needed for our ascension.

>>5597855
Draining him whole is just soul eating.
We decided not to do that. Its evil, not heretical, evil

>>5597855
My big concern is that in our pursuit of trying to find the most optimal way to use it, we forget it’s there. Looking through the pastebin there’s already a assortment of items that probably haven’t been mentioned since the thread they were obtained.

>>5598390
I'm comfortable spending the Sinner bone centipede ichor. That'll probably become less useful as we advance so we can use it now.

The other stuff I dunno man. I'm drawing a blank on what to use a lot of it for, especially since breakthrough is rather constantly on my mind.

Ending the vote and tallying the result.

Be humble for once, and be happy with knowing the extent of the Gege's newly trained abilities, and instead focus on helping them break through and perhaps...just perhaps, guiding them attaining a human form: 10

Landslide victory for assisting the Gege's in their breakthrough and attempting to set them down the path to attain human forms.

Update will arrive shortly. Loving all the discussion and planning.

>>5596952
Heh.

So rather than enduring the strain of such rigorous studies and going through the arduous process of preparing your mind to become the latest vessel for the mysteries unknown and truths forgotten, you shut the manual and rolled the scriptures, replacing them in the black and white jade storage chest they were stored in. You had already learned a great deal even if you only grasped a little of it but you were content with that much, just knowing what your little sisters could do, assured they could defend themselves and survive side by side. You were happy for how much they achieved, to know the extent of their newly trained abilities and how quickly the old god on the mountain's lessons had allowed them to transcend their limits and develop into fine cultivators and proper daoists. The arrogant but talentless might scorn them for only going so far on the back of a giants, but what vain idiocy would it be to claim that progress made by guidance is somehow lesser than progress made by one's lonesome. You were proud of the Gege's, even if there was a mote of jealousy as well. But, in the end, you decide that while any progress is good progress especially if its by leap and bounds, that such vast insights are profound no matter how they are found, that your path is that of the innovator and there's no need for you to try to clamber up the ladder used by others when you fully intend to fly by your own power. Like a tiger growing wings, Heh heh.

However, you realize after you shut and secure the chest's lock, if the great and sagely you had difficulty understanding these old manuals and dusty scriptures then the Gege's must be having an even harder time continuing their study of them. They had thought they had reached the limit of their potential because they reached the bottleneck at the end of the start of their cultivation. And the spiritual weight of the the teachings they were gifted certainly didn't help them understand how to proceed in their cultivation. But, while you still didn't understand most of what you read beyond the last page you assume Jionghuagege and Tiexingege had put any effort in to study, mostly since you didn't even really try to take that knowledge and make it your own, you at least had an inkling of an idea of how these ancient cultivation arts would progress. The methods seemed straight forward, if somewhat esoteric compared to the usual way of ascending to a higher realm. And less safe.

It was common knowledge one could breakthrough by nearly killing themselves with training or in the desperation of a life or death battle, but it was also common sense it was much more reliable to breakthrough by meditating on the insight's one has obtained and branded into their mind or search for new wisdom and profound knowledge, with the assistance of medicinal pills and spirit medicines of course.
Cont

>>5598893

Another sign of the stagnancy of cultivation? Or just the most straightforward means of climbing closer to the heavens? You weren't certain, your first breakthrough was a risk few orthodox cultivators would take, but your innovation allowed you to "Skip" several ranks straight into Foundation establishment. Still, while there was no doubt that what little advice could be gleamed from the manuals who were so old their titles had been worn away into the leather that bound them would work as a foundation to breakthrough there was a wiggling sense of doubt worming inside your brains. Like a maggot.

It was effective, boldly so, but as easy as the method the books suggested seem you could tell they were equally as dangerous. Like your own inventive idea to turn your body ethereal before possessing it with your own severed soul or to transmute your whole body into a pool of blood to survive the fury of the heavens.

A realization struck you as you ruminated on what to do and how to help pull your adorable little sisters up to your level.

'I am an expert of improvisation! The plans I come up with in the heat of moment, under the shadow of death, tend to work out for me! My expertise in spontaneous schemes and natural genius would let me dull the edge of the Gege's cultivation techniques and protect them from the risk the traditional methods of breakthrough would entail'

And so, without a second thought, you decided you'd take the suggestions of the old, nearly falling apart manuals and just adjust them as you saw fit, trampling on the feet of the old masters who penned them. But who cared about that! Adapt or die was one of the numerous laws of the wild, and one you thought you embodied quite well!

"Princesses!" You bellowed, roaring as you ran through the warrens of Tiexingege's brood, trying to remember the way out without having to ask for help

Roll 1d100. DC 65. Best out of four.

Rolled 78 (1d100)

>>5598895

Rolled 14 (1d100)

>>5598895

Rolled 33 (1d100)

>>5598895

Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>5598895

>>5598896
Nice Success, 10 over DC. Update will arrive shortly

>>5598914
>>5598918
weird.

>>5598893
>And the spiritual weight of the teachings they were gifted certainly didn't help them understand how to proceed in their cultivation.

Sneaky old Five Colors, I see you.

Got carried away writing this one.

Also, reminding you all that Huanliuxue is a [Great Teacher] so those she trains get better results and rewards she reaps in turn are increased.

"Jionghuagege, Tiexingege! The time has come for you to surpass the first stepping stone and leap to the next! To leave behind the Qi Condensation Stage and begin to truly build up the foundations of your cultivation, properly since a hastily built and unsteady foundation will prove disastrous and cripple your chances of greatness!" You declare bluntly, eyes narrowed to slits and back held up straight as you sit atop a large rock with all the dignity and presence of an empress atop her throne "Many lesser cultivators fail this first step and stumble into the river of mediocrity or simply never muster up the courage or gather the power or wisdoms required to take the leap to start with. But you are wild princesses, like myself, Yesheng Geges and princesses by name. You might be my juniors but as far as noble rank goes you're pretty much my equal until I'm officially crowned the empress of everything, Heh-Heh-Heh"

Fu nods along, arms crossed and looking like he might be trying to covertly take a nap as the Geges and their seemingly ever growing legion of witless children stand attentively before you, arranged into columns like an imperial insect army. Some part of you delights in just standing before them, to feel like a monarch commanding their troops and inspiring them before battle. Thankfully that is a fantasy that can be indulged while you instruct the Geges in this key point of their development.


"But that doesn't mean you're sure to succeed. The ancient techniques taught to you do not adhere to common sense of cowardice and caution most of the cultivation world and its sects are beholden to. These are the old rites, the forgotten ways, the dangerous path to power, a road through brambles and thorns" You continue on, casting your gaze down upon the two younger princesses. Jionghuagege seems apprehensive and worried all ready but Tiexingege seems delighted to be presented with such a challenge "But the fruit at the end of this road is far sweeter and more nourishing than that of the tree constantly picked. Luckily, your elder sister is experienced in dealing with danger, and can help you find the safest route through those brambles and thorns!"

You take in a deep breath and grin manically, eyes glittering already in anticipation of seeing the Gege's succeed magnificently and by your assistance. It makes you giddy just thinking about it.

"Oh you are too generous" Jionghuagege exclaims, almost tearfully "To take time from your own training to lend us a helping hand. Truly you're a shining example of nobility and kindness! I'm grateful and touched beyond words! I'll repay you for this support one day, as your peer, Huanliuxue! I swear this now"

"Always good to get pointers, no shame in learning from the lessons of the strong. Only a brute without brains think they can conquer all challenges in the world by themselves" Tiexingege chuckles "Can't wait to face this struggle at your side, Red Fur! And Yours to, Jiong-Jiong"
Cont

>>5599126

"Oh Tie-Tie! While it is certainly a frightening prospect to face this tribulation, especially with how fierce of a trial she makes it out to seem, together this is no obstacle we cannot conquer. Ants and Bees may be small but we're strong, and side by side there's nothing we can't accomplish together!" The girl herself merrily declares, completely confident in herself and her friend.

