Chapter 22: Stealthy Assassin
Watching them made me feel a little angry. They could simply absorb Qi and not even use it to advance their cultivation, but instead strengthen their fleshy body. Such a thing would make any cultivator spit out blood!
Luckily, there was something I could do about it. With my advanced stealth and Qi needles, I had a good shot of making a quick job out of this.
I had to make it a quick job, as my Qi won't last forever, at least not while in Stealth. The Qi in the lake felt pure, purer than even the one resting in my dantian. And whilst the water wasn't one hundred percent Qi, it was at least ninety percent.
That meant that the ethereal had become physical, and the Qi floated in a very condensed form. Just standing next to it, I felt like I'd gotten stronger and my dantian vibrated in anticipation.
I can't wait for all of this to be mine.
Approaching the closest panther, I quietly summoned the twelve needles and shot them all toward its head. They pierced its brain instantly, and the beast died in an almost unceremonious way.
[You have slain [Heavy Pawed Black Panther] Lvl 15]
[XP Acquired]
There was no sound, nor any sign it had died aside from the notification. I would need to remember to grab the meat, skin and core. Nutrients were very important for a growing chick, hehehe.
With that taken care of, it was time for the next ones. They kept sleeping soundlessly, and a dozen needless later, I got the same kill notification. With only three remaining, my confidence soared.
However, just as I'd sent the other dozen needless toward the third one, my Qi ran out completely. The Shadow Cloak and Stealth skill running in tandem drained me way too fast.
However, I was standing on top of a Qi lake. Without hesitation, I circulated the Ghost Qi Technique and replenished my Qi, but it wasn't enough.
An angry roar shook the heavens as the Qi controlled needles killed the level nineteen Heavy Pawed Black Panther— what a shame, one more level and it would have evolved. Well, serves it right for lounging around and getting a free meal.
The ashen colored Heavy Pawed Black Panther woke up from its slumber, its voice shaking the heavens. I turned around, my stealth having disappeared, and met its ugly face head on.
"Hmph," I snorted, meeting its glare. "Kowtow to this young mistress and I may let you live. Otherwise, SCRAM!"
"You—" The ashen colored beast said, its roar having stopped mid-way, and looked at me with a shocked expression.
"Me? Yes, what about me?" I asked, earning some precious time to absorb as much Qi as possible.
[Qi 788/2393]
Come on, faster!
"You have some gall to come into my territory and speak like that." The ashen colored beast jumped down from his high rock, its paws not making a sound despite their large size. The remaining, regular, Heavy Pawed Black Panther stared at the corpses of its companions, then glared at me as if I had killed his mother.
I probably did, if they were a family. Oh well.
"Your territory?" I chuckled, finding the notion quite funny. Once a Phoenix makes a nest in a forest, that entire forest is their territory. If anyone dared to say otherwise they would be courting death.
[QI 1513/2393]
Good enough.
Without being able to focus completely, the rate of absorption of a Mortal Grade technique was abysmal. That speaks volumes of my actual Qi capacity as well, though.
I flicked my wrist, instantly summoning another dozen or so needles, and shot them at the remaining basic Heavy Pawed Black Panther. I couldn't aim quite well without looking at the target, and the first few needles landed on its paws, but at least four of them shot right through its skull.
It died on the spot.
[You have slain Heavy Pawed Black Panther Lvl 18]
[XP Acquired]
[You have Leveled Up]
[Phoenix Chick Lvl 8 has become Phoenix Chick Lvl 9.]
[Skill Points Acquired]
Well, it was about time.
With the level up, my Qi supply had instantly replenished to the new maximum, and I slipped into Shadow Cloak and Stealth without hesitation.
The timeframe between me killing the spirit beast and slipping into the shadows was less than it takes a spark to fly off a piece of flint. I watched the ashen Heavy Clawed Black Panther look at the dead body of its comrade. Its expression turned from sorrow to shock, then anger.
"I will skin you alive and feed your remains to the Jaded Serpents!" It yelled, its roar shaking the air. However, I was long gone from the vicinity of the Qi Lake, already sneaking behind it.
I couldn't fly while sneaking, but quickly climbed up the rock it once sat upon, deactivating my stealth skills while summoning a dozen Qi needles. I activated Heaven's Protection at the same time, and shot my attack at the beast's open back.
Sparks flew off as my needles disappeared right before they hit, and the panther turned toward me with a spark of electricity filling its mouth. The purple lighting shot toward me at a speed faster than I could react, and my barrier broke as I crashed against the stone wall.
It didn't look like that was an attack it could shoot all the time, as it opted to jump up on the stone and bear its fangs at me. "Chicken, did you think you had a chance at snatching my treasure?"
Chicken? Well now that was just insulting.
"I didn't think I had a chance. I know I will." I smirked, or at least did the best impression of a smirk I could with the beak this universe endowed me with.
The panther snarled and slashed at me with lighting-infused claws. I waited until the very last moment and used Side Step, disappearing, letting the claws hit nothing but stone.
With the claw-shaped indent behind me, I appeared right below its jaw and activatedHeaven's Protection once again, then jumped.
My barrier pushed against its maw as I used all the force my tiny legs could lend me. It was enough to send it leaping backward, as it fell off the stone and rolled into the lake.
I watched with an amused expression as it jumped out of it, its fur damp, dripping with water. I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Why you little—" the ashen colored black panther snarled. "You dare laugh in my face? I'll turn you into paste!"
"Oh, don't be so salty. Here, let me help you dry off." I jumped and summoned the Phoenix Fire, as opposed to my Nirvanic Flames. This one seemed a little fun to toy with, and besides the Myriad Qi Needles and the stealth combination, the rest of my skills didn't use that much Qi.
Phoenix Fire used very little, in fact, as it was a bloodline skill. Those types of skills required the beast's innate ability to use them, and used their energy instead. Early stage Spirit Beasts had very little Qi, so skills with high Qi expenditure would be counter intuitive.
Upon seeing my flames, the panther's expression immediately changed to one of terror, though it quickly settled. The continuous stream of fire blasted against its defensive barrier, creating a wall of flames that kept damaging it relentlessly.
To its credit, the beast pushed against the fire, walking forward while letting out defiant roars. However, both Phoenix Fire and Nirvanic Flames had no special skill tied to them, and their shape or usage could be manipulated at will.
Of course, that would require a huge familiarity with fire and the Fire Dao in general, but who was I?
I was Fa Xiaolan, owner and wielder of the Nirvanic Flames, the strongest fire in the Greater Realms.
[Skill: Phoenix Fire has reached the (Beginner) rank!]
With that notification, I felt the flames had gotten easier to control, and their Qi expenditure has also diminished.
Well isn't that convenient!
However it was clear that this attack did not do enough to break through the ashen Heavy Pawed Black Panther's defense. The fire alone would not be enough.
Just how much Qi do you have?!
I stopped the fire and rushed through it, activating my Iron Claws and slashing at the barrier. Sparks flew as I attacked, sending at least a dozen slashes before the fire disappeared. I flew high, briefly activating the stealth combination then dive bombed with enough momentum to make a small crater.
With my talons pointed forward, I undid the stealth skills. The impact shattered the barrier into thousands of pieces, but the strength of my attack had also lost most of its effectiveness.
A tentative swipe at its fur told me that I didn't have enough force to do any substantial damage, so I opted to take off.
