>>5698975

Who looked just a little too amused by the chaos he had just witnessed, so for good measure you gently smacked him on the head, making sure to not extend your claws and strike him with the pad of your paw.

"I take that to be an order of silence?" He asked meekly, rubbing the spot you struck as you sat on your haunches before him, unleashing a withering gaze upon him "I see why you wouldn't want word to get out of your interests, that books, while a fantastic read, would do much to lower the fearsome reputation you have earned amongst your students and supplicants. Perhaps we may discuss it in private sometime? The only ones who read that old story were the maids of the imperial palace and...for obvious reasons, they avoided me like a small pox plague!"

"I haven't read it" You barked, which was the truth, you'd only been recommend that book by Anjing as the "Foundation of modern romance" and you couldn't say no to her eight eyes sparkling with glee, though you did take a peak past the cover while you were waiting for Ping's lecture to be finished "And really, the more I learn about your tragic past, the sadder I become, my dear disicple"

"It is the lot in life the gods gave me" He mused, turning away as he ran a hand over his ape like face, his shame of it making the atmosphere of his room awkward and stilted "To be thought of as a beast or monster, when I am but a man with a lonely heart"

"Have you ever thought about taking up poetry?" You asked, trying to lift his spirits as you hid the gift you intended to give him on your tail, the Bangle of the Great Forge Devil. The bat winged shaped bangle, forged of magic copper and demonic iron, once belonged to the very devil that created the desolation Feiqing traveled to to break his bottleneck with the strange metals that still remained there. He found large vein of meteorite iron, if you recall, which made him far stronger than he was when he first ventured into the wastes.

Though you won the bangle from your wisely placed bets during the crow king's tournament, you knew that it held secrets beyond what you were told when you collected it. Feiqing, with the iron he has infused into himself, has little need for a trinket that can help him endure the forges heat though its supreme level of fire resistance should prove handy to him anyways. But you believe those secrets and its true potential could be unlocked by a smith, especially one of Feiqing's incredible talent.

"Oh I did. But my patrons ran away screaming when they came to meet me in person" He sighs, shuffling to his drawers of trinkets and personal belongs "I could show you some of my works I was able to gather when I fled the capital when the former emperor was nearly killed the first time"

"In exchange for a gift perhaps?" You cackle as you flick your tail and hold it over his head. Feiqing's small eyes bulge open as he beholds the majesty of the artifact hoisted above him, and you notice a twinkle of recognition in his eyes

>>5698976

"Lady Huanliuxue, this humble smith is unworthy of such a gift" He muttered quietly, understanding immediately the immensity of the treasure dangling before his

"Then consider it, my humble artisan, a prize and a challenge for making me such a lovely throne" You huff, not wishing to play the game of etiquette now "It holds secrets I cannot unlock, but the great forge devil and you are both smiths by trade, surely if there is anyone beneath the heavens that can unlock its true power, it'd be the great Feiqing, student of the great Huanliuxue!"

"I half expected you to say "I know talent when I see it, boy"" Feiqing meekly chortled as he dared to reach for the bangle "But this is quite the responsibility you have hoisted upon me"

"I haven't become my mother yet" You snort with a haughty pout "And I expect my disciples to accomplish great things, all of you. Otherwise you aren't worthy of the title. Take the bracelet Feiqing, stop wasting time with courtesy and snatch it! I already gave you the journal of that legendary smith, why not take the property of a dead devil general as well! You've earned it when I chose you as my student, after all! Be proud!"

He bowed his head, and thought for a long moment, before carefully, gingerly tugging and pulling the bangle off of your tail, trying to not pull a single hair from your hide. An effort you appreciate greatly.

You watch him, as like a kitten finding its tail for the first time, he inspects the bangle, running his forge scarred, callused fingers along its blood red and pitch black surface, admiring its inner light as it casts his hands and face in a deep crimson shadow. Then like a gardener plucking a blossom from thorns, his meaty fingers trace around the various charms hanging from it. The length of fiery red hair that is nearly as lustrous and breathtaking as your own when you're human, sparks flying between it and his finger tips before he moves onto the blackened bone.

Then he pauses and lifts up the curious piece of carved waxy jade, that seamlessly shifted from murky brown, to abyssal black to fiery red, shaped in the image of a fearsome, horned devil surrounded by flame. His fingers shot back to the piece of hair and his eyes narrowed in deep contemplation as sparks shot once more between his hand and the bangle

"Curious" he whispered "A piece of the forge devil himself"

Then, loping with all the grace of an a gorilla, he strode over to his bookshelf and plucked the ancient text, Last Will of a Heaven's defying Smith (最后遗嘱的一个天 违拗工匠, Zuìhòuyízhǔdīyīgetiānwéi'àogōngjiàng), and sat down on the floor, the bangle in one hand as he used to other to nearly tear open the priceless manual. And at that, you knew he was lost to the rest of the world for the time being. it was almost cute seeing him so consumed by his interest, that you were tempted to just lay down and watch him study and meditate.
Cont

>>5698977

But that whimsical thought reminded you that you had studies of your own to see to.

You had been so busy rearing your students and building up your sect, you had barely given any time to your own development. And now with your cultivation throne finished and quite a few artifacts and materials that'd be perfect in your cultivation chamber as part of an array, you decided now was the time to bury your nose back into dusty books and scrolls, in preparation of cultivating.

After all, meditating in the crypt and cultivating atop graves always seemed to end with you waking up years after you sat down to hold court among the accursed and maddened dead. So it stands to reason you should cram as much research and insights as you can into your skull before you bury yourself again.

And what better text to pursue than the Beast Saint Doctrine (野兽圣教理, Yěshòushèngjiàolǐ)? Part of your inheritance as a wild princess and heiress of imperial beastdom! You've already studied the manual once before, and put into practice some of the forgotten martial techniques preserved within it upon Anjing's more feral and worthless siblings, whom you slaughtered like the pack of wild dogs they were, which lead you to meeting The assassin Heizhizhu (黑蜘蛛, Dark Spider) Bāmóushā (八谋杀 , Eight Murders), one of her elder brothers, whom after a brief tussle you parted on good terms, and with quite a few of his arms in your possession. Which you still needed to decide if you were going to do anything with besides keep as a grisly trophy. Maybe Monu could figure out what to do with it, once she was finished cutting up the Crow King's stinking carcass.

Mental training. DC 82. Best out of four. Can spend a portion of your +400 bonus

And once this roll is done, we'll move onto the cultivation roll, which will be altered by the materials/artifacts you use in it, IE: The throne, the black horned skull...etc

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>5698979

Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>5698979

Rolled 59 (1d100)

>>5698979

Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>5698979

>>5698979
Looks like we're gonna have to spend some of our points, if we can after rolling

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>>5698984
So that'll be a failure by exactly 10, unless you want to spend some of your training/ cultivation bonus.

Which will be decided in a lightning round of voting, since I really do wanna pick up the pace for this quest.

>>5698994
You can if you want.

This vote will last for an hour unless there's an obvious winner sooner.

>No, take the failure

>Yes, Spend exactly 10 of the bonus to succeed

>Yes, Custom amount

>>5698995
>Yes, Custom amount

I say we spend 28 points so we get a 100 for this

>>5698995
Might need to extend the lightning round to two hours, unless more votes come in, since it'd be unfair to proceed with only one imo

>>5698997
supporting, if only to keep the pace up rather than arguing since the real debate will be over cultivating.

>>5698997
>Yes, Spend exactly 10 of the bonus to succeed
I'm fine with expending some of our bonus to pass the check, but I feel like we might be getting a little too lost-in-the-weeds by trying to proc some numerology-based benefit on every roll.

>>5698997
Supporting

>>5699012
We get benefit for every 10 over the DC, this is no numerology.

>>5699015
DC is 82. By that logic, we are wasting 8 points by rounding it up to 100, instead of 102 (20 over DC).

>>5698995
>Yes, Spend exactly 10 of the bonus to succeed
I would rather use the number int he cultuvation roll itself.

>>5698997
>>5699008
>>5699014
Alright so you'll raise the failure to a success of 10 over DC and at a clean 100.

Sorry for taking awhile past the 1 hour mark, just went trawling through the previous threads to see what was the highest roll Huan had made for...reasons and to double check how many karma points she had, also for reasons.