"Of course! She's just trying to scare us so we take this seriously as if her tone didn't make it obvious enough!" Tiexingege laughs boisterously "When we're together, no matter the odds, we can't lose! Flowers may wilt and Iron might rust, be we won't! I'll damn sure of that at least"

Unfortunately you have to rain on their parade

"Unfortunately, your two laws are incompatible. The elements are opposed and so are the natures of their breakthroughs" You say solemnly, looking away so you don't cry seeing the look of confidence and childish joy flee from their eyes.

"BULLSHIT!" Tiexingege shouts immediately "That's...that's!"

"Oh no, oh no" Jionghuagege frets

"It has to be this way, if you do this together, you'll only hold the other back or completely bungle their breakthrough by the presence of your spiritual energy. Metal and Wood don't get along" You say sharply, hissing and barring your fangs to truly impress how important it is they seperate themselves "If there was any other way, I'd allow it, but its too risky for you to perform your breakthrough anywhere near each other. I've done all that can be done to reduce the dangers you'll face. You have to do this on your own. I've already know of locations rich in Metal Qi and Wood Qi, of supreme quality and purity and with your children and Fu and I, you won't have to deal with any interlopers interrupting your meditation. But they're on opposites sides of this valley"

Tiexingege growls, but says nothing as Jionghuagege bows her head, agreeing to your terms without complaint though she looks miserable doing so.

"Fine!" Tiexingege shouts "If its for Jiong-Jiong's safety, I'll do this on my own. But I won't forgive you if she comes to harm"

"I know you won't, that's why Fu is accompanying you and I'll follow Jionghuagege" You say trying to calm the angry ant to keep her mind unclouded and focused, it'd only be a detriment to her if she was distracted during her breakthrough "I mean no offense when I say she is the easier target between the two of you"

"She really is, even though I've tried to change that"

"I'd defend myself but I know that's the truth of the matter" Jionghuagege admits sadly "Don't die Tie-Tie"

"I won't" She drawls back, speaking like a gangster as she lifts up her head "I should be saying that to you, when we're done here, we'll uh...relax alright? Have some tea and honey"
Cont

>>5599130

"Oh! We will! I was worried we'd be right back to training after this! If its as difficult as Lady Huanliuxue makes it sound, we'll well deserve a reward" Jionghuagege says, clearly nervous about the ordeal she is soon to face.


Of course there is a reason besides that. The location you've chosen for Tiexingege is an ancient battlefield, littered with rusted weapon, iron so decayed it has returned to the soil. Soil that is already rotten with grudges and blood that has had eons to soak into a saturate it. And Hungry Ghosts as deranged and monstrous as those who call the depths of your catacombs home. You're sending Fu with her, to hopefully show her the benefits of a human body, which the boy actually had already done in his spar, suspecting without being told that you wished to instruct the Geges how to become human. He was always a clever boy like that. But, besides serving as an example as to the massive benefits of having opposable thumbs which is the only real way you can convince Tiexingege to decide a human form is worth the time and effort to attain, since you know she only cares about the strength her new body would have and nothing of the traditions of your ancestors and that it is unseemly for a heiress like her to not equal them in deeds along with her strength. But also because those ghosts are a threat she can't handle on her own. But Fu? He might not follow the Ruler of The great wheel's law and instead marches to a different tune and under a different Dao, but he has experiences with ghosts. And you're hoping, besides keeping Tiexingege from being cursed, and teaching her how worthwhile and fun being human can be, that he'll grow beside her.

It isn't exactly training alongside you, and you won't learn anything from it, but you and him can practice together and again and apply what you learn about the other's method and techniques anytime. There's no rush there. But The Geges need to breakthrough, and despite what you told them, Tiexingege's will actually be the more treacherous attempt, due to the ghosts and her bullheaded nature. Good thing Fu is here to act as her chaperone! Meanwhile all Jionghuagege has to do is connect herself to the flower she already meditates on and supp upon its sap and Qi until the flood of spiritual energy just breaks her bottleneck from sheer volume alone!

"Oi, what's got you cackling like that Red Fur? Its creeping me out!" Tiexingege barks.

"Nothing, nothing" You sneer, just as suspiciously as you had been cackling without realizing. But who can blame you, the triumphant feeling of a plan coming together is about as intoxicating as Kaoliang wine! And while Fu and Tiexingege face an actual challenge, Jionghuagege's relatively easy trial by comparison should give you a chance to teach her something about human wisdom, understanding and how different and similar they are to beasts.
Cont

>>5599131

She's a clever girl and won't need any convincing, unlike her fellow princess, who you think would refuse the chance just because it doesn't provide any benefits in battle or make her a stronger fighter. But maybe Fu will convince her otherwise. Though you don't think, if she does try to obtain her bloodline legacy as you have, that she'll be too happy with the results considering the harsh words she had for your beautiful body.
-
Great Teacher Bonus applied to training results
Jionghuagege has transcended the Qi Condensation stage, and entered the Foundation establishment Stage, at rank 2! Tiexingege has transcended the Qi Condensation stage, and entered the Foundation establishment Stage, at rank 2! There is no greater reward for a master to see their students succeed! +10 to your next training/ cultivation roll, Bonus for raising a disciple to foundation establishment state +20, Bonus for raising a disciple to foundation establishment state +20, +50! Total bonus is now +218! And...


You stand, watching from a hill as great beam of emerald light rises up from the flower forest, piercing through the clouded sky as Jionghuagege, after a few days of meditation with only the dew of the eldest flower to eat or drink, finally fills her meridians and dantian with such an over abundance of Qi to simply shatter her bottleneck and enter the Foundation establishment stage in a gloriously display with an accompanying light show. Smirking, you glance back, and wait a few minutes, as the light tapers and begins to fade, flickering as the grasses around you grow and new flowers spring up already the size of sapplings.

On the opposite end of the horizon, there's a wave of black clouds and lightning, natural lightning not the sort thrown and tossed around by the gods in a fit of pique or insulted rage, falls down, telling your Tiexingege has also finished her breakthrough and now stood on the same level of Cultivation at you. Well, nearly. You'd guess, even with your expert advice and guidance, they were still a rank or two below yourself, though you could easily widen the gap between them and you ten fold if you wished. Especially from the insights you've learned from watching Jionghuagege breakthrough and putting into practice some of the meditation forms and breathing techniques the old God on the mountain taught her and Tiexingege in your absence. Not to mention learning how insects like bees and Ants think and how they differ from other forms of life.

You learned that when you were talking with Jionghuagege on the walk over to her makeshift cultivation altar, and you talked for hours as she mustered the courage to take that final climb and start her breakthrough, about how you saw the world as both a cat and a girl.
Cont

>>5599132

How your perspective and understanding changed when you sought human wisdom, and the reasons why to a beast humans had such strange habits, explaining to her faith, authority, civilization and other concepts that don't exist in the pure world of animals. And as you spoke with her, she explained how odd even you as a cat alone were to her, and how alien the world of bugs were. So you sat her down, and kept talking, and with a bit of nudging she came to realize that the only difference between a city and a hive was the lack of unity.