"You're quite fast for a chicken."
A claw gripped my foot tight in that moment, though, and I got slammed into the ground before I could raise my defenses. Again, and again, the panther slammed me to the ground until its arm tired, and that was when it threw me against the wall.
Blood seeped from my head, legs and chest, as well as other parts I didn't even know I had. Everything hurt, and I mean everything. But at least it didn't use poison.
I could barely move, to be frank, as the pain from the continuous slamming drove my HP below the 50% limit.
It could have been worse.
The beast could have shot me with that lighting ball again.
"You're quite sturdy as well." The ashen panther spoke, as if it wanted to take pleasure in killing me. I couldn't blame it, but it was foolish of it to think it could kill me.
Despite the lighting ball in its mouth.
"You have no idea." I chuckled and decided that it was time to stop playing. Bearing through the pain, I side stepped its attack, opting to dodge to the side instead of the predictable forward. Just as expected, it sent another powerful blow toward where I would have landed had I not had a brain.
The ground beneath it exploded from its attack, and I looked for another opportunity in the opening. At a quick glance, it didn't seem like he'd activated another barrier, but one could never be too sure.
I waved my wings, clicking my tongue at the inefficiency, and conjured a ball of Nirvanic Flames that shot toward its belly as soon as it appeared. A thin outer layer of protection made it bounce off of the beast, but another one hit it just as the first one dispersed.
No less than six Nirvanic Flame fireballs hit the creature's second barrier in just a little above a second, shattering it completely. It didn't lose its cool, though, and immediately turned around.
Only to meet my talons.
Unprotected and vulnerable, my flame-enhanced Iron Claws scratched at its eyes for a moment before I jumped, dodging a swipe of its claw. I fell back and poked at its eyes with my beak, barely managing to hit it one eye as I hit the ground.
It would have tried to crush me with its claws again, were it not for the fact that blood spurted out like a fountain, and the only thing it could do was recoil back from the pain.
I didn't hesitate to Side Step forward, the sound of my talons scratching against rock making it ignore the pain. The ashen Heavy Pawed Black Panther's entire body got surrounded by purple lighting, which made me hesitate just a little.
But I was a bird. I could fly.
While I didn't know much about lighting as an element, I knew it wasn't effective if the target was flying. Or at least, it wasn't as effective. And that's all I needed.
With Strengthened Constitution, and the Dragonbone Tempering skill, I had confidence in being able to withstand the defensive shock.
I jumped, taking off into a high kick. The beast sent a bolt of lightning my way, which I dodged by a hair's breadth with a kick flap of my wings. That made me spin like a kite with its string cut, and it was clear I couldn't use my talon attacks anymore.
But I had something else in store for it.
I put more focus on my tail and activated Tail Whip. In that instant, my tail grew by a few dozen inches, and it lashed at the beast's face. It was weird, seeing such long feathers on a tiny body, but I couldn't complain.
It had no time to defend against the unexpected attack, and I claimed its second eye with that attack.
I didn't have time to gloat before a shocking pain flew from my tail all the way up my head. A sudden tug caught me while I tried to flee— the beast had grabbed my tail and was preparing to slam me against the ground once again.
Oh crap—
The moment I hit the earth, the electrical shock hurt way more than the physical pain. My entire body had turned to char in almost the same instant I met the cold stone.
Luckily, that only lasted for a moment, as the panther's skill turned off, and the only thing it did was slam me against the wall, again.
Do you have something with throwing people against the wall?
Is what I would have asked if I had any strength left in me. The beast growled and roared as it followed the scent of burnt feathers, and placed its paw on my chest with pinpoint accuracy.
"Nowhere to run now, eh, chicken?" It tried to get under my feathers again, but it looked like this panther had no better insults.
Yet, it didn't seem to want to chat anymore, as the purple ball of lighting manifested in its bloody mouth once again.
"Heh..." I chuckled drily, my eyes filled with disdain.
That made it pause for a moment, and I only needed a moment to raise my wing and point it toward my right.
The panther's head followed where I'd pointed at for some inexplicable dumb reason, and I bet its eyes would have widened if it could see anything.
Thump!
It fell, dead, my Myriad Qi Needles all hitting its brain at the same time.
[You have slain Ashen Heavy Pawed Black Panther Lvl 25]
[XP Acquired]
[You have Leveled Up]
[Phoenix Chick Lvl 9 has become Phoenix Chick Lvl 10.]
[Skill Points Acquired]
[Skill: Side Step has reached the (Beginner) rank!]
[Skill: Stealth[Lesser] has reached the (Beginner) rank!]
[Skill: Shadow Cloak has reached the (Beginner) rank!]
[Skill: Myriad Qi Needle has reached the (Beginner) rank!]
[New Evolutions Available]
Chapter 23: Evolutions and Breakthroughs
Finally, level ten!
I was eager to consult my available evolutions, of course, but I felt I had more pressing matters to deal with.
Such as…
[HP 250/1394]
My HP was below twenty percent, which meant I would have to wait for a little bit to recover my strength. At the current rate, I was regenerating at a rate of five HP per three seconds.
I didn't have to wait long, and there was no danger to my life. Just for safety's sake, I activated Heaven's Protection and opened the Evolutions screen.
[Evolutions]
[Phoenix Emberling]
[The next stage after the [Phoenix Chick], the [Phoenix Emberling] is capable of higher fire manipulation. Their elemental affinity to fire increases drastically, and unlocks the path toward becoming a [Phoenix Monarch]. [Phoenix Emberlings] can take to the skies with flaming wings, sending fire raining from above and unlocks the [Fire Emperor] elemental path.]
Wait, hold on— What is this about Phoenix Monarch and Fire Emperors?
[Whilst [Phoenix Monarch] is the official name of an evolution, [Fire Emperor] refers to one's control over fire. It is not an official evolution path, class or title, but simply a promise of what you can become in the future.]
… Can't I do that anyway?
[Yeah… you can.]
Oh—
[Poisonous Phoenix]
[A Phoenix's fire doesn't stop solely at-]
Skip.
[But—]
Skip!
[Fine…]
[Cinderplume Phoenix]
[With the power of the Black Flames at your beck and call, you have the power to turn everything to ash, or make it so they never existed in the first place. The Black Flames represent a power beyond this world, one so destructive there is no hope of revival once wounded by them. This evolution unlocks the path of the [Blackflame Emperor] and will allow you to rule over life and death.]
Can't I already do this with my Nirvanic Flamesthough…? This one sounds pretty awesome though, is the Black Flame just fire imbued with the aura of death? I'd love to have that.
[Pyretalon Phoenix]
[This Phoenix gave up its ability to fly in favor of enhancing their combat power. Their wings become razor-sharp blades, claws turn into molten lava, able to destroy any opponent's defenses. Their beak becomes harder and sturdier than steel, and they become the fiercest of opponents in any sort of close combat. This evolution unlocks the path of the [Sworded Phoenix].]
Well… as appealing as that sounds, I definitely do not want to ever give up my ability to fly. What would be the point? I would truly become a chicken then…
[Golden Goose]
[Shed the feathers of a Phoenix and become an almighty [Golden Goose]! Your love for shinies shall not be stopped, even if you must change some parts of yourself. This Phoenix takes the shape of an inconspicuous Goose, who can lay golden eggs and mend any metal to their will! This evolution unlocks the path of the [Golden Emperor].]