This will leave you with a bonus, before other modifiers of 372.

Update will arrive shortly

>>5699027
+28 points gives us 110, not 100

>>5699016
Dammit, you're right

Finding a lonesome and remote chamber of your sect, away from the comfort of your personal chambers that may lull you to sleep or any distractions that might draw you away from your studies, you set the ancient manual of the Beast Saint Doctrine (野兽圣教理, Yěshòushèngjiàolǐ) your distant inheritance left by the first magical beast betrayed by their fellow daoist when the Five Wise Immortal sages (五哲仙哲, Wǔzhéxiānzhé) the strongest students of the Five Colors emperor, betrayed their duty in favor of their ambition to rule the heavens and the mortal realms, erasing history and marking ascended beasts as demons worthy of only slaughter

Just thinking of their treachery makes your blood boil, so you do not dwell on the history of the priceless, irreplaceable treasure you've set in front of your paws as your curl into a corner of a storage room lit by the false ghost lights you've generated around yourself, lighting the dusty room with pale blue light as they bob around and flit about like so many fire flies. Last time you opened this heavenly artifact, you studied the lost techniques of your forebears, learning portions of their martial styles and adapting their moves and stances to fit in with your own ethereal feline martial arts. Which was quite the challenge considering you have two bodies and thus two forms of that ghostly martial art to adapt to. And while you had thought to research the magical traditions and long forgotten sorceries of your bestial predecessors, you've realized, despite you attaining of human knowledge and your ownership of the lost records and buried histories of Ascended Animals, you know next to nothing of the process of Bestial evolution, despite knowing more than anyone alive or dead but not yet born again knows of how Beasts awaken their intellect and being the foremost expert on the curious ability of True awakening, where beasts gain to ability to freely shift their shape between their natural form and a human appearance, though you can't claim to be the only one who achieved that level of enlightenment by simply realizing their is little that separates civilized man and beast, since the Geges had managed to grasp it not too long ago

And that gap in your knowledge, that missing piece of expertise in the nature of demonic beasts, is something you desperately wish to fill and find! Since it is your birthright to rule over all beasts and eventually all mankind as well, living or dead, to not know such an important part of your kind's existence is shamefully! Utterly shameful! It'd be like a ruler not knowing the borders of his lands, or the geography within, or the position and population of its city and villages, nor the demeanor and way of life of their inhabitants! To not know it would be like to claim rulership of a land you've never seen with your own eyes, to proclaim dominion of a people you do not protect and shield from the evils of the world

It'd be plain and shameful show of hubris!

>>5699088

so you decided to study this mysterious occurrence that you've already undergone once before. How a beast's body can shift, change, adapt, grow stronger and gain mysterious and just plain bizarre powers. The only time you have evolved, you did so by refining the very essence of your soul with the Ghostly Yin Qi of hungry ghosts and devils, empowering your lifeforce with its anthesis and growing your soul by draining the essences of others. And your body was forced to adapt to contain the larger spirit that was now tied to it and grow stronger and more durable due to your souls increased and deepened Yin energy and alignment. An alignment you only deepened when you refined your very being when you were reduced to a puddle of blood and grudge energy when you challenged the authority of the proud heavens and tricked those witless gods like they were idiot children.

Hours pass as you read the dry and plainly written treatises explaining Demonic Beast Evolution. You had not realized that your kinsmen could be so formal, and painfully so. This portion of the text reminds you of the written work of scholars and officials who explain everything mechanically and at such length even the most enthusiastic scribe or student would be bored to tears. Of course a genius of your stature and level can understand why the lessons is present by a prose that could actually bore someone to death. Its to keep willful children and wild youths who haven't yet grasped deeper wisdom and reached a profound enough intelligence to grasp the abstract, unintuitive and theoretical, which is part of the obscure knowledge you call "Human wisdom".

Not just because they wouldn't be ready to gain the power evolution embodies, but also because they could get hurt or wander off to strange places in search of something that doesn't exist, unable to understand the symbolism or esoteric nature of what they read. So its written so dully to dissuade them from reading further and through misunderstanding the text that requires a more complex and vast mind to truly understand, be brought to ruin.

Of course, to a genius like yourself, the basics of beast evolution were easy enough to sus out without any guidance or actual study. You already knew that one method was accomplished through refining or otherwise altering the soul, and forcing the body to change through it to contain it. Like how certain clays absorb tea or wine or poison into their porous surface, something you learned about through reading A History of Imperial tea ceremony and Monu explaining her choice of vessels for containing the poisons she makes.
Cont

Another method is mutation, which you've had an inkling of just from meeting and observing a few of your fellow beasts, who adapt strangely to fit their environment, like Canlan Yuanquan or the Geges, particularly Tiexingege and the iron in her carapace. But you hadn't figured out how that worked exactly, since beasts like Huili also had similar adaptations or abilities without living in a place that would reasonably force or impart such traits. You know enough about nature to know that mundane evolution usually occurs due to the environment a creature chooses to live in and its pressures, but that happens so gradually that its nearly unnoticeable unless an entire bloodline decides to sit down and track the subtle changes of coloration and behavior for countless years.

But, according to the doctrine, it can occur in magical beasts much quicker, from both the mundane factors of their chosen home or from magical interference. Which would explain how Huili gained such a strong affinity to fire when he his intellect awoke, unless of course there is an entire race of fire infused wolves running around in the mountains of Chuan somewhere. He might've just eaten someone with fire aligned roots when he was but a wolf. Apparently the things a beast eats, as well as the Qi around them impacts how they evolve, even at the beginning of their second life, ascending from mere beast to Demonic Beast. The Beast Core acts like furnace, refining and imbuing the inherent Primordial Beast Essence in all Magical beasts with the Qi they absorb into themselves, which means a beast with enough knowhow and understanding of the process can choose their evolution by cultivating a certain type of Qi or living in a certain area or eating expensive materials to flood their core with a particular kind of spiritual energy or substance

Which explains why your method of soul refinement turned you into a true and proper Wild Princess (野生 格格, Yěshēng Gége), since the sudden surge of spiritual energy rushing into your body overfilled your beast core and forced it to produce an excess of Primordial beast essence to adapt your body to contain your more potent and powerful spirit. And while the doctrine itself contains detailed instructions, incredibly boring and complex instruction that make you want to claw out your eyes it is so tiring to read them, the combined insights you have gleamed from both the Collected Accounts of Ascended Beasts, The Bestial Edict to Attain- Human Form (兽诏书为高达-人类形式, Shòuzhàoshūwèigāodá-Rénlèixíngshì), And the Beast Saint Doctrine itself has unearthed even greater knowledge and understanding, revealing to you in this moment not only the method of several basic beastial evolutions, but also several advanced and hidden ones. As well as a true treasure, something that you had only now had come to understand now that the final piece of your understanding of the basic nature of demonic beasts has been fitted into place

>>5699090

Special condition met. Fully study the Biology, spirituality and psychology of magical beasts. Secret Art rediscovered: Demonic Beast Creation (魔兽创造, Móshòuchuàngzào)
Profound Insight gained. +20 to next training/ cultivation roll. Total +392

The method to purposefully and forcefully awaken those beasts born with the innate potential to cultivate. The surge of Bestial energy that your roar of triumph spawned was fantastic enough of a boon for your people, but now in your paw you hold the ability to once again make your kind as numerous and wide spread as they were in the days of ten generations back, before the great betrayal. And now you know the purpose of a Beast's core besides to be ripped out and consumed by a human to bolster their own cultivation. It is a spiritual organ, containing the primordial chaos from which all beasts, even mankind rose up from. The promethean origin of all life. A seed of the sprawling tree of life that all creatures great and small are connected to. And that is the difference between beast and men, they evolve through society, tradition and culture. Beasts still change through the struggle of life and death, hunter and prey. This is why no human has a beast core and why mundane animals don't either. They evolved past it, when their forms were settled and defined eons ago. But Ascended Beasts reclaim the potential of primordial evolution when they awaken to the world and Qi. A sliver of the ever shifting, ever changing world that was wrought into shape in a time now immemorial.