Of course you spoke to her as a human, even if you kept shifting your form from beast to girl over and over again, mostly because Jionghuagege kept complimenting your beauty as both and you couldn't resist the allure of further praise.

But, now that you sit, nude except for your hair covering you and a few flowers Jionghuagege's children covered you in for some reason, you begin to wonder if that was a good idea. You want Jionghuagege to become human like you have done while remaining the wild beast you are, but thinking back to your long discussion from dawn to night about humanity, what was that look in her eye? That tone in her voice? It was just admiration or awe, it wasn't just curiosity or confusion. It was desire. No...no not desire. Desperation.

Envy.

Envy for a beauty she could not have as a bug. Did your story of how those who'd otherwise scorn you or run in fear from you falling head over heels in love over your human form hit a switch in her mind? Did she finally realize just what sort of life she'd live if she left the safety of her basin, that humans would fear and hate her rather than adore her as she believes, rightfully, she deserves?

Your heart skips a beat. She isn't ready to face the wrath of the heavens like you did and...

"My my, haven't you changed?" The old god says, standing astride a sword, looking down on you in the sky, a cheeky grin under his white beard, which is dancing like a banner in the wind, as Jionghuagege attempts to do exactly as you feared "More beautiful than those praised as jade beauties by the worthless decandents of the trash who rule the world, eh? How ironic. How fitting, that you'd be so blessed despite all the attempts of the world to beat you down and end your journey prematurely for the simple crime of being born with fur and claws, rather than skin and nails"

You stare at him as he commands his sword to land beside you, grinning as if you two were friends who just ran into the other in a market or gambling den and he had just invited himself over to chat over the price of fish or invite you to his table for good luck.


"What are you doing here?" You ask, eyes still wide as he frowns, as if pondering the question, while one of his hands digs into his sleeve and retrieves a steaming pot of tea. You glance down and see a table set with cups and sweets have appeared between you. He sits down, as if this were his home.
Cont

>>5599133

"Hmm? Its my own garden is it not? I should ask why you are streaking through it. A good sense of freedom is always nice, but even I believe there should be some limitations of one's conduct in another's home" He says as he pours the tea, judging from the smell it is a not an oolong but rather a freshly picked green. You know this cause you got bored one night and read that book on imperial tea ceremony when you couldn't will yourself to sleep

"You're complaining a naked beauty is skipping through your garden? Are you even a man?" You tease, realizing he is just messing with you. He smirks and with a snap, clothes you in a robe of undyed silk that smells like old people.

"What naked beauty" He snickers as he glances back to the gathering clouds and maelstrom of energy "And to be direct with you, Huanliuxue, I'm here to join in the festivities! You've opened the gates for beasts to walk as men again, and shown those youngsters heavens they can't force nature to their whims"

"Why did you leave to begin with?" You ask, now somewhat suspicious

"Had to scold some youngsters, and see for my own eyes how much the world has changed in my exile here. And exactly how far we cultivators have fallen as a whole" He says simply, staring at the pitch black sky "Do not fear for her, you have a talent for teaching, she'll be fine"

"I'm not worried she'll fail" You say, glancing to the sky as you lay back and kick one leg over the other. The old timer glanced to the heavens almost boredly

"I dare them to strike that child while they're in my reach. You've proven your point by your own power, and announced a new era with a triumphant roar that reached even my ears" He says proudly, a warm smile on his lips and grandfatherly affection in his teary eyes "And so, built a bridge over the raging river you braved. You broke a law of heaven, and shattered the injustice Mandate that beasts cannot cultivate and cannot become men, even if the stubborn and blind have yet to realize it"

You decide, from how confident he sounds, that you'd like nothing more than the heavens to try and stop Jionghuagege from taking a human form. That would be a blood bath you'd love to see
_
[meanwhile on the opposite side of the valley...]

"What's happening?" Tiexingege asked Fu, who sat beside her, cross legged, observing the horizon while the ant princess finished her breakthrough without issue. Because he had personally dealt with a few hungry ghosts that wanted to ruin her attempt or take her life
Cont

"If I have to guess, my master has taught your sister the secret of humanity, and she's attempting to do what she had done not to long ago. The clouds in the sky are exactly the same" Fu says simply "That's my best guess at least. Not sure if it'll work for her, since Huanliuxue spent months traveling in the guise of a human before she figured it out. Then again, she is an excellent teacher and Jionghuagege seemed like a bright kid. Maybe she'll succeed. Hope she does. Huanliuxue would be over the moon if she did"

"Tch, why? Its just a weaker body. I don't get why she's so proud about it. It doesn't have any use besides sneaking and hiding from her enemies, right?" She grumbled angrily "She loses her claws, fangs and most of her size. Its a complete downgrade and it isn't even worthy much as a disguise considering she smells the same either way"

"Its a legacy, she told me" Fu said profoundly "The magical beasts of old could all become human. Once, they were considered equals by other cultivators, rather than monsters to hunt and cut up into resources and materials for cultivation. Huanliuxue...despite her ego and pride, does admire her ancestors. She wants to surpass them, yes. She wouldn't be Huanliuxue if she didn't. But...I think in her own way, she wants to honor them and live up to their legacy. Does a human form make her stronger? No. Of course not. She's a cat. A perfect predator and a proud existence"

"Who cares what the dead did, they're gone"

"Not quite. The false gods did all they could to scrub them from history, but the memory remains. My master has made certain of that. She's fought stone giants and even went to hell in search of your people's history, to preserve it" Fu said, putting a gentle hand on Tiexingege's head "Once, it was a right of passage for a beast to take human form, rather than an afront. Something to be celebrated. Least as far as I understand it. Huanliuxue hasn't talked about it much and I haven't had much of a chance to study the manuals she learned the method from"

"Still don't see the benefits. Seems like a waste of time. Can't believe Red fur would waste time on so pointless a thing. Jionghuagege I'd understand" Tiexingege huffed as Fu shook her head "Least it didn't take her so long to figure it out"

"She had all the wisdom and insights before in the form of my lady. A talk is all it'd take. That, girl, is the sign of a true master. They can bring their disciples to enlightenment as easily as turning over their hand" Fu chuckled proudly "Besides, think of it this way. You can't carry a weapon"

"I have my own"
"Stuck to your limbs"
"So what?"
"They can't be thrown, and their movement is greatly restricted. It'd be like tying a sword to my arm"
"Tch, I can pick one up with my mandibles"
"It'd be pointless to. See how my arms move"
"I've seen humans before, we fought a few days ago, I know how you can bend your squishy body"
"Okay, do the same"

Tiexingege bowed her head and was silent in thought
Cont

>>5599142

"Okay" She admitted "I can't, so what, I'm still stronger!"

"Are you? Your armor is attached to you, your swords are stuck to your hands, and you can't even pluck a blade of grass" Fu said harshly, demonstrating just that "Jionghuagege will be able to. In fact, she'll grow much stronger when she has hands to cast spells with, to make talismans with, to hold a spear in one hand and a shield in the other"

She was silent, head still bowed. Fu could taste her anger, but he kept pressing. He knew Huanliuxue became human because she learned how to think and feel like one. But every beast he met spoke of awakening from a strong emotion before. And that Edict his master read spoke of a second awakening. Surely, there was more than one way to stand on two legs.

And what could be more human than feeling left behind by a rival, Fu thought? Surely ants couldn't feel jealously naturally. But this one could. She already had, if her anger towards Jionghuagege was any sign of how she felt. But maybe, she hadn't felt true jealousy then and had just been offended. But Fu knew grudges. So Fu knew jealously. And Fu knew if he kept poking, he'd make her feel jealous that she had been surpassed. And that was all it'd take. And if Jealousy didn't work, Humiliation might.