Is this a joke?
[...]
[No, it's a really strong evolution.]
[Soulflame Phoenix]
[The first stage of transforming from the physical into the ethereal. A [Soulflame Phoenix] gives up its mortal body to become a spirit. In exchange for losing all ability to physically fight, their spirituality increases by a huge amount, allowing them to cultivate. This evolution unlocks the path of the [Soulflame Sovereign], ruler of all spirits and lord of the eternal flames.]
Another one that has such a huge inconvenience… Why would anyone pick this evolution? Well I guess allowing one to cultivate would eventually give them a physical body.
[Elemental Phoenix]
[The [Elemental Phoenix] breaks free of its elemental constrictions, allowing one to use and learn skills of other elements. In order to unlock the elements, the Phoenix must undergo a series of challenges and hardships. Each subsequent element unlock will be harder than the last. This evolution unlocks the path of the [Primordial Phoenix].]
Now we're talking! No direct drawbacks and it allows me to use other elements? Though cultivating them would be quite a hassle. Getting my fire skills to rank up is already enough of a pain… but the possibilities…
[Emberheart Phoenix]
[Whilst the Phoenix can heal itself and be reborn from its own ashes, that doesn't mean they have to keep it all to themselves. This Phoenix took the path of a healer, whose flames heal allies and turn enemies to cinder, although not as well as the normal Phoenix. This evolution unlocks the path of the [Eterna Seraph], the Phoenix whose power can restore dead worlds back to life.]
This… is this something Mother picked? She could heal… No, that must only be a skill. It would be nice to have but the best defense is a stronger offense, and I don't plan on having a team either.
[Ghost Phoenix]
[After dying, this Phoenix doesn't rebirth, but instead becomes a ghost, a spectral being with command over the souls of the damned. Their ghostly fire doesn't burn the flesh, but directly attacks the soul. This evolution unlocks the path of the [Spectract Sovereign], a Phoenix who rules over all death.]
Heavens that one sounds amazing! Directly attack the soul? But… how do I become a ghost? Do I keep being as I am until I die and then get reborn as a ghost or… do I die now?
[...]
[I honestly don't know.]
Wow… then I'm skipping it haha.
"Alright, I've decided." I chirped, standing up.
In the time I read up on all the evolutions, I've recovered enough HP to make my way to the middle of the Qi Lake.
System, what is the evolution process like?
[Once you select an evolution, your body will fall into a slumbering state, and it can take anywhere from one day to one week for the process to finish.]
I see, is there any way to circumvent that? How can I keep myself safe while evolving?
[The System will provide a temporary protection, though it has its limits and cannot protect you forever.]
Right, I guessed it wouldn't be so simple. So my options are: Absorb this Qi Lake then go back to the nest and evolve, or risk evolving while cultivating.
[I think there is a third option.]
System suddenly interjected my thoughts, with its own thoughts, of all things.
And what would that be?
[I can make it so you evolve while cultivating. I can force your conscience to remain awake while your body undergoes the transformation.]
Would it be painful?
[Quite. There is a reason Spirit Beasts are put under a deep slumber.]
Right… But if I make a ruckus here and Mother notices, I won't have any excuse. I do not want to feel her wrath once she finds out I can cultivate spiritual Qi.
[Hence why I suggested that third option… I can suppress the pain you feel to a certain extent, but the rest is up to you.]
Alright then, let's do this.
I walked to the center of the Qi Lake, its surface surprisingly solid despite its watery appearance, and started circulating the Ghost Qi Technique.
While this technique only allowed me to absorb natural Qi during the night, in this instance I could use it to absorb the already gathered Qi. This huge Qi lake was a treasure beyond belief, and given that there weren't any other Spirit Beasts that could hurt me, I could take my time.
I've had deep sessions of cultivation before, back in my old life, but they were usually done in a protected environment with lots of seals and formations.
I didn't have any such things here, but given the fact that Heaven's Protection only broke after a certain amount of damage had been done, I'd consider myself safe. Yet, it was never too late to scout the area.
I checked every bush and tree, looking for nests and signs of other Spirit Beasts' presence. However, between the evolved Heavy Pawed Black Panther and Mother's nest, the only living beings within a fifteen mile radius were the grass and trees.
Just to be sure, though, I hid myself and waited for an hour. When nothing approached, I knew I would be safe.
Once again, I walked in the middle of the Qi Lake, and sat down. I didn't sit down cross legged, but instead tucked my legs underneath myself, like birds do. It was a much more comfortable position to be in.
With my barrier active and dantian ready to absorb Qi, I began the process of cultivation.
First, I chanted the mantra, waking my meridians to life. The Qi in the lake began churning and flowing toward me. Like a river going downstream, it inundated my body, meeting from my limbs to the middle of my chest, then flowing down into the dantian.
The process was quick, smooth and effortless. This Qi had already been refined and had been gathering up for who knows how many centuries. Naturally, that meant that it was much easier to absorb due to less resistance.
Sadly, I had to slow down the process, as my artificial meridians had to get used to the sheer amount coursing through them. That would have been the case with natural meridians as well, though not to such a degree.
The small lake inside my body began growing, the hole it sat in filling up with the ethereal Qi. Once it filled up completely, my cultivation would break past the fourth stage of Qi Condensation into the fifth!
My plan was to absorb the entire Qi lake in one go, however if I did that then my foundation would be far too weak. I will absorb as much as I can during the evolution period, and if something unexpected happens then I would have a good excuse.
However I wasn't sure if putting myself through so much pain would be worth it. A peaceful evolution sounds much better, but when did I, Fa Xiaolan, ever back down from a challenge?
I will break through to the late stage of Qi Condensation and stop there, that way I will be able to solidify my foundations.
Alright System, let's start! Evolve into Elemental Phoenix!
[Understood. Starting the evolution process.]
[Applying necessary modifications.]
[Applying pain modulation.]
[Good luck, Fa Xiaolan!]
Thank you, I'll need it.
[See you soon.]
After System said that, there was a brief period of silence, and then it hit me.
Pain.
An unimaginable amount of pain hit me as if a mountain had slammed down on my body. I gasped, air escaping my lungs alongside a weak chirp. My concentration had almost all vanished were it not for the mantra, which I continued chanting to hang on to my consciousness.
[Skill: Pain Tolerance(Novice) has been acquired.]
The burning feeling within my body lessened just enough for me to take a painful breath in. I couldn't quite use the breathing technique in such a state, however I managed to as I got accustomed to the pain.
Though I didn't think it was something someone just got accustomed to.
I glanced inside my dantian, the flow of Qi slowing down, but still filling up my tiny lake.
Gaining a skill while breaking through was not on my bucket list, but something so useful would always be welcomed. With it, I'd gotten some room to literally breathe.
Whatever changes were actually happening were beyond me, as I couldn't feel much of anything besides the blazing fire within my everything. That didn't matter though. I was already grateful to System for lessening my pain, and with this new skill, I would be able to endure.
I've gone through worse.
***
Time passed, and I finally got the notification I was waiting for. Not that I couldn't feel the difference, but it was nice to see.
[Cultivation Increased! Qi Condensation IV has become Qi Condensation V!]
The fifth stage of Qi Condensation was mine, and with it, I felt the pain from the evolution lessen by a small amount.
I wasn't satisfied, though, not with such a large Qi lake sitting right below my talons. I kept pushing through.