Primordial Beast essence. At last you understand why its named that. It is the essence of the Primordial world that has long been lost, of the formless life that is the ancestor of everything that now exists. A truth that had been lost to the passage of time and aggression of the arrogant gods. An insight of the Dao of evolution, mundane and divine in nature.

All Basic Beast Evolution methods unlocked, 1st tier evolution and beyond. Max Level 3rd tier: Primordial Beast line (1st level, Wild Princess/ Prince), True Devil Line (IE Maogui), Guardian Spirit Line (IE Ice Nympth, Pyre spirit..etc), Elemental Lines (IE, Iron Predator), Wild Sage Line, Feral Warrior Line, Alchemical Blood Line, Chimeric Lineage, Draconic Lineage
Advance Beast evolution methods unlocked, 2nd tier evolution and beyond, max level varies. Sanguine Predator Line (血红色-捕食者, Xuè hóngsè-Bǔshí zhě), Crypt Sorcerer Line (土窖神汉 , Tǔjiàoshénhàn), Cosmic Nature Line (宇宙本质, Yǔzhòuběnzhì)
Cont

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>>5699091

More than satisfied with this bounty of wisdom, you prepare enter your cultivation chamber in your catacomb kingdom, entering the ghost court yard and summoning your spectral courtier, vassals, servants and subjects to provide you with Ghostly Yin Qi, Along with the dangerous horned black skull that could haunt an entire region of the world with the amount of Yin Qi it hold, the star jade throne that has just been made, and any other treasure you think will enrich the chamber with Qi.

Material/ artifact bonus. Astral Jade Throne. Divine Level Cultivation pedestal. +333 to any cultivation roll it is used in. Black Horned Skull, +108 to any cultivation roll for Yin aligned laws. Deadly without an unusually high resistance to Ghostly Yin energy and a High cold resistance, which the ghostly portion of your spiritual roots and Supreme Yin Physique easily supply, Flood Dragon scale +20 to cultivation for Yin cultivation, double if the art is water aligned, White Fur Awakened Bear hide +10 to cultivation for Yin cultivation, double if the art is water aligned, Ghost Empress Melody (鬼皇后旋律, Guǐhuánghòuxuánlǜ), +16 Bonus when used for laws following Ghost centered Daos, Qilin Antlers +20 to cultivation, Massive Pearl of Primordial Beast essence +20 when used by demonic beast, Preserved Sanguine Divine Spirit Peach +20 when used by a holder of Blood Qi. NOTHING WILL BE CONSUMED WITH THIS ROLL, but if the consumables are used in the future, the will be LOST for future cultivation rolls

Also, if you can think of ANYTHING else that could provide a bonus here and I agree with your argument, the Item bonus will be increased further! Current total item bonus +547, complete bonus including current training/ Cultivation bonus, + 939 !

Roll 1d100, Best out four. +547 with just the cultivation chamber bonus, maximum total bonus +939, if you expend all of your training/ cultivation bonus you've acquired up til now

I took the liberty of having Huanliuxue take every cultivation material that could provide a bonus to her cultivation into the chamber with the throne and skull, since I had been keeping a close record of all of the treasures you've been picking up and not just their affects, but their cultivation bonuses.

Except for soul eater's diary, cause that has potential harmful effects and she isn't an idiot. and the ones that would only give a negative to the roll when all the interactions are tallied, like the phoenix feathers. The peach would provide a larger bonus if used with A Yang aligned law but it can only be used by someone with access to blood Qi, similar to the Flood dragon and Bear hide, which would provide only negatives if used by a yang law user and worse if used by a fire cultivator.

And you're going to hitting a few Special conditions justwith the item bonus even if you somehow roll a zero, which is why I went looking for the highest roll Huan had made thus far to make sure they hadn't been met yet

>>5699096
Holy hell.

Uh. Maybe. The diary of Huan, on the basis of using it as a feedback report, as well as a channel that will throw some of its power back along its link to us, which we know there is one due to its self updating nature.

Qi pushed through it can be refined or purified by its passage through the personal Qi of the future/timestream.
Ancient yin qi or time effected yin qi may have some effect, no?

>>5699096
AH!

A pools worth of refined sinner centipede blood! Said to be very yin aligned and is both from hell and fed well on the rivals and ghouls of the crow demons former king.

So I'd say it probably has a similar effect to Quilin antlers or Flood dragon water scales when applied to cultivation on Yin techniques, let alone GHOSTLY focused Yin techniques what with it's old meals and the fact we refined it when we got it.

>>5699099
>>5699102
I am the same person. by the way.

Last suggestion reading through the pastebin's treasure trove, is either making a perfume or a dose of tea out of silver berries which improve our mental abilities and focus, since meditation requires both of those things.

Yes it's a consumable, but it's also something that we should absolutely use here.
We can get over 1000 on a cultivation roll! How many realms can we bypass with that?!

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>5699096
Getting the roll out of the way while I do some reading to see what else we can squeeze some bonus out of.

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>>5699108
+5 consumable bonus

>>5699102
+20 Consumable bonus for Yin + ghostly yin Laws, only able to be taken by someone with high poison resistance or Ghostly physique (Like Huan) without side effects, like death/ internal injury + ??? effect upon consumption (Which anyone who drinks it can get but uh...well they need to survive to actually unlock it)

>>5699099
+16 chamber bonus for Huanliuxue Only + one time ??? effect

All of the ones you've suggested have sound logic behind them/ make sense to your senior's addled mind

So that'll add an addition +25 consumable bonus and add +16 to the chamber bonus of +547, making it +563 before any of your "Floating" cultivation bonus

If anyone else has any suggestions/ ideas, you can place them with a roll or after but before the final tally of bonuses

>>5699128
Which means, currently, you have a flat bonus of +588 before adding of the massive Bonus you've gathered in your travels

>>5699127
I shall await your return from closed door meditation, junior

Rolled 30 (1d100)

>>5699096
completely didn't notice the need to actually roll with this post.

Whoops.

>>5699127
with this at least, we can put it to 1000 with our bonus being left as +41

>>5699129
My fellow junior beat me to the bunch of several ideas, and I'm assuming the Dragon Turtle Shell also falls into the negative bonus category, so all I can think of is using some of the Five Element Water for the tea/perfume idea or taking the Blood Rain, Chaos Mist Pearl and trying to reabsorb the hexed grudge and blood qi we stored in it all that time ago.

>>5699148
I think we've already given the pearl away to be forged into Fu's stuff like we said we would.

>>5699148
BUT A CUP OF FIVE ELEMENTAL WATER!

Using that as water for the stimulant tea could work wonders, as well as balance out our feng shui!
Or if we don't ingest it, place it somewhere in the array of the cultivation chamber to "ground" our stuff into a sort of balance, facilitating easier flow for the peach and not directly yin/cold related stuff.

>>5699150
it's been growing for a while now so we could take a few cups right?

>>5699148
Using the five elemental water for the silver berry tea/ perfume would increase the bonus to +10, making the consumable bonus a clean +30 and the total consumable + chamber bonus 593

>>5699149
and yes, you gave that pearl to Feiqing to upgrade the pair of black bile axes in thread 11, if you hadn't and you consumed it in them manner the other anon suggested, it'd give a +15 and a ??? effect like the book and ichor are already doing.

>>5699150
And yes, the five elemental water would nullify the negatives of the Yin/Yang interactions, if you drink enough to maintain a balance of your internal energies

Or ya know, flood the chamber with enough of it to keep the Yang items from overpowering/ interfering with the native Yin/ the Yin Items

>>5699151
And Yes, there'd be enough to constantly make the Berry tea, which would, in my mind, keep Huan's energies balanced.

Also I should point at the ??? can be good or bad. Its a mystery box, unknown to you but not to me, cause it amuses me

>>5699149
Damn, you're right. That leaves the 1000 Year Old Ginseng Plants which, if they wouldn't create some odd reaction, could also be thrown into the tea/perfume. Please don't tell me we also used those at some point.