"Then what use will she have of you" He said cruelly, feeling guilty he had to be so harsh on the little girl "You're here guardian. But when she can wear armor herself, will she need a shield like you? When she can take up arms, learn to fight with a sword, what use will she have of those blades on your legs?"

"Shut up" She whispered

"Running away from the truth will do nothing" Fu continued, not moving an inch as the ant who, by the pressure in the air, was a stage higher than him now. He was courting death. But it was his duty to Huanliuxue to see her will done, no matter the cost "Answer me? What could you do for her that hands could not? You love being useful to her, I know that much. She can't pick anything up on her own, She walks clumsily, relies on you to protect her, to do all sorts of things for her. But that is changing. And she won't need you the way she does now"

"Shut up!"

"How much of your identity will you lose, when the weak girl you've devoted your life to no longer needs you, when your the one who'll need help, who'll need to be protected?" He pressed on, looking down at her, sensing her rage growing and growing

"I SAID SHUT UP!!"

"Make me" He challenged, leaning over his axe as several ghosts came to see what was making such a ruckus over their open graves "It won't change anything. Your rival, your friend, your ward is surpassing you as we speak. What can you do besides fight? All that strength is worthless beside opposable thumbs and lateral thinking"
Cont

>>5599145

She lunged at him, But Fu had used the lightness skill to leap up into the air, narrowly avoiding the swing of her blades. The rain had made the old battlefield slick with mud, Fu used this to his advantage by leaping out of Tiexingege's reach, onto a hill that was more a stream of mud and stood atop a rock. The hill wasn't tall. More of a clod of dirt, a bump. But, it was higher than Tiexingege could reach her jaws or swing her limbs, and the muddy ground kept her from rearing up onto her hind legs to try and extend her reach

"A human would have no difficulty shutting me up" Fu mocked, realizing now just how bad of an idea this was, even as a storm roared around them with wailing winds and sheets of rain "See how weak an Ant is? In a contest of strength, you'd win. But life isn't a battle, living for fighting alone is pathetic...have you changed at all? All the beasts I've know transcended their origins. Jionghuagege has certainly. But you just"

There was a crack. The rain had been so thick Fu hadn't noticed the spark of metal sheering itself apart.

But he did feel the knuckles on his cheeks, and the pressure of bone bending beneath his skin as his neck snapped back. A stray thought fluttered between his ringing ears. Jealousy? Humiliation? No, what caused Tiexingege to evolve in a moment wasn't either of those. It was rage, born from both.


"SHUT UP!" Tiexingege shrieked in a much higher pitched voice as Fu went flying, stunned. He'd never been seriously hit by a cultivator of a higher level than himself. She might've broken his jaw. Blinking trying to clear the fog in his head, he picked himself up to see a shadow in the rain....far shorter than he expected, if he was being honest.

He smirked, tasting blood and feeling lightheaded.

Then Tiexingege slipped and fell into the mud without even being able to take another step forward before she lost her balance. Fu sighed, and grabbed his jaw, wondering who he should thank for his good luck, since he refused to thank the heavens on principle

"Heeeeelp!" The little ant girl cried, as the rain swept her away on her back...in water that was only a foot or so deep. Stumbling, Fu ran after her, already thinking of how to apologize to her.

"NO NOT YOU! FUCK OFF ASSHOLE!"

He couldn't win, could he?
_

"Idiot" You scolded Jionghuagege, as she hung by her fingers from a massive white petal. She had actually managed to do it, and in a burst of golden light like pollen, took on a human form. Without thinking of where she was and immediately plummeted from the top of the flower. You stood beneath her, arms crossed. All you could see from under her was that she had long, silver hair and strangely had markings resembling her butterfly like wings on her back.

You could also see her ass, and unconsciously tried to figure out if it was bigger or smaller than your own. And judging from that pale ass of hers, she was freckled and you could only assume her other pair of cheeks were as well.

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>>5599148

The clouds in the sky were clearing, and like the Old god had said, unlike your tribulation, the gods hadn't dared to try to stop either of the Geges. Whether that was because they had learned their lesson with you, or because he was here to scare them off, you couldn't say. You know beasts in the past didn't have to go through as much trouble as you did, but you doubted the gods had grown brains just because a few of them knocked themselves out of the sky like a bunch of jackasses.

"See, child, this is how easy it was supposed to be" The old man himself laughed and laughed, throwing back his head "Oh that poor girl, I feel bad for laughing at her, but its just hilarious isn't it? It reminds me of Old Niu! Oh it took him ages to stop running when he realized the technique he created didn't provide clothes, and it took him longer to escape the girls who caught sight of him in his flight and...and"

His expression fell, smile melting away immediately as his eyes became filled with sorrow and bitterness. He looked at his reflection in the tea.

"He's been dead for centuries. All of them are" he said quietly "And only you and I remember their names. Poor Niu, a loving teaching and chivalrous man is remembered only as a randy demon cut down by generic heroes in unforgivably boring and trite plays"

"H..Huanliuxue!? Something is...its cold between my legs" Jionghuagege whimpered, as a breeze wafted around her and between her shivering legs "Could you please get me down from here! I don't know how to change back AH! Something touched me again"

Grandpa was right. It was really hard not to laugh at Jionghuagege right now. The old man was looking at you forlornly, as if the look on your face as you tried to stifle your rude laughter had reminded him of someone he knew. You glared back at him poutingly, and he looked away, pretending to not have been boring a hole into you with his eyes.

"You should help her" He said, as if he couldn't just fly up there himself

"Ah! Ah! Why are my hands wet! Slipping! Slipping!" Jionghuagege cries out, her legs swaying as you stared at the old timer in disbelief.

What do you do Huanliuxue?

>Catch Jionghuagege and get her dressed. She clearly can't stand the cold and its pathetic seeing her shivering like that [Haste trial. Trivial with your techniques. Auto succeed]

>Question the old god off the mountain about Niu Bingwen, letting Jionghuagege fall so she can learn a valuable lesson about gravity|

>Wait a second. That laugh sounded eerily similar to another you've heard. The Ogress'. His eyes aren't Ling eyes but Call The old Man Ling Wucai and see if he responds

>Feeling mischievous, mess with Jionghuagege by floating beside her and teasing her relentlessly as she struggles.

>Go check on Fu and Tiexingege [can be taken with other actions]

>Write in

>>5599149
>Catch Jionghuagege and get her dressed. She clearly can't stand the cold and its pathetic seeing her shivering like that [Haste trial. Trivial with your techniques. Auto succeed]
>Wait a second. That laugh sounded eerily similar to another you've heard. The Ogress'. His eyes aren't Ling eyes but Call The old Man Ling Wucai and see if he responds
Maybe Old Five Colors is the key to stopping the Ogress from being a bitch.

>>5599155
And to add to the realization, we know that the first awakened beast was an Ox called Niu Bingwen and was the companion of the five color emperor, and he just referenced him.
Also Tie being an angry pipsqueak is hilarious

>>5599149
>Question the old god off the mountain about Niu Bingwen, letting Jionghuagege fall so she can learn a valuable lesson about gravity|
We could be nice… or we could teach her to plan her actions better next time.

>Wait a second. That laugh sounded eerily similar to another you've heard. The Ogress'. His eyes aren't Ling eyes but Call The old Man Ling Wucai and see if he responds
We don’t need to follow this lead all the way down the rabbit hole, we can just open with it and take the win if he responds.