However, a sudden change took me by surprise, as a popping sound grabbed me out of my thoughts. I couldn't tell what it was, not at first, but then I felt it.
My wings stretched, and stretched, and feathers grew at a visible rate. It was strange, it was beautiful, and most of all, it was painful.
I spread them wide, and noticed that not only my wings and feathers, but I grew as well, my whole being, and that's when it all hit me.
Like a sudden wave sending me against a rocky sharp surface, then crashing onto me, all of the pain of reforming bones, stretching muscles and skin, on top of the already burning fire within my being, took effect.
"Auuurgh…" I couldn't help but let out a shrill scream, though I quickly shut my beak. I didn't need someone to disturb the evolution process.
I found myself thankful for System, when the pain lessened.
[Skill: Pain Tolerance has reached the (Beginner) rank!]
Acquiring it and ranking it up within the same day… What joy.
Yet, thanks to that I was able to once again focus on my cultivation.
Once I reached the fifth stage of Qi Condensation, my dantian grew a little bigger, and the Qi in my lake turned a little clearer. That meant that it needed more Qi to condense into a successful foundation.
Luckily, Qi was the last thing I was lacking.
The Qi surface inside my dantian solidified, shimmering with a beautiful luster that was hard to describe. However, it hadn't settled yet.
Normally, cultivators waited for their realm to stabilize before breaking through another one, and that was because of two reasons.
First, they needed to get used to their current realm, or else they would have a very unstable foundation, and may risk injury.
Second, they didn't have enough Qi to condense it all at once. However, I did, and I didn't need to get used to any sort of realm, because I've already gone through the Qi Condensation stage nine times over.
Therefore, I didn't have any such reservations!
Ignoring the strange feeling spreading all throughout my body— no doubt because of the evolution— and gritting my tee— er, beak through the pain, I hastened the rate of absorption, and the Qi in my dantian slowly turned opaque, until it gained a slimy surface.
After that, the lake it sat within enlarged, allowing for even more Qi to flow in. The new emptiness was about half the size of my total Qi capacity, which once filled up, would give me more progress in one realm than I'd made in two.
Of course, besides the stats and increased Qi capacity granted by the system, advancing also has other benefits. Increased strength, increased resistance, the ability to see the environmental Qi, Divine Sense and many other superhuman abilities would be unlocked.
The Qi would also reform my body, preparing it for the next large realm. There were certain techniques that actually changed the structure of the bones, muscles, tendons and even meridians.
Those techniques were of a higher grade than my current Ghost Qi Technique, even in the mortal grade. However I had no way of remembering any of them, and I should count myself lucky I had some way to cultivate at least.
With the Ghost Qi Technique reforming my body at the same time as the evolution, though, I couldn't help but be curious about the result.
I guessed I'd find out soon enough.
As the Qi from the lake dripped, it began to freeze. The temperature inside my dantian dropped to a chilling degree, and were it not for my Phoenix constitution, I would have already frozen over.
If that had happened, the only way to escape was by using external warmth or by heating up one's insides. For that reason, people with Yang constitutions would avoid this technique, as it clashed with their nature. That would be me.
However, people with Yin constitutions would prefer to use this technique as it matched well with their nature.
But there were better techniques than the Ghost Qi Technique for either type, and even for those with no particular constitution.
Overall, the Ghost Qi Technique was simply an awful technique created by a villain.
And I was now using it to advance my cultivation.
I concentrated some warmth around the dantian, the firey Qi from my innate Phoenix nature melting the icy surface. When it de-solidified, it took on a bright luster, and I could somewhat feel that the Qi didn't use as much space as before.
What? I never knew this could happen. The same amount of Qi but… less space? I could store so much more Qi this way!
After figuring that out, I took my time, and didn't rush. Who would have guessed that the Ghost Qi Technique would have such a secret?
If one ignored the fact I would turn into a ghost by the time I reached Nascent Soul, this technique was incredible!
However, there had to be some way to undo it!
***
Time passed, and I took advantage of the freezing-heating cycle to consolidate my foundation even further. Normally, I would have forcefully compressed the Qi, however the Ghost Qi Technique already compressed it as much as possible by freezing it.
Therefore, my foundation couldn't be more stable! If before I was working toward building an oak tree, big, stable and flourishing, then now I was working on a Spreadroot Fig.
A huge canopy, deep and thick roots, growing in soft, yet sturdy earth, with a wide trunk and limitless potential.
Slowly but surely, the lake filled up. All the Qi inside froze as I squeezed in the very last drop, and then flooded my dantian once it melted down.
[Cultivation Increased! Qi Condensation V has become Qi Condensation VI!]
A huge amount of Qi and strength flowed through my aching body. The pain from the evolution pulsing through my flesh with newly awakened vigor.
My senses sharpened as well, and I'd earned a better grasp on the changes happening in my body. My talons, wings and neck grew longer, while my body had turned the faintest bit thinner.
At the same time, my wings, which once held a tiny bit of ethereal quality, glowed with a ghost-like light. They seemed to phase in and out of reality, and while that worried me a little, it felt right.
Was I wrong about the Ghost Qi Technique? The scroll clearly stated I would turn into a ghost, but is this really what being a ghost feels like?
The air around me condensed as well, dripping with water as Yin Qi seeped out of my flesh.
The Yin and Yang clashed, however neither had dominion over the other. They were in balance.
The Dao gives birth to One. One gives birth to Two. Two gives birth to Three. Three gives birth to all things. All things carry Yin and embrace Yang. Through the blending of these energies, harmony is achieved.
"I see."
It was then that I heard a voice— no, multiple voices. I couldn't tell if they were Spirit Beasts or humans, but either of them spelled trouble.
Chapter 24: Multi-Colored Beacon
Bai Di Wei wasn't a man that liked to go out. He'd much rather preferred staying inside and cultivating toward immortality for a thousand years.
Yet, there he was, in the middle of the worthless Kong Lin forest, named after the fact that it had nothing of value. Weak Spirit Beasts and ordinary plants grew within, but beside that, there was nothing else.
However, because some children disappeared there some time ago, he was forced to wander around looking for already eaten corpses. "If they're stupid and got themselves killed, how am I at fault?" He couldn't help but frown and complain.
He was, after all, an early stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, an inner disciple of the Sky-Splitting Sword Sect; the sect ranked first amongst the Five Great Sects of Qing Mountain.
Whilst he wasn't strong enough to be an elder, he was an inner disciple, and a talented one at that. After all, reaching Foundation Establishment before the age of thirty was an accomplishment.
He would be an elder in the future, a leading figure. Though most times he wasn't sure if he wanted that. An elder meant having to go fight, and there were too many wars in the Tianxu continent at the moment.
Besides the Heavenly Demon that appeared in the north— who had luckily calmed down after massacring every righteous sect— there were the Forgotten Ruins in the south and Spirit Beast King in the east.
By comparison, the west was relatively peaceful, only having to fight against the Tiny Demon Feng Hua and the Scarlet Demon Beast, Rong Ren.
Yet, due to circumstances, he had to leave his cave abode and join a scouting party!
Of course, he wasn't heartless. He regretted seeing members of his sect perish. His fellow disciple, Sheng Huawei, a rising star in the sect, had perished while on a scouting trip for the so-called 'Phoenix Nest'.