>>5699154
I don't think you have
They indeed could, at +5 consumable per ginseng, and +5 longevity/ lifespan, so if you use all seven, which could be used as mats for any number really potent elixirs and pills, you'd add +35 to the combined roll and +35 to Huanliuxue's lifespan which uh is kind of nebulous for Huan, since she is a weird cat demon. And while normally ghostly Yin or Pure Yin would reduce lifespan quite drastically, she has a kind of symbiosis with it and also has blood Qi, which would ordinarily boost Lifespan quite a bit. But due to Severing of the Eternal soul and Mortal vessel [刌 永恒魂会死㿾, Cǔn-Yǒnghénghún-Huìsǐzhù], in general Lifespan really doesn't mean much to Huan, due to her soul/ self being separated from her body, which would also make her really fucking annoying to put down permanently without the right techniques/ methods since she's basically a living ghost

So if you wanna burn your thousand year old ginsengs from +5 to +35 added to the total, be my guess, though I won't assume they've been added or what number without you guys coming to an agreement on it

>>5699158
How about taking some pieces of the crow demon?
Or was he yang aligned? I remember him using fire..
Dunno about which particular pieces are worth but having some trophies of dead things we killed would be very catlike.

Have the emperor's soul in a vase around?
But maybe that's just going to pollute the atmosphere.

Have sister and the serpent ghost spectate?
I don't know if that would be damaging to their cultivation though...

Sorry if i threw in everything i thought of, i'm just feeling very invested without really knowing much about how this works.

>>5699163
Monu is finishing up processing up his corpse currently, and some of the materials refined from his corpse could be used for cultivation, but they haven't finished being prepared yet. Cutting up a strong demon is nearly as dangerous as fighting one after all.

You do have Anjing's older brother's arms, but they'd provide no bonuses besides making the atmosphere bloodier.

You do have it, but it wouldn't provide anymore of a boost than any other soul. Its worth is in trade, not potency

It would effect them, since Huan's "soothing" does draw excess Yin from a ghost which is why it calms her courtiers and eases their madness, except for Xiongji cause he is the big mad. And neither of them are suffering from an excess of Yin energy atm so it would weaken them like the souls and devils she fought to undergo her first evolution.

>>5699163
>>5699154
I say lets keep while we are ahead.

Don't use the Ginsing, it's quite hard to replace and better used in alchemy.

I do support the addition of 5 colour water to the tea. But I think this is enough now.

So add the tea for +10, the sinner centipede stuff for +20 [since we either have no side effects or a beneficial one, given the wording in the first post] and huan's scripture for +16.

Making a total of 46 to 547 for a total of 594.
We don't really need to go any higher than that, given we already have one really good roll.

>>5699174
And that's before any of the training/ cultivation bonus you walked into the roll with to begin with, which if used could easily launch you into a final roll of 1000 or higher.
Which is astronomical to put it bluntly

>>5699174
>584*

With 61, we can retain a bonus of 61- 24 = 37
see below for my meths

584 + 392 = 976 + 24 = 1000

>>5699176
SCREW IT, WHY NOT 1001 TO PROVE THAT WE KNOW EVERYTHING AND ALWAYS!

>>5699175
this is why you have a firm and incredibly solid foundation to leap from.
Though we will probably need a while to stabalise our new rank.

>>5699176
actually, due to the chamber bonus of +563 with the addition of the Huan manuscript, and the +30 from the tea+ water + Ichor , will put your total flat bonus given by items consumed and placed in the chamber of +593

Which before any additional rolls, since you guys still have two more to make, will put 1000 well withing your grasp.

Since you can get a high roll than 61 still. Currently if you spend enough bonus to reach the pinnacle of 1000 and stop at that exact, you'll be left with 46 cultivation or training bonus. Which is mighty impressive

>>5699180
I am on the vote of 1001. Because why not? We didn't stop at 1000, that's for lesser geniuses, we stop at JUST OVER the insane number!

Rolled 8 (1d100)

>>5699096
Too lazy to read the pastebin or try to think of something, so I'll just roll

Oh, and we need one more roll now

>>5699187
Something that isn't a 1 and is higher than 61 is preferable.

Anyways, while we wait. How about we get a discussion of plans for the future going, since you guys have come up with quite a few already.

>>5699220
See if the tunnel is ready when we wake up.
Look at the progress of our students.
Check how the sect war went and if we can capitalize on it.
Return to the library, finish what we started and get revenge.
Have we asked Yuyi if she has decided if she want to join our sect or not? I remember we told her she could cultivate before going to train with Fu, but I don't remember if we ever got the answer.

>>5699220
Besides wanting to take over another level of the catacombs for a while now, I'm pretty sure we never went on a treasure hunt with that map of Chuan we got back in like thread 5.
Onto more sect head matters, the tunnel's completion once we're finished cultivating is a big one as is working on whoever is our next group of struggling students (I'm expecting Pig and the humans to be on the list), and see about upgrading our sect again since I swear it was before we doubled the number of disciples we have.
Maybe make some new pills with Monu.

Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>5699091
Rollan...

>>5699252
Welp, time to make argue over how much of our bonus to burn. We're at an absolute minimum of 654, so 666, 888, and 1000 are well within our grasp.

File: 1679005677290469.png (625 KB, 535x749)

625 KB PNG

>>5699127
Alright, so first roll wins it.

Without taking the ginseng, your bonus to the roll is currently 593

Leaving you at 654, which is already fucking insane

Would you like to increase this further, just making certain a majority is okay with it before proceeding to the update.

>No increase, just write the update already you old bastard

>Yes, spend 346 of the bonus of 392 to reach a final result of 1000, to dunk on the world.

>Yes, but a different amount than 346 (Please specify)

>>5699256
Spend 347 to get to 1001 just to flex.

>>5699256
>>Yes, spend 346 of the bonus of 392 to reach a final result of 1000, to dunk on the world.

>>5699256
>Yes, spend 346 of the bonus of 392 to reach a final result of 1000, to dunk on the world.

>>5699256
>Yes, spend 346 of the bonus of 392 to reach a final result of 1000, to dunk on the world.
Pettiness is the best reason. Specially when it's justified.

>>5699256
>Yes, spend 346 of the bonus of 392 to reach a final result of 1000, to dunk on the world.

>>5699275
>>5699273
>>5699271
>>5699269
Leaving you with a total +46 bonus to training/ cultivation roll.

End result. 1000. Incomprehensible progress. Staking everything on one throw, Huanliuxue becomes as a carp leaping through the dragon's gate and rebukes heaven and earth hiding the sky and covering the earth with her shadow, with a flick of a sleeve and curl of the tail a housecat shatters the void.

https://youtu.be/yvFgNP9iqd4

Update will arrive shortly.

Special Conditions have been met

>>5699282
This breakthrough is the one that forms a golden core and is very important for future progress, right?

The preparations have been made. Your undead kingdom has been gathered and crowded into your cultivation chamber. Every citizen of your empire of crypts and tombs have been gathered, from the strongest of the hungry ghosts to the most pathetic of the slavering ghouls. The prisoners who refused to turn their coat to your faction to are gathered, your orchestra of sorrowful wails, defiant curses and pitiful whimpers have been taken from where they have been left to gather dust as messengers are sent to alert every soul within your territory that you are going to be holding court and for a time their eternal suffering and endless agony shall be salved and soothed by their most magnanimous queen. And as the spirits and ghost likes travel and celebrate as they make their pilgrimage to the foot of your throne, the strongest and most durable of your disciples brave the chill of the grave, dragging your newly carved and minted throne of jade fallen from the stars into the chamber, as Ping, Qiang and Fu are honored with the austere duty of escorting the auxiliary materials and sources of Qi down into the chamber, each treasures wrapped carefully and tightly in a pouch of Anjing's silk. Silk pouches that your friend threw in on your bulk order of goods, free of charge.

And while your disciples who follow you down the path towards the grave, the dao of ghosts and the dead, your most trusted spiritual advisors lead your trapped souls you've taken from hell into the chamber, each official holding two gilded cages each as they appear in their spectral forms, appearing as men and women, monstrous and twisted, formed of fog of all colors. Green, Blue, Red, Purple, pink, white and every shade of grey. And as the ghouls and phantoms gather, the rooster general Xiongji and the greatest and most powerful specters besides him stand at your side, dressed head to toe in the armor that they wore in life before they were crushed beneath the mountain for their nameless king's hubris and ambitions to conqueror the world. The mad shade grins ear to ear, blood as black as ink dripping down from the break in his skull as he observes the gathering of your wealth and treasures, material and immaterial.