>Go check on Fu and Tiexingege [can be taken with other actions]

>>5599149
>Wait a second. That laugh sounded eerily similar to another you've heard. The Ogress'. His eyes aren't Ling eyes but Call The old Man Ling Wucai and see if he responds
>Go check on Fu and Tiexingege [can be taken with other actions]

>>5599163
I support these.

I'd also like to, now that our juniors have transgressed to the next stage, go back to their techniques and ABSORB THE KNOWLEDGE.

I don't think we can though, with lines like
>But, in the end, you decide that while any progress is good progress especially if its by leap and bounds, that such vast insights are profound no matter how they are found, that your path is that of the innovator and there's no need for you to try to clamber up the ladder used by others when you fully intend to fly by your own power. Like a tiger growing wings, Heh heh.

Barring us from that path, as it contradicts prior characterisation.

>>5599149
>And only you and I remember their names.
And slowly that is changing... most of our students have heard us reference him. Or at least I would assume so, we've mentioned him at least twice when we marked our progress by showing off to our students.

>Question the old god off the mountain about Niu Bingwen, letting Jionghuagege fall so she can learn a valuable lesson about gravity|
>respectfully call the old man Ling Wucai and see if he responds
>Go check on Fu and Tiexingege [can be taken with other actions]

We did kinda already know given the legend and the number of graves his mountaintop had, it's a relatively simple connection. But maybe we can try for some progress on this little plot thread. Maybe he has been waiting for us to point it out, too.

Whenever he's been disparaging the gods and the state of the world it's basically the same as saying his former allies + his own grandchildren screwed up shamefully and it's mixed with the deep regrets of that final battle, meaning we should be tactful with it.

Heck, we have a letter addressed to us from his friend. How about that, yeah?

A stray thought crossed my mind. A curiosity shooting through my thoughts like a bolt of lightning

What do you Daoists think the benefits of being a part of a bloodline started by Huanliuxue would be?

>>5599201
bragging rights.

>>5599201
I'm not sure what bloodlines do, so I don't have an idea what to suggest

>>5599205
It would certainly have the pride and will that comes with it.

>>5599201
Hmm. Huan’s pride is definitely a thing. But so is her curiosity and her benevolence.

I suppose her quick-wittedness. Creating her own dual-path dao as the first awakened beast in centuries to rise to foundation establishment speaks volumes to how quickly she learns.

Ok guys, know that O think about it, maybe with the Geges we might have shaken things even harder in the cultivation world.

From what it looks like it wasn't as loud and shaking as our awakening, maybe only the people on the walls and the Winters Blossom Sect only noticed, but those are Big news that are going to spread and surely bring some assholes to this place to know what happened...

I thought maybe with the help of Jiong we can make Fu to meditate on this ancestral grudge of the trees we felt when we discovered the walls, maybe we can help Fu make a weird symbiosis with the Wood Qi and the Grudges of the Ancient Trees to make him into the Forest's wrath or something, Huan and Jiong covering him in moss, bark and leaves to make him a type of Swamp Thing to scare the guards in the walls, but that might only brought more attention into know that happens in the primordial wilds

>>5599304
Fair point. We may need to bring up the “underground route to our land” idea. Seems like the metal law will allow for earth shaping to make it easier to dig. They’ll just need to dig well under the wall to avoid detection.

>>5599339
Now that the Old God is here, maybe we can ask him for help with that project before he decides to go for another trip or starts to repairing his palace grounds (that from the sheer description that Grandfather gave as Huan passed it all by smelling the route, it might take a while)

>>5599149
>Catch Jionghuagege and get her dressed. She clearly can't stand the cold and its pathetic seeing her shivering like that [Haste trial. Trivial with your techniques. Auto succeed]

>>5599149
>Wait a second. That laugh sounded eerily similar to another you've heard. The Ogress'. His eyes aren't Ling eyes but Call The old Man Ling Wucai and see if he responds

>>5599201
Nah but seriously, we are aware that roots are not hereditory so our kids won't get our mega roots.

But natural grace and a benefit of yin supreme body is a given, due to what would be passed down biologically.
The crazy shit is what happens when we add in our cultivation to it.

Probably something to the degree that they can interact with the ghostly world even prior to starting cultivation, able to see ghosts and talk to them and maybe be seen as "one of them" at the low end.
Or we could encode in their blood a basic body tempering technique.

>>5599149
>Catch Jionghuagege and get her dressed. She clearly can't stand the cold and its pathetic seeing her shivering like that [Haste trial. Trivial with your techniques. Auto succeed]
>Go check on Fu and Tiexingege [can be taken with other actions]

I hope we can ask those other questions in the next vote, or at least one of those

What this? A vote that is split between multiple choices in this thread?
A tally ought put a stop to that!

>Votes - 8
IM5lgQJA
nSeWvvaE
aOwzS9Pk
cu7x5rpu
oQFZmIFL
DIjblR5K
iL55yOPb
4BoXhHDA

>Catch Jiong - 3
IM5lgQJA
DIjblR5K
4BoXhHDA

>Ling Wucai - 5
IM5lgQJA
aOwzS9Pk
cu7x5rpu
oQFZmIFL
iL55yOPb

>Niu Bingwen - 3
nSeWvvaE
cu7x5rpu
oQFZmIFL

>Check Fu and Tie - 5
nSeWvvaE
aOwzS9Pk
cu7x5rpu
oQFZmIFL
4BoXhHDA

>>5599782
You're always present on the times of need, when Grandfather is out fighting black guards or arrogant young masters, you're there.

Thanks for your service, tally anon.

>>5599795
I did miss on tallying one vote that wasn't near unanimous this thread, so it's not like I'm always present.
Also sometimes other anons count before I do.

>>5599149
>Catch Jionghuagege and get her dressed. She clearly can't stand the cold and its pathetic seeing her shivering like that [Haste trial. Trivial with your techniques. Auto succeed]
>Wait a second. That laugh sounded eerily similar to another you've heard. The Ogress'. His eyes aren't Ling eyes but Call The old Man Ling Wucai and see if he responds

>>5599149
>Wait a second. That laugh sounded eerily similar to another you've heard. The Ogress'. His eyes aren't Ling eyes but Call The old Man Ling Wucai and see if he responds
>Go check on Fu and Tiexingege [can be taken with other actions]

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Burned the fuck out of my hand, a gnarly two inch sear over two knuckles that hurts like buggery. There's Probably going to be no update today.

>>5600283
Jesus Christ Grandfather.
Hope you get better, and good luck fighting the Curse

>>5600283
The Dao of The Pen is tragically frail to the Dao of The Pan! Take your time well Grandfather, deep burns can take weeks to get better.
If it's truly severe try petroleum jelly after a burn cream has had its run, sometimes moisturizers aren't the best.

>>5600283
Damn. That sucks.
Hope you feel better soon.

>>5600283
Ah shit, that's extremely unpleasant.

>>5599149
>>Question the old god off the mountain about Niu Bingwen, letting Jionghuagege fall so she can learn a valuable lesson about gravity|
>Feeling mischievous, mess with Jionghuagege by floating beside her and teasing her relentlessly as she struggles.

>>5599155
I support this, but we need to make clear that we have questions for him before he vanishes away like batman while we're not looking.
And more than redeem the ogress we need to rope a way to resurrect the serpent and the fox ghosts, or at least cultivate.
Could a reincarnation like the dragon is doing work?