They did find that Phoenix, as the core disciple of the Phoenix Ascension Sect, of all people, managed to get away with only a missing arm. Besides that, the Life Jades of the Core Formation elders, the ones that were sent to actually look for and hunt the Phoenix, all shattered. They didn't know that, of course, so they could only meet their end.
However, they still needed to try and find their bodies, if there were any left. And all of this had started because a certain someone wanted the Phoenix's essence.
Bai Da Wei sighed inwardly, thinking about how stupid people dying in this forest was. There weren't any strong Spirit Beasts!
However, due to the forest's low danger, a lot of younger disciples used it to gain combat experience, but it seemed that something strong had moved in.
It couldn't be the Phoenix, as the place they'd found it was far away from here, in the most dangerous forest in the area.
The sect didn't consider the danger to be higher than the late stage of Qi Condensation, so he was sent in, alongside a few others from different sects, to find it and eliminate it.
Nothing prepared Bai Di Wei for what he would see as soon as he walked through some thick foliage.
In the middle of a glowing lake, floating a few feet above the surface, a bird-like Spirit Beast hovered in a fetal position. Its yellow feathers shone with the shimmer of molten gold, and the fire surrounding its body danced and flickered like a shadow.
Its wings, although fiery-gold, phased in and out of reality, as if they belonged to a ghost. A deep chill ran across his spine, and not only because of the sense of danger he got from the Spirit Beast, but because of the freezing Qi emanating from it.
The ground below his legs had frozen solid, pinning him in place, and from the frozen leaves behind him he heard a rustle.
"Oh? If it isn't fellow Daoist Bai Di Wei." A middle aged man greeted, his beard shaped like a cone. The smile he wore on his face froze upon seeing the Spirit Beast, though.
"Fellow Daoist Ling Shen…" Bai Di Wei struggled to speak, his weak voice barely escaping his shivering throat.
Ling Shen turned to leave, every atom in his body warning him of danger. However, he soon found himself in the same situation.
Unable to move, he tried to circulate Qi, however his expression froze upon seeing that the Qi in his dantian had frozen solid.
He, a middle stage Foundation Establishment expert, could not circulate his Qi.
"Brother Bai Di Wei… what— what is this?"
Bai Di Wei could only shake his head, as he wasn't in any better of a position than Ling Shen.
"Hey, what's going on there?" Another voice resounded from outside the area of effect of the freezing Qi.
Both Bai Di Wei and Ling Shen wanted to scream, to tell them to get away and bring reinforcements, however neither their throats nor souls were willing to listen.
The group of six people rushed in, having sensed something wrong, and their faces froze in shock upon seeing the Spirit Beast, whose aura had begun to turn the air itself into ice particles.
"Is that a Spirit Beast?"
"Heavens, how could this be?"
"This shouldn't be possible. Is— Is it evolving?!"
"What is this Yin Qi, I think it's freezing my soul…"
"Fellow Daoists, I can't move. My feet— I lost them. I can't feel them!"
"I can't feel my arm."
"I can't feel my stomach, my dantian, Qi! I can't circulate my Qi."
"Such a thing… sound the alarm—"
"Fellow Daoists, fight back!" A man said as he slapped his bag of holding, a small orange bead appearing in his hand. He sent it out, and as it pulsated with a warm light, the ice in the area began to melt.
"The Vermillion Bird's Golden Core!"
"Fellow Daoist Hei Tu, you saved us!"
The crowd cheered as the feeling in their bodies and control over their Qi returned. Bai Da Wei didn't hesitate to reinforce his body with Qi, taking out a sword from his bag of holding and jumping on top of it.
"Fellow Daoists, I'll go on ahead and alert the Sect Elders."
"Bai Da Wei, you—"
However, before Ling Shen could finish his sentence, a shiver ran down his spine. He watched Bai Da Wei's body go limp, falling at the same time as his sword.
"This—"
"What killed him?"
"I couldn't see anything, he just died!"
"Gah—" Another cultivator from the group that arrived the last fell, his face still frozen in shock from seeing Bai Da Wei die.
Invisible Qi attacks that damage the spirit?! The man named Hei Tu thought, then yelled "Raise your defenses, now!" The man that pulled out the Golden Core yelled, and sparks flew from his sides as whatever attack had threatened to take his life failed.
Two of them dying was already shameful. They were Foundation Establishment experts at the end of the day. As long as they were prepared, unless the enemy was far above them in cultivation, they could not die so easily.
"As long as the Vermillion Core is with us, we have a chance of winning. Kill the Spirit Beast!"
"Kill it!"
"Kill it!"
And just then, the aura around the Spirit Beast turned even icier, and a multi-colored light shone out of its body, creating a spectacular cacophony of colors that seemed to freeze and melt with every passing second.
***
[Cultivation Increased! Qi Condensation VI has become Qi Condensation VII!]
I didn't know what level of cultivation those two had, but the rest of the group didn't seem to be as weak as the others from earlier. I spotted a few that had the symbol of the flying sword, notably the one I killed as he literally flew away on a sword.
There were some pill symbols and blooming lotus symbols, as well as one that belonged to the shining jade faction. I saw one that belonged to the multi-colored Phoenix.
I would bet my feathers they're foaming from their mouths upon seeing me.
I couldn't move much, not with all the pain coursing through my body and having to focus on the mantra for the Ghost Qi Technique, but I could still cast a limited amount of skills.
Amongst them being the Myriad Qi Needle. It had ranked up, which meant I could now control eighteen needles. Such a skill was too good, though the amount of concentration it took me was far more than I could exert at the moment.
I'd hoped to kill them all at once, though it turned out to be a mere dream. Cultivators weren't weak after all, and if they were strong enough to possess the core of a Vermillion Bird, then they weren't simple either.
Just for safety's sake, I activated Heaven's Protection, and waited. I wanted to see what they could do to me.
I didn't know how much time had passed since I started the evolution and cultivating process, but that didn't matter either. Mother would give me a good scolding as soon as I got back to the nest, though.
Looking at the cultivators with my Divine Sense, I saw the fear and panic in their eyes vanish, replaced instead by greed. Some of them must have realised that I was a Phoenix, and as they talked, each and every one of them took out a weapon.
Spears, axes, swords, daggers, in all shapes and sizes, got infused with Qi. They glowed with an interesting light, each having a different sort of shine to them.
The man in front, the one that had pulled out the Vermillion Core, as they called it, took out a thin, sharp and scary looking sword. The aura it gave off was greater than the cultivator itself.
A treasure!
I frowned inwardly, and already thought of how to take care of them before my evolution finished.
Using Qi needles to exhaust them would draw too much mental strength, however surrounding the lake area with Nirvanic Flames would keep them away until they figured out how to put them out.
With my rapid advancements and strong foundation, maintaining the wall of flames wasn't an issue. But I didn't do it yet. I waited for one of them to approach.
Why aren't they calling for reinforcements, they were pretty keen on doing that earlier.
I asked myself, but I knew why.
Greed.
A lone, powerless Phoenix undergoing evolution? It was like taking candy from a child in their mind. It didn't matter if some of them died, as long as they were more and stronger, they would split the profits of having hunted me.
Ignorant and arrogant.
I decided to let them play their game, though. I felt that the evolution process was reaching its end anyway.
Regretfully, I won't be able to break into the eighth layer of Qi Condensation due to these bastards interrupting me.
They all deserve death!
Finally, they made a move.