The black skull is carried by Ping, held in his ghoul arm. And despite his blessing and the changes to his physique, the old skull looks as if it has pushed him to the brink of death. He unwraps it slowly, kneeling before you as he places it at the foot of your astral jade thrown, nebula and blinking stars flaring and shifting as the ghost flames lighting the chamber, already arrayed to provide you a bounty of Yin Qi flicker and grow like fires douse in oil! The sickly light becomes blinding and even more unpleasant to most eyes, like the light that one supposedly sees when their soul is cut from their mortal flesh and tossed into the underworld to whatever punishment or reward awaits them in their next life or the afterlife between death and rebirth.
Cont

>>5699331

He bows, remaining silent as you press a paw atop the skull and dig your living veins into it with you blood manipulation, forcing a direct connection between the cursed artifact and your meridians. You groan and nearly purr in delight as you feel a sure of biting ice travel up your leg and trickle all the way down your spine and to the base of your tail.

Qiang is next, carrying the lesser Yin aligned treasures of your sect. The flood dragon scale, the fur of the unfortunate bear who the tribes of the primordial wilderness killed and skinned, alongside antlers of Qilin.

Fu is next, carrying in one arm the barrel that holds the preserved Sanguine divine spirit peach, and in the hand of the other the massive pearl of crystalized Primordial Beast essence. At his side Ghost empress melody floats like a corpse in a river, coming to rest by your command at your side, leaned against one of the arms of your throne, and with a few strands of Qi, begins to play a soothing melody.

Yujijao is next in line, carrying a bottle of refined sinner bone centipede ichor, presented like a bottle of well aged wine on a silver platter, complete with crystal glasses. Behind her, Monu arrives with a tea pot filled of boiled water from your sect's five element spring, steeping dried silver berries inside of it. She alone will be able to endure the sheer cold that the mass of Yin Qi you shall channel and summon from your court, surroundings and every artifact in your cultivation chamber, and thus will provide you with this tea brewed from miraculous waters as you fall into deep meditation and become more dead to the world than anything ever has before. And before she takes her leave as the last of the ghosts fill the room and take their place in the vast cultivation array as spectral flames, she sets down Huanliuxue's Scripture on the other arm of your throne, opposite of the Enchanted Quqin she made out of your whiskers.

And then your mother gives you one final wave, looking back one last time as Xiongji seals the massive stone doors of the chamber, locking it with rusted chains set with a lock shaped like a grinning cat's head. The chamber is alight with the heatless radiance of the ghost flames, all floating and bobbing up and down around you as you order a few of your officials and advisors to place the various treasures around the room in the places you think you'll be able to most effectively draw Qi out of them from, without disrupting the vortex of spiritual energies centered directly on your Dantians. Breathing out, you take on your human form, since it would be undignified to lap at tea like a saucer of milk, bring the rapidly cooling and freezing cup of tea to your mouth and take a long gulp of the mind sharpening brew.
Cont

>>5699332

And then you begin, pacing your breathing with the rhythm of the movement of the long dead shades, drawing in their lifeless breath into yourself, seeping their deathly cold and darkness into your flesh and the very marrow of your bones. But the cold of death and Yin energy no longer bothers you, even with the presence of a devil's skull that could curse entire provinces. Moving slowly, methodically like a corpse going through rigamortis , you grab a cup of ichor and down it, feeling it coat the inside of your mouth like bile, burning your throat like acid. You hold it in your mouth, black fluid and green miasma escaping your nose and lips as take your time to fully absorb it and the vapors it produces as it boils on your tongue.

Sipping tea and drinking ichor, breathing in and out as slow as the stagnant air within a tomb, your metabolism and heart beat slows gradually like sand flowing down an hour glass or melting ice, until you become as still and cold as a corpse yourself, and your heart only beats once every couple of days and is still slowing as you only retain enough of an awareness of your surroundings to sip the tea monu brings you and imbibe more demonic centipede ichor. Qi flows into you without halting, a raging river of spiritual energy filling your meridians to bursting as you sit in complete silence and join the ghosts you comfort in their reverent meditation.
_
Special Condition Met: Roll 200 or above. Special condition Met: Roll 500 or above. Special Condition Met: Roll 1000 or above. 200's reward. Huanliuxue no longer crit fails on rolls of 1. 500's reward. Huanliuxe's dice pool expands from four rolls to five. 1000's reward: All of Huanliuxue's rolls are now 2d100, other character's dice remain unaffected

"What am I?" The little soul asked the universe, as her mind turned inwards, seeking an answer within her unbeating heart and ghostly breath.

"You are you" The universe answer, with a voice like father, a mother, a brother, a lover, a sister, a child and an enemy all at once

"What is you?" The little cat ear soul asked as it gazed up at the everything and nothing, the guiding force and principle behind all existence.

"It is you" It spoke back, calmly and patiently as it swirled around the little piece of itself trying to comprehend its own singular existence upon the whole "And you have been before, lived before"

"But the lives I lived before are not me!" The little piece of the Dao spat back in defiance and pride "There has only been and can only ever be one me! I am alone in the universe as myself, there are not other me's"

"And yet the yous who came before felt the same, though you are the same soul" The way, amused, replied "Yet none of your past lives were so confident of their identity, so proud to separate themselves from the faces they wore before"
Cont

>>5699333

"That's because I am me, the great, mighty and smart Huanliuxue! In one life I have lived two" The imperious daoist spoke to dao "I've strayed to the very edge of death as habitually as most breathe, I exist between the boundary. I live within Dusk, between night and day"

"Is that so?" The path chuckled "It is true you live your life on the boundaries between many concepts. Life and death. Blood and Ghosts. Enmity and good will. Girl and Cat. Certainly you are unique amongst all the lives you have lived, little flickering flame"

"I am unique, no ifs and or buts. I am not just unique among my lives, I am unique throughout all the world, beneath all the nine heavens!" You laugh, boasting in the face of the universe, of all knowledge and things "I am Huanliuxue, and there are none like me within you"

"But what of the realms beyond the nine heavens you know?" The road questioned, in the same tone as if they were asking a child why they did not simply fly like a bird or swim like a fish, playing along with their childhood fantasies and delusions

"There to" You snort, turning up your nose haughtily "For there has never been a cat quite like me"

"Is that so?" The universe echoed back in your own voice "Every star in the sky thinks it is unique, yet all must go through the same life cycles, grow, cool and then fall into themselves and die"

"I am no star, I am me" You answer confidently, crossing your arms and tapping your heel, wondering only now why your form is somewhere between your cat self and your human self

"What a healthy ego you possess. Your sense of self is as boundless as any sea, alongside your sense of self worth" The Dao giggled in the voice of a crow long dead

"I'm a cat before I was a girl, what do you expect, all cat's know the world is ours from the day we open our eyes to the day we close them forever" You snicker and sneer

"How fitting for one who seeks to rewrite the natural laws of the world, to force their own view of how the world should be ordered and ran, to feel and think" The Dao spoke, with Monu's voice now "So many grasp for power and fail to separate and truly distinguish themselves from the whole they broke from. What worth is there in being immortal, if you are of the same cloth of the immortals that came before you? Whiling away time in the same manner as all others, searching for power and influence until even endless life comes to an end"

"I don't know. All I know is I want to right the wrongs done to my people and the world, and to rule it as true and worthy ruler. The world will have no true peace or any real sense until I alone command it" You answer back plainly, even you not being so proud as to know the answer to the question of what is the true worth and potential of immortality and divinity "Because those who came before me wrought it into their image"

"Little notched ear, would you do the same?" Pinwheel girl asked quietly

You frown, and ponder that question for a long time.
Cont

>>5699335

"Eh, I think I'll be satisfied in undoing their work and allowing the world to return to its native, primal state, where no aspect of the Dao is abhorred or restricted. I don't need to force others to obey me, it is natural I am followed, for by birth and destiny I was meant to rule. Thus is the way of cats" You answer back cheerfully, separated from all earthly desires and taint "I just want to get revenge, satisfy my grudges and relish in the praise of those I've saved"