>>5601332
>Could a reincarnation like the dragon is doing work?
From what it looks like... It's like maybe the baby dragons' souls rest into that deep pond until they wanna be born, and it's then we're maybe they go into this semi-ethereal form to look for some potential fathers, they choose and the female dragon then is capable to give birth to that exact baby dragon.

Surely the dragons won't tell us how they make that pond, or maybe even they can't tell, but we can maybe send Yuji and Xuebai here and let the dragons make the process of their rebirth (or maybe reborn is a more propiate term, idk). But I doubt they would let us, it might be offensive for them and after all, the most closer thing to a Dragon is Yuji, Xuebai it's just way different so maybe the process it's imposible for her.

I say that we should decide either dump the training bonus into focusing in Blood Qi and concentrate in the idea of make new life as a vessel for ghosts, or into the Ghostly Yin Qi to learn more about the souls states and have a better grip into what we can do to bring them both back

>>5601414
Or put it into focusing on grudges. I’m certain there’s a number of grudges directed towards the cycle of reincarnation itself. We could always just hijack the cycle as a whole through overpowering hatred and make the universe give them new bodies.

Or something. Cats are known to knock things over and stare at the mess afterward. Big cat, big messes.

>>5601437
I remember something like that idea. It was for trying to cultivate the Qi of reincarnation, where we'd fool the universe into thinking we're ready to "advance" in the cycle, only to steal the Qi within it. Maybe we can combine the possibilities?

>>5601449
Qi tied to a fundamental underpinning of the universe? I’d sign up for that.

Investigate the nature of grudges that have been sated. Sating them often helps people move on in the cycle. That implies some interaction between grudges and the wheel of reincarnation. And Buddhism teaches that life is suffering and releasing yourself from the cycle is the true answer, implying suffering is suffused into the cycle of reincarnation itself. So either grudges gum up reincarnation, or grudges are baked in. Perhaps the cycle just doesn’t like grudges that are too “worldly” in nature, too far removed from the suffering that simply “is”. But Huan can sort that out. It gives us two ways to track how the wheel behaves, one of which should be true.

A still pond sees no change unless a pebble or fish breaks the surface. In that way, we could expect that a soul will not advance in the cycle of reincarnation unless something pushes or pulls it in that direction. If grudges prevent the cycle, then we should see it resisting something. When released, the force that drives souls to reincarnate would exist in the vacuum left from a sated grudge. If Buddhism is correct and the suffering is intrinsic, then even after all grudges are resolved then we should still see something resembling it clinging to them, drawing them to reenter the cycle.

Ponder this for our breakthrough. The nature of grudges, ghosts, and the great wheel.

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Though my hand still hurts, I'm ending the vote now and tallying the result

Catch Jionghuagege and get her dressed. She clearly can't stand the cold and its pathetic seeing her shivering like that:5

Wait a second. That laugh sounded eerily similar to another you've heard. The Ogress'. His eyes aren't Ling eyes but Call The old Man Ling Wucai and see if he responds:9

Question the old god off the mountain about Niu Bingwen, letting Jionghuagege fall so she can learn a valuable lesson about gravity:4

Go check on Fu and Tiexingege:6

Feeling mischievous, mess with Jionghuagege by floating beside her and teasing her relentlessly as she struggles:1

So made suspicious by the familiarity of the Old god's laugh, you'll call him the name of the five colors emperor and see if he responds to it, then go Check on Fu and Tiexingege after Jionghuagege has gotten down from the flower, one way or another

Update will arrive shortly

>>5599782
>>5599795
Junior shall be justly rewarded with high privileges and honors for his service to the sect

>>5600294
>>5600332
>>5600466
>>5600614
And thank you all for your concern, it has aided me in this tribulation.

>>5599205
Hehehe

However it wasn't because of the audacity of him telling you to help Jionghuagege down when he could have easily done so himself if he was so concerned, it was because in that moment you recognized his booming laughter that sounded through the valley like a thunderclap or earthquake. It was eerily familiar to another laugh you've heard elsewhere, one you don't believe you could ever forget. The deranged howling of the Ling Ogress, Ling Yaonan, laughed nearly exactly like he did. Sure hers sounded more bloodthirsty than mirthful and merry, and wasn't so much as warm as it was spinechilling hearing her giggle and titter like she were flirting while threatening to chop you apart or burn your soul to ash, and if it wasn't for her laughing boisterously rather than with those faked giggles and snickering she used as part of her teasing and playful act, you wouldn't have recognized just how similar her laugh was the one the old god let out of his belly moments ago.

Narrowing your eyes, you study him intently as he continues to look away like a dog who has been caught misbehaving, averting his eyes entirely and lifting his chin to avoid as much of your scrutiny as was possible. All the while Jionghuagege continued pleading for help and crying about the unfamiliar breeze and chill, her shadow swaying back and forth as the petal she clung to dipped from her weight and was then lifted aloft again by the same, gentle breeze whispering she was complaining about.

Just as you remembered, The old man's eyes didn't look like the treacherous eyes of the Ling family at all. There wasn't even a passing resemblance there. He had almond eyes, but every Ling you've met has had triangular eyes, the sort of eyes that makes it look like one is always scheming and plotting against whatever they're looking at or looking down at them with contempt. 'Ugly eyes', you thought, 'more so because they belong to the Ling'.

However that calm your suspicions. That laugh was too familiar and there were other reasons you believed this old hermit might in fact be the Five Colors emperor himself! Like how familiarly he spoke of certain figures, such as Niu Bingwen, how he referred to other gods as Youngsters and then the way he spoke of their crimes and the state they have left of the world, with as much guilt and sadness as anger. Then, the graves in his garden which survived his fury you awoke when you told him of the persecution of Divine Beasts such as yourself, a fury that ravaged the world with storms and natural disasters, a rage that split open the heavens to reveal the astral plane, an anger that cracked the earth and sky. He has the power to call the wind and summon the rain and with a flick of his sleeve destroy them both.

He is monstrously...no monstrously powerful isn't the right term, its lacking the punch that his strength actually has. He is level of power is on the other side of sanity! Just thinking about it makes you shiver in fright!
Cont

>>5602260

But, fear alone isn't enough to dissuade you. You're bold! Peerless at least amongst your generation, since you can't claim otherwise in this old timer's presence. And you know he would not strike you for a slight of misnaming him or bringing up bad memories, if he was so cruel and small minded, he'd be constantly smacking you anyways! So there's no risk in parting your lips and saying a name that hasn't been spoken in many generations

"Ling Wucai?" You asks sweetly, like a spoilt little girl, sneaking up to his side, wagging your hips side to side like you were reading to pounce on him.

"Hmm?" He grunted, turning around instinctively, then he looked at you curiously, not offended or outraged, just surprised that you knew his name "Oh, I see, you've been burying that nose of yours into records of the worlds true history. As few as they are. I'm certain those whelps have gone to any length to erase the facts that would expose their hypocrisy and boundless ambition to their lesser. They named their own brothers and sisters demons, and spat on the graves of the others. Graves they put them in themselves. Utterly repugnant behavior, unbefitting an immortal, wouldn't you agree? It is by their hands you have suffered so gravely, Huanliuxue"

"You're a Ling" You say quietly, a sensation like freezing water oozing out from your heart, spreading like rot through the rest of your body

"I was adopted into the family" He says innocently, seeming even more confused why you, instinctively, recoiled away from him and lifted your lips as if to bare fangs "It's common practice amongst cultivator clans, or at least it used to be. Saved the patriarch's life back when I was young, ended up leading the family when he died childless after a failed tribulation. It wasn't a pleasant death my second father suffered. A small black hole formed in his Golden Core and he vanished....And judging from that horribly pleased look in your eye, The Ling Clan of the modern era have also wronged you, have they not? It is beginning to seem like every legacy I've left behind has been twisted towards villainy or used as an excuse for atrocities committed in the name of justice"

"Ah! Ah! My fingers hurt, I'm being pulled down! Scary! Help!" Jionghuagege shrieked and wailed, her tears falling around you like rain as he own kicking and struggling to clamber up higher ends up making the petal she's hanging onto bounce up higher and sway further, which scares her more and thus makes her flail around more which keeps the petal from falling still.