Hand signs were weaved, pills were consumed, and weapons were brandished. They all charged at me like a bull seeing red.
As they stepped into the Qi lake— which looked rather solid on the surface— their feet sunk. Slowly, but they did.
The lake had become viscous instead of solid after I'd absorbed so much of its Qi, and their weight also made it harder for them to move.
However, while I didn't expect them to be so foolish, they made my job easier.
With the little control I had over Yin Qi, I willed the lake to freeze.
They halted their steps, unable to move, and stared at me with shock. The Vermillion Core pulsated behind them, however it only managed to warm up the environmental Qi. As for unfreezing the lake? Hehe, it would take more power than that.
Just as I'd thought that, one of them infused their weapon with fire, and smashed down on the ice. The surface of the lake cracked, and it shattered, leaving behind potent fire remnants.
I couldn't freeze the lake again.
However, a cold smile creased my beak. I was wondering how to light the lake on fire while not able to move my wings, and they had delivered the solution to me.
While it wouldn't be as strong, the Nirvanic Flames were the lords of fire, and as long as said fire didn't already have an owner, I could make use of it.
From the flame remnants the cultivator left behind, I created a large flame that made the air unbreathable. From within my Divine Sense, I watched them cover their mouths and brave the Nirvanic Flames.
They had all escaped, and I earned myself some precious time for my evolution to finish. I doubted I could kill them in my state with their defenses raised, but once I evolved…
Hehehe.
I chuckled upon thinking about all the bags of holding and precious treasures I would loot from their bodies. I hadn't yet checked the ones I'd already grabbed due to the lack of time and Mother being around more often.
However I took care of them, I would definitely check everything I'd grabbed.
And for that to happen, I needed to take care of the pests coveting… well… me. I didn't know how to feel about that. Mother was right, these humans were truly foolish. They knew they had little chance of killing me, let alone capturing me, yet they tried anyway.
I was suddenly reminded by a quote spoken by someone of important character once. 'Birds die for food, men die for wealth.'
It was hard to believe at first, but I couldn't deny it upon seeing the truth before me.
With the wall of flames already created, all I had to do was keep feeding it with Qi and it would continue to protect me. Pairing that with Heaven's Protection, I should be safe.
At least, that's what I thought before the man that pulled out the Vermillion Core pulled out another core, its color the complete opposite of the former.
"I-I-Ice Crow Golden Core? Brother Hei Tu…" One of the cultivators that were in said 'Brother Hei Tu's' group exclaimed, clearly unprepared for the massive amount of wealth the man displayed.
I caught the tiniest bit of greed shining in his eyes, something that Hei Tu guy had not seen.
I chuckled inwardly. Surely he didn't plan on attacking a fellow alliance member after 'dealing' with me? Perhaps he was planning on injuring them.
Either way though, none of his plans would come to fruition.
The Ice Crow Golden Core shot toward me, passing through the wall of flames as if it wasn't even there, then they began to dim and extinguish as its frigid aura suppressed them.
Interesting. No doubt that will help me advance with the Ghost Qi Technique… an ice elemental Golden Core. Heheh, to think they would deliver so many treasures to me.
I didn't care much about their means of trying to extinguish the fire, as I simply sent even more Qi into it, causing it to come back to life. The Ice Crow Golden Core did a good job at keeping the wall down, however that Hei Tu guy clearly wasn't an ice type cultivator, and so controlling it would have diminishing returns.
Therefore, I could somewhat match the core's output even in my evolution state.
"Fellow Daoist Hei Tu—"
"Silence." He said, looking at me with a complicated expression. "We should retreat and inform the sect elders. This thing is too strange."
Oh? Someone with some common sense. I chuckled coldly.
It was too late.
As the agonising pain in my body began to fade, I could tell that my evolution had come to an end. I managed to sit awake through all of that, and cultivate at the same time.
I'd only reached the seventh layer of Qi Condensation, but that was enough for me to deal with these guys.
I stretched my wings and straightened my back, revelling in the feeling of my new body. The aching and soreness gradually faded away, and a beautiful seven colored light enveloped my body as the evolution process was finishing up.
My feathers glowed with an iridescent light, and I began floating toward the sky without willing to. I didn't float too high, but high enough to see the expressions of the cultivators below turn to panic.
Some looked like they wanted to escape, some like they wanted to fight, but without question, they all looked at me with incredible greed. Even that Hei Tu fellow, who seemed so cool-headed a moment ago.
You all may be at a higher cultivation level than me… but I doubt any of you are above Level 5, and I don't think you fools even know what an 'Evolution' is. Let me show you then…
As that thought appeared in my mind, the multi-colored light flooded my vision. I heard some attacks bounce off my protective layers, but I didn't pay them any mind. System said there would be a certain amount of protection during the evolution process, and I guessed it was strongest when it was on the verge of being done.
The seven colors kept getting brighter and brighter, and with my current height, I doubted anyone with eyes would not have noticed me. That meant that both Mother and the sect elders these guys talked about would soon be upon me.
I wasn't sure I wanted to deal with all that headache.
Finally, the colors subdued, and using my Divine Sense, I saw all of them converge into a single feather on my now long and beautiful tail. That feather turned from its previous orange tint to a dim light blue color.
I couldn't help but feel some amount of disappointment upon seeing that.
I hope my tail won't look like a rainbow…
A moment after that happened, the protection I'd gained from evolving faded.
[Congratulations, Fa Xiaolan!]
[You have evolved from [Phoenix Chick] to [Elemental Phoenix]. Though you are still a chick, you've climbed up the hierarchy!]
[Please check out the new perks—]
Later, I can't read all that right now!
[...]
[Fair Point.]
Not a moment after I dismissed System, a dozen or so sword Qi slashes, spear thrusts, whip… whips and other attacks flew toward me.
I dodged all of them within inches without using Side Step, then soared toward the sky. My new body felt fresh, powerful, filled with vigor, and yet a little unfamiliar. I guessed it took a bit of time to get used to.
Ironic that both times I 'hatched' I had to fight for my life. I didn't mind, as a sharp blade wasn't forged in honey and dew.
I let out an inhuman screech, my voice echoing throughout the entire forest, scaring off whatever little birds and weak Spirit Beasts were left in the vicinity.
The humans looked up at me with a mix of fear and determination, though I couldn't tell if they wanted to fight or run away.
Either way, I gave them no choice but to do the former.
I dove toward them, stretching my wings and summoning my Myriad Qi Needles. However, I soon found out that controlling eighteen of them was more difficult than I'd anticipated.
So ranking up the skill doesn't give me immediate mastery… that makes sense.
I gave up on six of them and stuck to the twelve I'd already mastered, I couldn't afford to experiment against cultivators an entire major realm above me.
With my claws primed, beak at the ready and flames surrounding my body, I dove at the most dangerous of them all, Hei Tu.
He clearly hadn't expected the sudden attack, as he could only raise his weapon in defense at the last second.
My needless bounced off his barrier and disappeared into nothingness right before my talons connected with it. Cracks appeared on its surface, and it shattered shortly after my flames seeped through them.
Hei Tu slashed with his sword, the Qi surrounding it shooting toward me at point blank distance. My Heaven's Protectionshattered, and both of us took a step back.
However I wasn't allowed a break as a spear attack threatened to pierce my heart. Sparks flew off as I stopped with my talons, and I sensed a fire attack coming my way.