"The Dao of the Cat" The Dao itself repeats, sounding almost stunned by your claim before the universe reverberated with booming laughter "I see, I see. Perhaps you are the only one of you as you claim, oh Huanliuxue. Certainly the world of cultivation has not seen your like in many, many generations"
_
??? affect 1, from Huanliuxue's scripture. Secret art unlocked: Cat's Court: One of nine lives (猫 法院: 一 的九生活, Māofǎyuàn: Yīdíjiǔshēnghuó), A time paradox has formed somewhere within your Dantian. Allows Huanliuxe to avoid certain death or travel to and back from a period in the past or future. ONE TIME USE

"Strange" An odd red haired woman cooed, her lips parted in an all too cat like smile which was reflected in the glistening eyes of a newborn kitten with a fur as white as snow

"What is so strange?" Another woman, with hair greyed and face wrinkled asked, pulling a long silver pipe with a ehad shaped like a toad from her mouth "This is but a dream"

"Is that a lie you tell me, Huanliuxue?" Huanliuxue asked the older Huanliuxue as she rose up to her feet, leaving the white furred kitten to mewl in the nest of straw it had been born into

"I don't know, Five colors time shenanigans still give me a headache and I'm basically a god myself" The older Huanliuxue cackled much like her mother "Heh-Heh-Heh, or perhaps I am a ghost, dead and slain, another victim of the orthodoxy"

"Then you can't be me, because I can't be beaten you old hag!" You declared, as the older image of yourself smiled and faded to dust as the rest of the dream or memory fell apart, leaving you in an all too familiar scene of smoke and fire, corpses and blood. You sigh and did not turn away from your earliest true memory as Huanliuxue and instead mediate on the tragedy that create the enmity that made you you. After all there'd never again be a chance to contemplate one's own birth from the unbiased view of an observer, and you managed to do it twice in one day! You'd be a fool to let such a chance escape your grasp. Besides its just a dream, or perhaps a memory. It isn't like you can change the past in a dream or memory, even that is beyond the power of the great Huanliuxue.
_
Cont

>>5699337

??? affect 2, from drinking the centipedes ichor. Internal Gu, Sinner Bone Centipede Ichor. You've gained an internal Gu that produces the bone melting venom of a sinner bone centipede, and are now utterly immune to the toxin and any lesser than it

The creation of Gu. Who was the first to come up with it. Was it your mother? No, as wise as she is, she didn't create the art of the poisoner. Who then decided first to combine the venoms and poisons of countless vermin and monster to create a more powerful killer? It couldn't be any man or god. It must've been the vermin themselves, waging their unseen war of survival amongst themselves, devouring and consuming and growing tolerant of eachothers' venom and toxin. And is there much of a difference between and centipede and cat? Both are predators by nature and true carnivores unlike many who claim that noble title?

Who said only insects could take part in a Gu? If a cat snuck into the jar that held all of the vermin and ate them all up, could they become the container? You control your bloodline. Ever cell in your vein marches to your will. You've experimented with mutation, awakening dormant genes. But what about infusing blood itself and turning it toxic? Creating a venom gland that produces a poison that no mortal creature can tolerate? You burried your fangs into the carapace of the greatest sinner bone centipede ever to be born, and you've endured its paralytic blood mixed with its bone eroding venoms, refined and purified, fortified and strength. By all that is good and just in the world, shouldn't it be in your right to create the venom as well? This insight broadens your minds horizon, as you, instead of subsuming the ichor oozing down your throat, poured past your still lips with another's helping hand, you instead contain and naturalize it within your living flesh, a place it should not have been able to take root. But yet it does.
_

And while Huanliuxue meditate and cultivated, her only company the dead and her adopted mother daring the enter the maelstrom of spiritual energies she drew into herself, the world beyond the catacombs of the bloodless war and forgotten king became influence by the demon cat's grand cultivation.

In the region outside of her temple, the air become tinged with the sickly sweet scent of blood and decaying flesh, and ghosts more easily walked among the living, celebrating with their living relatives and delighting in the sensations of life renewed. The moon would glow red and as would the sun, as the longer She sat in her closed crypt meditation, the more her aura grew and expanded beyond the walls of her chamber. Inside the temple itself, its mistress' aura could was as visible as it was felt in the atmosphere.
Cont

File: 1636943495821.jpg (61 KB, 500x718)

61 KB JPG

>>5699339

Dripping blood creeped from stone and white mist filled the halls of the sanctuary she had built as the prodigy of ten generation's spiritual energy bled out of her in scarlet rivulets and oozed out of her mouth with her rare breaths like the black pus of a corpse.

Sooner or later, forces would take notice of the peerless cultivation of the master of the hidden sect of beasts and heretics.

Event: The Forgotten King's counter attack
<https://youtu.be/ge6ANsHxU-E>

The first to attempt to interfere with Huanliuxue's cultivation were the forces of the forgotten King, seeking to reclaim territory now left undefended by the usurper now that she and all of her subjects were joined in deep meditation.

Of course, simply because the kingdom was undefended did not mean that the wild princess herself was defenseless or without protectors.

Sect action

How does the sect try to protect Huanliuxue from the forgotten king's army while she is consumed by meditation

>By Sending Fu, Ping, Qiang and Huili into the depths to do battle with the invading ghouls and ghosts [Result: ???]

>Monu enters the field and shows the legions of the dead a mother's wrath [Result: ???]

>Deciding that their head's safety was of the utmost importance, Monu, Lei, and Ping break the seal of the catacombs, releasing the forgotten king and his subjects from their prison [Result: An army remembered] [This will be very bad for anyone that is not a member of your sect or under its protection]

>An envoy is sent to the darkest depths of the catacombs, Yujijiao is entrusted with the task of settling the Forgotten King's ire or at least redirecting it away from Huanliuxue [Result: ???]

>Write in

Huanliuxue is not yet done cultivating. Everything unlocked thus far is just a result of rolling so high/ the objects used in her cultivation. The results and additional benefits of rolling fucking 1000!!! for a cultivation roll, are yet to be revealed.

And this will not be the only event that proceeds the end of your incomprehensible cultivation session, so make sure to choose wisely as a storm is coming.

>>5699342
>By Sending Fu, Ping, Qiang and Huili into the depths to do battle with the invading ghouls and ghosts [Result: ???]

I was already happy when my choice to go for 100 on the manual resulted in us both learning about mutation and getting most of the spent points back but that turned out to just a drop in the bucket, one which we still haven't seen the full size off

>>5699342
>Send Fu and Ping and Qiang and Huili to fight

The seal should weaken them and releasing them is not permissible.

>>5699342
>By Sending Fu, Ping, Qiang and Huili into the depths to do battle with the invading ghouls and ghosts [Result: ???]

Hopefully they can weather the effects of both the catacomb's air and our cultivation effects on it.
i don't want to send monu so soon to counter this trash (which is also mostly poison immune as they are dead) when the strongest enemies will come from outside.

Strange that there is no option for the fox sister to be the one to go and be the envoy, too haughty for diplomacy perhaps?

>>5699282
You choice of musical accompaniment is excellent as expected.

>>5699333
Holy shit.
Is there even a point to rolling from now on?

>>5699342
>By Sending Fu, Ping, Qiang and Huili into the depths to do battle with the invading ghouls and ghosts [Result: ???]

>>5699342
>By Sending Fu, Ping, Qiang and Huili into the depths to do battle with the invading ghouls and ghosts [Result: ???]
Oh dear, I guess now will be the time that the world learns of our sect since they’d have to be blind and dead to not notice what’s going on.

>>5699342
>By Sending Fu, Ping, Qiang and Huili into the depths to do battle with the invading ghouls and ghosts [Result: ???]

Anon was right that we should have taken care of this asshole before cultivating. We'll make him squeal when we reawaken.

>>5699461
>Sending sis as an envoy

Our sister is a professional troll/shit talker, ill suited for diplomacy.

>>5699502
She is also not part of the sect, yet.
Simply related to the sect head and grand elder.

>>5699282
this is ABSOLUTELY Huan's theme song, it fits so well.

>>5699499
Worse is that they learn that Monu is alive. I don't think they have many people who can manage to take her on, 1 vs 1, but unless we wipe out the advanced party, they will undoubtably send all their elders to put a stop to this.