He sighed through his nose, white smoke curling over his lip like a dragon's whispers as his kindly expression darkened into a mask of seething outrage.
Cont

>>5602264

"They're the reason I'm Huanliuxue to begin with, one of their number, without reason or cause, murdered my people and burned my home village to the ground. Soaking my white fur red with the blood of children" You say sadly, anger fleeing your body, you know it'd be wrong to blame him from the crimes of his progeny, so only sorrow and grief remain "I hunted him down, devoured any who wore their colors and when I finally caught up to him, ate him down to his bones. Yet the joy it brought me was fleeting"

You clenched a hand into a fist and snarled

"And I've fought another of their number, a brute of a girl whose more ogre than lady, Ling Yaonan, a sword maniac if there ever was one" You grumble angrily, remembering your bout with that madwoman in the imperial gardens

"I see" He says solemnly, falling to his knees and hitting his head to the ground "Allow me to apologize for the wrongs my descendants have done unto you, to your kind, and to the world. If you know my name, you must surely know the name of my son, the traitor who began this great perversion of the dao that so many now follow"

You don't but you won't reveal that and look the fool.

"There's no need for you to apologize for a mess you didn't make" You say quietly, awkwardly, fidgeting and curling a lock of your hair, not wanting to look at the Emperor degrading himself in front of you. Which was odd. Usually you delighted in such displays, but this one just put a heavy, twisting weight in your gut.

"But I did make it" He said mysteriously, sitting up to only kneel "If I did not retreat here to grieve and mourn, they would've never had the courage to usurp the heavens and slaughter their rivals. The lies that have become truth, would've never even been uttered. It is my shame"

"Uh, I don't know what you're talking about down there. The wind is muffling your voices, but its a plan to get me down isn't it? It is isn't It? Right? Right?!" Jionghuagege cries out

"And it is my pride to see that from the disaster I have wrought, one so benevolent has risen despite the circumstances of their birth" He says, ruffling your hair and making you feel even more awkward and uncertain, a burning warmth on your cheeks telling you you're blushed as red as your fur coat "Who would protect even those unloved by the heavens, and rectify the thousandfold injustices they have committed. You posses a pure heart, child, as I said when we first met. A treasure more valuable than any other. It brings tears to this old man's eyes to know that even for all the abuse and scorn you've suffered, at the hands of my own descendants no less, you still chose to be good. You had every right to become a villain, yet instead you chose to shield the scum of the world and befriend the worms in its soil. You are proud, yet you do not trample the weak beneath your feet"

His star filled eyes sparkled with pride as you noted a flock of giant bees flying towards Jionghuagege.
Cont

>>5602265

"What better way to offend the heavens that scorn me than to be more righteous than they could ever hope to be. I might've been born from an act of cruel murderer, but I only ascended to what I am now because of the love I had for the victims" You say returning Wucai's warm smile with a beaming grin "The weak may be prey to the strong, Might makes right. But that is the right to rule, not bully"

"If only you were around to speak sense to my idiot son" The only Ling who you decide you don't despise laughs sadly, glancing up and sighing in relief "ah her children have saved her, while we have been talking of such sad affairs"

You glance over and see Jionghuagege being gently carried to the ground on the back of one of her daughters, trembling all over, her silver hair fallen over her eyes, hiding them completely. Now that she's closer you can see that her face's cheeks are freckled and that she is...a little pudgy. Not fat by any means, but she certainly has some extra meat on her belly and thighs. She unsteadily slides to the ground and wraps her arm around herself, as she looks around. She's shorter than you are though you wouldn't call her short by any means either. Resisting the urge to poke and knead her pleasantly round and soft looking tummy, you stride over to her, meaning to off her a coat.

She lifts her head and with two fingers parts her long bangs to reveal her eyes. Your breath is stolen as you let out a squeal of adoration. She's adorable! Her eyes are big and round, bright green with a ring of gold around her pupils, which if you look closely appear to be segmented like her natural form's eyes. Her face is round to, and cute, soft looking. You really want to pinch her cheeks mercilessly. Her eyebrows are in the same style as yours, a darker grey than the brilliant silver of her hair, which is actually sparkling in the sunlight you realize. Her lips naturally pout, making her seem all the more fragile as she looks up at you pitifully, still trembling and with tears streaming down her Rosey cheeks. She might not be a jade beauty, but she is certainly a cutie! You just want to hug her!

"Huanliuxuuuuue!" She cries out, sobbing as she throws up her arms and hugs you before you get the chance to, weeping into your chest. You hear a snap, and she's suddenly dressed in simple white robes, though she hasn't noticed, as she is too busy holding tightly to you and crying while wailing about how terribly frightening the ordeal of her breakthrough and transformation was. You sit her down and pamper her affectionately, as is your nature, delighting in seeing her adorably soft face brighten up with a smile as you praise and coddle her. Though she is happier when one of her daughters brings her a glob of honey, which she eats entirely inelegantly, shoveling it into her face and splattering it on the sleeves and chest of her robes.
Cont

>>5602266

'I feel like a mother' You think lovingly and simultaneously annoyed as you wipe Jionghuagege's face clean before she can try to lick it clean as she had done her hands. She just stares at you with her bright, cheery eyes. She might be mannered for a honey bee, but as a girl she has a lot to learn about etiqutte. You intend to teach her, once the both of you have grown tired of talking of fashion and dresses in particular.

You meant to head over to see how Tiexingege's breakthrough went, but you got side tracked showing Jionghuagege how to put on make up that both looked refined and hinted at her heritage as a demonic beast, subtly of course. The Five Color emperor, surprisingly, gifts her several items of makeup and gives his own advice. Less is more he says.

So the three of you walk to the other side of the valley, Jionghuagege constantly checking her reflection and pulling at her robes, trying to get comfortable in wearing them and asking to borrow some of your clothes. And while she'd fit into them better than Lanfen or Qiang, you didn't want her ruining the silk by drenching them in honey.

"Oh dear" Jionghuagege mutters as you enter the battlefield "Someone should really clean up this mess, its awfully cluttered here"

"Gonna tear your hair out!" A shrill voice cries as you hear a scuffle and have to bite your tongue, hard enough to taste blood to stop from howling with laughter

You see a little girl, an absolute shrimp, on Fu's back, trying to rip chunks of hair from his head as he lays on the ground, trying to shield his head with his arms. You can tell that's Tiexingege. She's tanned all over, and has a few, thin white scars on her arms and legs, barely noticeable from a distance. In fact you'd call her roasted rather than tanned. Her skin was nearly as dark as her chitin, almost like red clay. Her hair was long and black and like Jionghuagege's had a certain metallic glint to it, though far duller than her sister's sparkling silver hair. Her eyes are sharp and give themselves naturally to glaring. And she is just so tiny! in every sense of the word! You're and Jionghuagege look like young women as humans, but poor Tie-tie looks like a little girl! A very bratty human girl! Though her compact size certainly didn't do anything to reduce her aggression or brute strength, considering she had pummeled poor Fu into the ground. And broken his jaw. Actually looking closely at her, despite her short stature, she has a very athletic body

You should probably help him.
cont

>>5602267

Double Vote!