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Did that fool really use a fire attack… against a Phoenix?
His attack had no effect on me, and if I wasn't locked in combat with the Hei Tu guy, I would have actually laughed in his face. However, they weren't the only cultivators present.
One of them weaved a set of hand signs, and a formation appeared above us, then slammed into me with the weight of a hundred elephants.
I struggled to resist, but in the end collided with the ground.
A suppression formation… hah!
I found myself quite amazed at the fact they'd thought to bring a formation master along. Though this flimsy thing could hardly be called a formation…
A formation required preparation, this one done in haste was nothing more than a toy!
I flared my Phoenix Fire and the pressure lifted immediately, as the formation shattered in less than a moment. I side stepped and waved my wings, forming a series of hand signs that summoned my Nirvanic Flames into a purer, more powerful form.
With both fires ablaze, I willed them into being flame Dragons once again, and sent them at the group.
[Skill: Flame Dragons(Novice) has been created.]
Oh? That's new!
As soon as that skill got added to my set, the control I had over both Dragons increased, as did the mental capacity necessary to control them.
To think there was such a thing!
As panic rose amongst the cultivators, I took to the skies once again, weaving through the attacks of those that didn't have to deal with my Dragons, and willed another twelve needles into existence.
I sent them toward the defenseless Hei Tu, but given the constant bombardment of sword Qi, spear Qi and other attacks I couldn't discern, only about half of them made it to him.
However, he must have expected them, as I caught him… rotating his sword and creating a swirling vortex that ate my needles.
Ok, what the fuck is that skill?
I didn't have too much time to observe as the man using the spear began circulating a large amount of Qi into it.
He created a projection far larger and sharper than the actual spear, and stabbed toward me with pinpoint accuracy. I dodged it by a hair's breadth, but the attack caught me on the tip of my wing.
I plummeted through the air, and saw Hei Tu's sword slash toward me with a similar attack. I cursed inwardly and activated Heaven's Protection, which absorbed some of the damage, but still allowed the sword phantom to slash at my chest.
I tumbled backward like a kite with its string cut, breaking bushes and saplings in my wake.
A tree stopped me, and I spit out a mouthful of blood, then quickly Side Stepped, dodging an actual spear flying straight at my head. Taking advantage of the darkness, I slipped into Stealth and Shadow Cloak, becoming almost invisible to the chasing group.
"Fuck, where did it go?"
"Be careful, it has a stealth technique!"
"I can't detect it, fuck! How advanced is that technique?"
"Group together, stay vigilant!"
Hei Tu gave orders while the others followed, their eyes scanning around the shadowy forest. I held my breath and waited a little for my injuries to heal. I hadn't lost that much HP, but the injury to my wing would prove fatal in combat.
The man himself was quite vigilant, his eyes glowing with a strange light. He must be trying to break through my skills with some kind of special technique.
As if it's going to be that easy!
I inspected the cultivators. They all looked to be on guard, scanning the environment, each with their own different technique. However, my skill turned out to be far above their paygrade.
They must have already put their defenses up, my needles won't be able to do anything… unless— I gulped, remembering the skill description of the Myriad Qi Needles.
'Can be imbued with elemental affinity.'
I summoned twelve of them and focused my Nirvanic Flames. They slowly turned into a bright yellow-orange right before my eyes. I could feel tiny amounts of Nirvanic aura seeping out of them, which brought a smile to my face.
The easy part was done… next.
I targeted one of the weaker ones, the man who used the 'formation' on me. He didn't look like anything special, wearing a dark blue robe with the symbol of the pill sect on his chest.
However, he also threw pills and provided some sort of supporting role. His usefulness would show in a drawn out battle, something I wanted to avoid.
My evolution signaled my location, and the best case scenario would be nobody seeing it, but how could anyone ignore a multi-colored light shining in the middle of a forest? That was basically the sign of a treasure being born.
Without hesitating further, I watched the man's movement, calculating his position before and after reacting to my needles and… attacked!
Chapter 25: Men die for treasure, birds die for food
The first needle shot forward, hitting the barrier, then dissolving. The second one landed exactly where the first one had been, and the cultivator finally noticed the sneak attack.
The third one arrived a few moments later, aimed at the same spot, but taking his dodging into account.
The fourth and fifth missed, as my prediction didn't take into account the fact that he would slap a talisman on his chest.
I clicked my tongue and changed plans, summoning another three needles and infusing them with the Nirvanic aura. Exercising more control was a must now that my calculations had failed, and so the sixth landed near the rest of them, and the seventh barely broke through the surface of the protection.
I lunged out, following the eight and ninth, which did nothing more than miss and bounce off the barrier. Grass rustled below me, which revealed my location to the lot of them.
Side Step!
I dodged the sword Qi from Hei Tu, then ducked, evading the spear strike from the other guy.
[Skill: Evasion has reached the (Intermediate) rank!]
A foreign flame attack brushed past my feathers, and I finally reached the talisman user. I clawed at the spot where the seventh needle had penetrated, undoing my stealth skills in the process, then shot a Peck with pinpoint accuracy.
The barrier shattered under the powerful blow, and the rest of the needles shot toward his head. He leaped out of the way, but I managed to catch his shoulder with a single needle.
"Argh—" He groaned in pain, his eyes widening in horror upon realising that he couldn't use his arm anymore.
I clicked my tongue, annoyed at having failed my assasination attempt. I couldn't use my stealth skills anymore and my wing had not fully healed.
To be quite honest this fight had already begun to annoy me. Why were humans so hard to kill?
I took a quick account of my available skills and all the ways I could use them to kill the cultivators. However, I didn't know what sort of last minute measures they would have to save their skin, and that Hei Tu guy seemed loaded.
Weaving a set of wing signs, I summoned the Nirvanic Flames, using them to both cover my body and create an attack. Their appearance made the cultivators hesitate, and the pill guy couldn't use his hand anymore to create formations.
Hiding beneath those initial flames, I used Phoenix Fire to boost the attack's deadliness, then I jumped as high as I could, and sent it toward the ground.
Heaven's Protection shattered once again, taking away a good portion of my Qi, but successfully protecting me.
The double fire attack exploded onto the ground, scorching it black. Wave upon wave of flames spread out from the center of the explosion, catching the cultivators by surprise.
The fire burned away their clothes and threatened to melt their skin, however cultivators of their level had some degree of resistance against heat.
Foundation Establishment cultivators are no joke…
I groaned internally and primed my Iron Claws, side stepping toward Hei Tu.
He seemed to have expected me, as his sword was already slashing toward my position. I clicked my tongue and deflected it, then sent a flying kick toward his stomach.
Talismans burned, protections shattered, and my hit connected, punching a hole through his lower body, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Brother Hei Tu!"
"Save Brother Hei Tu!"
They all rushed toward me, weapons ready to strike me down. However, Brother Hei Tu didn't need saving. Despite his grave injuries, he took a hold of my leg, and a cold aura of ice made me unable to burn him from the inside out.
The Ice Crow Golden Core? When did he collect it? Sneaky bastard!
Although he had literally grabbed me, I wasn't quite helpless. Pushing off with my other leg, my sharp talons destroyed his organs, though he bore through the pain and raised his sword.
"Stay back!"
Hei Tu yelled, his eyes shining with the unmistakable glint of greed.
So you want the biggest piece of the reward? Sigh, even people like you can't see the immensity of heaven and earth.