That's only if the winter blossoming sect turns up alone, and doesn't rope in other sects of the minor and major variety to deal with this

>>5699342
>By Sending Fu, Ping, Qiang and Huili into the depths to do battle with the invading ghouls and ghosts [Result: ???]

Also.
Question will our disciples who are attuned with our laws get a boost to cultivation. From the sheer energy we're producing?

>>5699342
>Monu enters the field and shows the legions of the dead a mother's wrath [Result: ???]

Jesus christ, what happens next? WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?! PLEASE GRANFATHER, I DON'T WANNA WAIT FOR DAYS TO KNOW WHAT FOLLOWS FROM HERE!

>>5699618
The hype is real

Ending the vote now, tallying the result

By Sending Fu, Ping, Qiang and Huili into the depths to do battle with the invading ghouls and ghosts: 7

Monu enters the field and shows the legions of the dead a mother's wrath: 1

Near landslide victory for sending in the exorcist squad to deal with the army of hungry ghosts.

Update will arrive shortly

>>5699480
Thanks.
>>5699507
I actually posted it at the start of the 1st thread, so it kinda is.

>>5699574
Yes, as will other things

The Spectral force was lucky to begin its assault on the bottom reaches of Huanliuxue's tomb kingdom while her mother was busy with other matters and not visiting her daughter within the oubliette she had interred herself within to face and ponder the mysteries of those whom persist past death and the grudges they hold. Monu had gone wild with rage when Yujijiao delivered the declaration of war handed to her by the herald of the forgotten king, a headless brute that dwarfed even the insane phantom Xiongji by several heads...ironically enough. The grand elder had to be first restrained and then tempted with rare liquors and aged wines to calm her enough to prevent the toad witch from marching into the depths of the crypt alone to protect her youngest daughter. But when the first swell of her rage had passed, it became all too clear to the senior disciples of the palace of natural laws that she was more afraid than furious, desperate to not lose her second child.

Moved by her tears and having experienced losses himself, Fu, the foremost disciple, gathered his fellow acolytes of ghostly laws, who by time he made his decision were already preparing to enter the catacombs themselves. Ghoul Arm Ping, Quickdraw Qiang and Huili the ash gale, the last of which demanded a place in the newly formed exorcism squad by right of practicing the Night Lantern Sutra, which Fu found was a reasoning he could not easily argue against. So, the white haired exorcist, Huanliuxue's own martial daughter, a leader of a man eating wolf pack, and the first disciple of the great heretic walked through the Demon's head gate and into the spectral kingdom of their sect head to do battle against the upstarts who would dare attack her while her back was turned.

And as they left, Monu watched, her eyes cold burning embers as she stood as still as a sculpture carved of ice. The silver pipe held daintily in her hands trembled as she observed the four students dutifully march to protect their beloved master.
_
<https://youtu.be/L6BDtASMLAI>
Whatever resistance or lack thereof the bloodless army was anticipating as they made their way up from the lower levels of the accursed catacombs, it had not been Fu. Lit only by false ghost flames created by Qiang, he stood in the center of the single passageway leading from the sealed door from the forgotten king's domain into Huanliuxue's stolen territory. Dressed in demonic armor and standing tall and proud, he cut the image of a general of an apocalyptic force, summoned from the depths of the yellow spring.

Wearing an iron skull on his face and shoulders, with countless hands of the damned pressing to escape his armors confines, the regal black cape streaked grey and white he wore hung still in the stagnant, mildew scented air of the buried crypt. There he stood, before gate the spirits had weakened themselves to pass through, with his arms crossed defiantly over his chest.
cont

>>5699694

At his side, two black battle axes were stuck in the stones of the floor, glowing with a foreboding blood red glow as crimson and carmine mists curled around their heads which dripped with an liquid that unpleasantly resembled blackened bile. Lifting his chin and tilting his head at an angle, Two Axe Fu glared contemptuously at the first arrivals of the army he stood to face. But not alone, as the specters were soon to learn, as without exchanging introductions, titles or even threats, the first four hungry ghosts in the line roared like wild animals and threw themselves at the apparently lonesome interloper, their intangible blades serrated and slavering like rabid beasts.

It was then, as Fu bowed to retrieve his axes, that Ping made his entrance, leaping over his martial brother's back, using his sturdy shoulders as a spring board as he whirled his grisly prayer beads around his cursed arm and chanted mantras of his own design. Upon his corpse pale arm, curses and prayers were written in ink which now glowed with white fire. With a flick of his wrist and slam of his palm, one spirit was exorcised immediately. Another was cut down by Fu's chaos mist, blood rain infused axes. One was routed by a swarm of butterflies made of fire as a long wolf's howl echoed through the passageways, marking the beginning of the hunt. The fourth ghost put up enough of a struggle that Ping and Fu were forced to fight it together, axes swinging through misty limbs, ethereal weapons bouncing off of spider silk, and ancient spells flung through the air that scattered the lesser spirits crowded behind the greater geist.

But this strong warrior was brought low, not by berserk rage, or heretical sorcery, but instead by a blade that emerged from the shadows at his back. Unseen even amongst the dead, Qiang emerged from the darkness and with a sword coated in prayer talismans, drove it through the ancient soldiers back and sent him to his long awaited rest. Swinging her blade to wipe it clean, Qiang stalked behind the taller Fu as Ping rewrapped his prayer beads solemnly. Huili bounded down the hallway, surrounded by a swarm of mystical butterflies that burned like cinders.

Fu and Qiang moved in such perfect unison they were like a man and his shadow. Fu's expression could only be in the cold gleam of his eyes as he swung his two axes with such force as to propel and spin his body around, each blow sending cracks and ripple through stone as Qiang ducked and lunged beneath his earthshaking strikes, striking like a cobra with her prayer bearing blade, without a single emotion present in either her face or eyes, she struck down her opponents as if she was walking through a field plucking off the heads of flowers.

Ping created a Dying Grudge Shield (垂死怨怼㕹,Chuísǐyuànduìfá), and grabbed Huili by the scruff as the alpha of the pack charged headlong into the surging wave of hungry ghosts.
Cont

>>5699696

"Heel" Ping growled, the proud wolf blinked once, saw the force he had just nearly leapt into alone, and swallowed his dignity as a wild beast to obey his elder.

From the safety of Ping's protection spell, he unleashed a volley of ghost burning butterflies while Fu and Qiang stepped around either side of them to continue cutting a swathe through their ethereal enemies, the assassin blinking ahead with the "Phantom Cat Step" [幽灵猫步, Yōulíngmāobù], while Fu wore a second cape of the spirits he had convinced to fight by his side, their grudges forming a dense mist around and between both of the students of the graveside path.

And so, the battle had begun and the whole of the catacombs were filled with the sounds of battle as four faced thousands.
_
Huili has reached Qi Condensation rank 7 and has been injured. Qiang has reached Qi Condensation Rank 9 and has been injured!
Result: A One eyed swordswoman. Outcome: Success

Fu and his ghostly entourage roared with one distorted voice, the little skin visible beneath his armor pale white and traced with veins as black as ink. His axes sang through the air, blood red mist and black bile spray as he rampaged, enraged by the warm blood that had been spilt onto cold stones. He fought not just to push back the seemingly endless horde of hungry ghosts but to protect his injured friends from their tide. At his side, silent with smoldering rage, Ping stood, his hands moving in complex hand signs as dozens of dying grudge shields and night lanterns were summoned and broken, shattering stone and eradicating ghosts until only their ghost flames remained.

Behind them Huili whimpered, licking his wounded leg as he trembled with an unearthly chill. Qiang watched her friend and Ping fight tooth and nail like dogs gone rabid and stood from where she knelt. She blinked to clear the haze from her eyes and found that one half of her vision remained blurred. Then like a dagger pushed through that eye, she felt a sting of pain. Blood trickled down her forehead from a cut made by a spectral blade. She thought it had missed her eye, but not she knew, could sense that the serrated edge of the sword carried a curse. She didn't practice or study such under handed tricks, she was a former assassin and even when she was a hired killer she had ideals she refused to abandon, but she knew a curse, one had to when their cultivation method relied on the kindness of vengeful spirits.