How do you help Fu

>Don't. Its funny seeing him get bullied by a little girl

>Give into your nurturing instincts and tackle Tiexingege to smother her in affection, using the height you have on her to keep her from running away

>Scold your little sister by smacking her upside the head (Strength trial. DC 65)

>"Oh! Black Iron! Haven't you gotten strong! Come here and try to knock me down, so I can see how much you've improved!" (Fortitude trial. DC 72)

>Write in

And what do you do afterwards, Huanliuxue?

>Entertain yourself styling the Gege's hair and dressing them up, overjoyed that they have become the second and third beasts to attain a human form, and praise them relentlessly

>Heal Fu with scarlet healing armor and spar with him to do what you came here to do, and learn from eachother (Martial/ Training Trial. DC 60)

>Seek out one of the monsters with Fu, to battle it and develop both of your techniques together.

>Scheme to connect the basin with your subterranean temple. Tiexingege's kids and Monu's puppets should be enough of a workforce to make a path between the two

>Realize that the two breakthroughs/ Human form releases might draw attention and prepare accordingly

>write in

>>5602268
>Give into your nurturing instincts

>Scheme to connect the basin to the temple
>Heal fu and spar with him
>Ask the old god to keep an eye on the garden and keep things "fair", by limiting anyone from the stage above foundation establishment from harrassing the gege's

I think the old man will accept this, as it's not bullying and there is still a large gap of people who can trounce the gege's, prompting them to get stronger still. But it prevents instant "SPLAT"

and finally
>Praise Fu for tutoring tietie in attaining human form and ask how the hell he did it by himself?

>>5602268
>Give into your nurturing instincts and tackle Tiexingege to smother her in affection, using the height you have on her to keep her from running away

>Heal Fu with scarlet healing armor and spar with him to do what you came here to do, and learn from eachother (Martial/ Training Trial. DC 60)
>Scheme to connect the basin with your subterranean temple. Tiexingege's kids and Monu's puppets should be enough of a workforce to make a path between the two
>Realize that the two breakthroughs/ Human form releases might draw attention and prepare accordingly

>>5602268
>Scold your little sister by smacking her upside the head (Strength trial. DC 65)
>”I don’t care if you’re stronger, he’s my first disciple and would only have upset you to impart a lesson! One that must have been on the advantages of the human form since you have transformed on top of your breakthrough.”

Afterward,
>Healing armor on Fu (but no spar)
>Scheme to connect the basin with your subterranean temple. Tiexingege's kids and Monu's puppets should be enough of a workforce to make a path between the two
I’m assuming only one real “action” hence skipping the spar. Healing armor can easily be done while we plan.

>>5602352
Not really, unlike other quests I can think of, ties that aren't mutually exclusive are done together. And it's not like we have anywhere better to be, we're just doing some training while we wait for the meeting to be organised.

>>5602268
>Give into your nurturing instincts

>Relentless praise!
>Heal Fu with scarlet healing armor and spar with him
>Scheme to connect the basin with your subterranean temple

>>5602268
One’s Pudgy and the other’s a womanlet, cute!
>Give into your nurturing instincts and tackle Tiexingege to smother her in affection, using the height you have on her to keep her from running away
>Heal Fu with scarlet healing armor
>Seek out one of the monsters with Fu, to battle it and develop both of your techniques together.

>>5602268
>Give into your nurturing instincts and tackle Tiexingege to smother her in affection, using the height you have on her to keep her from running away
>Entertain yourself styling the Gege's hair and dressing them up, overjoyed that they have become the second and third beasts to attain a human form, and praise them relentlessly
>Scheme to connect the basin with your subterranean temple. Tiexingege's kids and Monu's puppets should be enough of a workforce to make a path between the two

>>5602268
>"Oh! Black Iron! Haven't you gotten strong! Come here and try to knock me down, so I can see how much you've improved!" (Fortitude trial. DC 72)

Stop the bully with what she likes, hopefully jionghuagege will help poor fu.

>Realize that the two breakthroughs/ Human form releases might draw attention and prepare accordingly

Surely someone will come, what better way to test Fu and the geges training than stomping on greedy cultivators?
Though i wouldn't be opposed to ask a favor to the old god like >>5602275
Said.

...also i want to ask if he knows of ways for ghosts to cultivate/resurrect.

>>5602268
>>Scold your little sister by smacking her upside the head (Strength trial. DC 65)

>Heal Fu with scarlet healing armor and spar with him to do what you came here to do, and learn from eachother (Martial/ Training Trial. DC 60)

>Realize that the two breakthroughs/ Human form releases might draw attention and prepare accordingly

>Chunky freckled little sister
>Short tan scarred little sister
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.
This shit is about to make me act up.

>>5602268
>Give into your nurturing instincts and tackle Tiexingege to smother her in affection, using the height you have on her to keep her from running away

>Entertain yourself styling the Gege's hair and dressing them up, overjoyed that they have become the second and third beasts to attain a human form, and praise them relentlessly
>Heal Fu with scarlet healing armor and spar with him to do what you came here to do, and learn from eachother (Martial/ Training Trial. DC 60)

>>5602268
>"Oh! Black Iron! Haven't you gotten strong! Come here and try to knock me down, so I can see how much you've improved!" (Fortitude trial. DC 72)
>Scheme to connect the basin with your subterranean temple. Tiexingege's kids and Monu's puppets should be enough of a workforce to make a path between the two

>>5602268
>"Oh! Black Iron! Haven't you gotten strong! Come here and try to knock me down, so I can see how much you've improved!" (Fortitude trial. DC 72)
>Scheme to connect the basin with your subterranean temple. Tiexingege's kids and Monu's puppets should be enough of a workforce to make a path between the two

I hope we'll be healing Fu no matter which option gets picked

>Votes - 11
OEVzD7o/
YiPTD5HE
nSeWvvaE
oQFZmIFL
/VaLHA/J
IM5lgQJA
BJvF8L+/
Rc6Bn6sc
DIjblR5K
iL55yOPb
oLD4fyDn

>Nurture - 6
OEVzD7o/
YiPTD5HE
oQFZmIFL
/VaLHA/J
IM5lgQJA
DIjblR5K

>Challenge - 3
BJvF8L+/
iL55yOPb
oLD4fyDn

>Scold - 2
nSeWvvaE
Rc6Bn6sc

>Scheme - 7
OEVzD7o/
YiPTD5HE
nSeWvvaE
oQFZmIFL
IM5lgQJA
iL55yOPb
oLD4fyDn

>Heal + no spar - 1 (2?)
nSeWvvaE
/VaLHA/J (?)

>Heal + spar 5 (?)
OEVzD7o/
YiPTD5HE
oQFZmIFL
/VaLHA/J (?)
Rc6Bn6sc
DIjblR5K

>Monster Hunter - 1
/VaLHA/J

>Praise Geges - 3
oQFZmIFL
IM5lgQJA
DIjblR5K

>Prepare - 3
YiPTD5HE
BJvF8L+/
Rc6Bn6sc

>Favor from Wucai - 2
OEVzD7o/
BJvF8L+/

>Praise Fu - 1
OEVzD7o/

Put a ? because I'm not sure if this anon >>5602411 only wants to heal or to also spar