His sword glowed with a pure, blue spiritual Qi, the oppressive aura making even my feathers stand on their end. The air around the blade turned dense, the wind whipping crazily about as he gathered more and more power.
Finally, he was ready to strike, his sword having grown by at least three sizes and its sharp aura cutting the ground, trees, and bushes in the area. It was so wild it even hit some of his fellow cultivators, though they did not suffer any damage besides torn clothes.
That did make them stop advancing.
The sharpness cut me on my stomach, legs and face, causing blood to drip down my feathers.
This was the full strength attack of a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator. I knew it wouldn't kill me, but whatever the result would be, I would end up severely damaged.
"Crazy bastard!" I roared, though I wasn't sure they understood me. Theoretically they should be able to.
Who knew? Either way, his actions were reckless.
Ruthless to the enemy, even more ruthless to oneself. Sigh, too bad he's fated to die today.
If such a man was allowed to grow, he would be a menace to enemy factions.
However, he didn't account for two things.
I forced myself to spin once again, digging with my free leg into his flesh, activating Tail Whip, and cutting off his arm before his attack could hit me.
The severed arm, still holding the sword, flew through the air, the sharp aura cutting the top of my left wing off and causing chaos and destruction in the area before finally running out of power.
Ignoring the coursing pain, I took advantage of his missing protection, and sent my strongest attack toward him.
I called upon the Myriad Qi Needles that were left over from my previous attack.
The four or so needles shot right through his skull. His unceremonious death was announced by the system, as gasps of shock and awe escaped the mouths of the other cultivators.
[You have slain Hei Tu Yang, [Cultivator] Lvl 7]
[XP Acquired]
He probably didn't think I could use that skill so many times in a row, and bet on his skill with the sword to strike first. But how could I allow myself to get hit by such a powerful attack?
Him not knowing my tail was sharper than his sword was no fault of his, he was too reckless.
From the moment I attacked to the moment his corpse fell to the ground, only a few moments passed.
The panic of his death made the cultivators lose their composure for a moment. I'd be willing to bet that for some of them, this was their first time seeing someone die… aside from the other two from earlier.
Either way, I took advantage of their panic and quickly shattered the protective barrier of the guy closest to me, then killed him with a quick shot of Myriad Qi Needles. However, just as I turned toward another target, a painful headache coursed through my skull, and the needles I wanted to summon didn't appear.
[Warning! You have overexerted your mental prowess. Skills that require mental concentration are unable to be used.]
Oh that's some bullshi—
The pain appeared again, and in the brief moment I stopped to catch my breath, the spear from that man rushed toward my throat.
"It's weakened! Avenge Brother Hei Tu!" He yelled, as if he gave a shit about the man that just died.
I clicked my tongue and side stepped, having to return to my old ways of killing. The skill description didn't say anything about my mental power being a factor! I feel scammed, I want a refund!
I liked using them as well…
Without much I could do besides sighing, I took count of my enemies.
From the original six, Hei Tu died and the pill formation user guy was out of the combat, except for distributing pills to his allies. Amongst those was a member of the Phoenix sect, whatever their name was, who looked at me with shock and awe.
Are they all fucking fanatics? Why did they join the hunt for Phoenixes then!
The others were members of different sects, either using swords or spears, or halberds. I think one had a saber.
Either way, that was all I could see before all of their weapons' Qi shot toward me at an incredible speed. Some collided with one another, cancelling the attack, while the rest had a clear path toward me.
I didn't know why they bothered doing that again. Had their sect not taught them how to work together? Was Foundation Establishment such a joke on this continent? Or were they just absolute fools who'd never fought outside of tournaments.
Ah, I'm tired. Let's wrap this one up already.
My wing had healed enough for me to fly, and I took to the skies, dodging all of their attacks. I weaved my wings and conjured another ball of Nirvanic Flames, then used it to light my own body on fire.
The Phoenix Fire was summoned as well, and I used it to create two Flame Dragons, which coiled around my neck.
From down below, I must have looked like a golden-yellow sun that soon became a meteor, crashing toward them.
Upon impact with the ground, the Dragons lashed out at the nearby cultivators while the ones at the back only had the shockwave to defend against. The guy from the Phoenix sect seemed only a little bothered by the fire, but that didn't mean the panic on his face wasn't real.
With another weave of my wings, the flames blazed to life, engulfing them and their barriers. After Hei Tu died, their entire formation had collapsed, and they were like headless chickens.
I rushed toward the spear user and bore through the headache, summoning six needles to aid me in taking him down. First I kicked, then I Pecked, then the barrier shattered and then—
"Heheh, you think that trick would work twice?" He laughed and a spear aura appeared behind him, its penetrating aura almost puncturing a hole in my lung.
Immune to my needles? Fuck! I screamed internally upon noticing that my needles disappeared upon making contact with his skull.
I should have known that damned weakness would appear. I'd already used them for a long period of time as well. This skill would be too strong if it didn't have such a high usage and efficiency requirement.
It worked great against those low level Spirit Beasts, but against humans and stronger monsters it would be better used as a killing blow rather than a method of assassination.
However such thoughts should be saved for another day, as currently the spear aura shot toward me alongside the actual spear. It almost looked like a phantom spear from my point of view.
A point of view that was about to get speared and turned into Phoenix skewers!
I side stepped, however the man had expected even that, as the rest of the cultivators shot their weapon Qi at all of the four spots I could have appeared in.
One of them had hit me, despite having to deal with the Flame Dragons. It clearly wasn't the full strength of their attack, yet it still sent me tumbling back like a kite with its string cut.
The spear aura shot toward my landing spot— a tree that shook as I collided with it. I moved my neck just in time for the spear to brush past my feathers, and the base of the tree got split in two as the spear aura disappeared.
"Tsk." The man clicked his tongue as he approached me, preparing another such spear attack.
How did they coordinate that attack? There's no way that was random! Telepathy?! Damn them, cheaters!
I stood up and summoned two other Flame Dragons, sending them forward. They grew larger and jumped at the man, and I followed closely behind while activating my stealth skills. My increased Qi storage, and if I had to guess, increased Qi regeneration, allowed for more time spent within the shadows.
However stealth wasn't exactly a viable strategy considering all the flames, but I only needed him to lose me for a single moment.
He scoffed and swung his spear, scattering the lunging Dragons into a cloud of fire. The man looked quite smug as I approached him with a semi-invisible flying kick. His expression changed to one of shock when it was too late for him to block, and he had forgotten to slap another protective talisman.
"What, you think I can only use Qi attacks?" I chirped out angrily as my talons met his face, and he fell over.
"You—" I scratched at his face, creating a deep gash on his cheeks.
"Arrogant—" I Pecked at his forehead, cracking his skull.
"Stupid—" Then my talons gouged his eyes out, and his shrill screams filled the area with the atmosphere of a wailing dog.
"Human!" I Pecked once again at another spot with as much strength as I could, and the two points met with a fracture that cracked his skull open, revealing his brain.
I kept scratching, cursing and Pecking until he stopped moving, and I could feel the other's fearful gazes stare at me with horror.
By the time I was done with the man, there was nothing that anyone could use to recognise him, and I heaved as I raised my head to glare at the others.
I prepared myself in an attacking stance, and lunged at the closest one, their last words earning a chuckle from me.
"Why is it so loud?"