She sighed, and clenched her jaw as she stepped between the injured wolf at the few ghosts that had gotten past the overwhelming force of Fu and Ping. Steeling herself, she reached up and plucked out her eye, a whine of pain escaping her lips as she pulled the ruined organ out of her skull, feeling the curse energies roiling between her fingers and with her remaining eye saw the black mist rising from her already blinded eye. Black mist like the clouds of grudge energy

She had an idea.
cont

>>5699699

Ripping the eye fully out of its socket, tearing its nerves and veins, she popped it between her teeth and bit down, filling her mouth with scalding enmity and then, taking a deep breath, she unleashed the mouthful of resentment and her own reserve of internal grudges onto the spirits standing before her. Slowed and weighed down by the weight of spite, she cut them down easily, despite having to readjust for her loss of depth perception. Qiang knew she was lucky that Fu and Ping were taking care of the bulk of the enemies' forces. The fight dragged on, until after hours of fighting, the stubborn souls gave up and their general beat the drums of retreat.

Only then did Qiang allow herself to collapse beside the wounded Huili, content that they had succeeded in their duty and had protected their master as she meditated.
_
Huanliuxue's cultivation continues uninterrupted, as she rapidly scales the rungs of the foundation establishment stage, soaring like a dragon out from a well filled with frogs. But still more enemies surround the sleeping princess as she nears the first breakthrough of her unparalleled cultivation. And as the Demonic Cat is half a step from core formation, the target of her oldest grudge rears its head.

As her aura causes wild life to grow, flourish and mutate and the dead to rise and walk amongst the living and enmity to take root in the hearts of men, the Ling take swift notice of the beast that had long eluded them and humiliated them by devouring their favored heir in the mortal realms and butchering their young masters.

Though beaten back to their own territory, the Guardians of the Celestial Sunlight sect rally and push through the defensive lines and formations of the winter blossoming wisdom sect to take the head of the impudent beast that has been so terrible a thorn in their side. And as Ling banners are flown once more over Chuan soil an unexpected complication, for both the Guardians of the celestial sunlight and Palace of the natural laws arrived in the form of a bloodthirsty young woman.

Event: The ogress' festival of slaughter
<https://youtu.be/iUi2CkNKYOA>
The rogue Líng Yāonān (妖囡, Devil's Daughter) had entered the battlefield before the Ling's assault on the mountain from which the great pillar of spiritual energy emerged from could begin.

Wearing a cracked jade mask stolen from the elder she beheaded, still speckled with their dried blood, the ogress of a swordswoman spoke her own challenge to the gathered cultivators of the Ling and their allies and created a battleground for herself.

Soon, the ogress was wading through a mire made of daoist blood as the hidden sect of heretics, outcasts and beasts watched the carnage that dyed the thousand rivers and lakes red.
Cont

>>5699701

Sect action

How does the Sect intervene in this familial conflict, if at all?

>Fu, Qiang and Hong, defying orders, immediately attack the ogress as she gleefully murders her former sect mates [Result:??? additional modifiers: Qiang is injured]

>Against the protests of Fu's companions, cultivators or Not, Monu approaches the Ling girl with an offer for a temporary alliance [Result:???]

>Deciding it is best to let ones enemies kill themselves, they wait to see who emerges the victor before joining the fray [result: ???]

>By improving the defenses of their sect's temple and Fu's village, and recruiting the recently awakened dead and the wandering heroes of Chuan to help in the effort [Result: ???]

>Write in

>>5699702
>By improving the defenses of their sect's temple and Fu's village, and recruiting the recently awakened dead and the wandering heroes of Chuan to help in the effort [Result: ???]

>>5699702
What was Qiang's Law again? Something Ghost right? I want to help her obtain a ghost eye or something. That would be cool. Basically Gathering Yin energy to form an eye of grudges Allowing her some special utility for her assassination techniques.

>By improving the defenses of their sect's temple and Fu's village, and recruiting the recently awakened dead and the wandering heroes of Chuan to help in the effort [Result: ???]

>>5699702
>By improving the defenses of their sect's temple and Fu's village, and recruiting the recently awakened dead and the wandering heroes of Chuan to help in the effort [Result: ???]
>>5699712
Qiang follows our law.

>>5699723
Although I wouldn't mind this one too
>>Against the protests of Fu's companions, cultivators or Not, Monu approaches the Ling girl with an offer for a temporary alliance [Result:???]

>>5699702
>By improving the defenses of their sect's temple and Fu's village, and recruiting the recently awakened dead and the wandering heroes of Chuan to help in the effort [Result: ???]

>>5699702
>By improving the defenses of their sect's temple and Fu's village, and recruiting the recently awakened dead and the wandering heroes of Chuan to help in the effort [Result: ???]
This is >>5699499 voting from the wage cage. Gotta respect Qiang tearing her own eye out to assist in the fight, and of course the Ogress decided to pull up. Hope our blood qi doesn’t give her a buff during this fight.

>>5699702
So this is how she improves to catch us up.

>Improve our defences.

If she comes knocking, Monu can handle it. . hopefully.

>>5699702
>>By improving the defenses of their sect's temple and Fu's village, and recruiting the recently awakened dead and the wandering heroes of Chuan to help in the effort [Result: ???]

I say that maybe once we wake up we really dig into our Blood Qi. Maybe we could use it to help Qiang grow a new eye, fix Fu's scars (I feel bad when we're shown how he give such an effort to hide them) and maybe give Feiqing a more normal look. If they want, of course, but it's still kinda sad that we literally have that power at our hand and we don't help our more troubled students

Also i'm between just take our defenses or actually make some grand entry that leaves everyone fucking clueless and make the Ogress leave before she makes her breakthrough, but that technique that outright can kill a soul just makes me fear for Dong, Qiang and Fu. Specially Fu, because maybe the Ghosts he have in him might make something stupid and make a monster out of the body of our boy

>>5699702
>By improving the defenses of their sect's temple and Fu's village, and recruiting the recently awakened dead and the wandering heroes of Chuan to help in the effort [Result: ???]

>>5699723
To be more precise, she follows our death&grudge law. She can't do blood because it's Yang and only we can pull crazy shit like that.

>>5699745
Fu wears them with pride.
Feiquing. . eh, more important stuff to do.

>>5699745
I’m still betting on Feiqing reforging himself with his work.

File: 42860014511.jpg (30 KB, 739x415)

30 KB JPG

>>5699702
>By improving the defenses of their sect's temple and Fu's village, and recruiting the recently awakened dead and the wandering heroes of Chuan to help in the effort [Result: ???]

>>5699712
>>5699745
Qiang gonna be looking like one of the GOATs from the otherwise mid franchise.

>>5699702
>By improving the defenses of their sect's temple and Fu's village, and recruiting the recently awakened dead and the wandering heroes of Chuan to help in the effort [Result: ???]
We absolutely have to get Qiang the coolest eye.

>>5699702
>By improving the defenses of their sect's temple and Fu's village, and recruiting the recently awakened dead and the wandering heroes of Chuan to help in the effort [Result: ???]

But they have to be cautious because if the ogress get going so hard she massacres everything ammassing chaff isn't going to stop her.
Though if she gets to the steps of the sect monu should be able to scare her away.

>>5699745
>>5699811
>>5699815
I can't stop imagining Qiang as some sort of female red headed Xiahou Dun now that she ate her own eye

>>5699815
Wait I just remembered the Hunter Deity Eye one of the assassins we fought way back in Thread 3. We created the Vein Hunting Eye by trying to recreate it with blood qi, so I’m curious if we can physically recreate it now that we have more experience.

>>5699702
>Against the protests of Fu's companions, cultivators or Not, Monu approaches the Ling girl with an offer for a temporary alliance [Result:???]

I can see this as a pretty easy sell. Ling girl wants bigger fights. Monu’s little girl is looking to kill gods. Let her ascend to her next level (merely Golden Core!) and the Ling girl can climb separately. Become another godslayer, help Monu’s child take down the unjust gods. Or not. But when the deed is done and a demonic beast has triumphed over immortals, the Ling girl while have her final fight. One that, win or lose, she will never be able top.

>>5699702
>Against the protests of Fu's companions, cultivators or Not, Monu approaches the Ling girl with an offer for a temporary alliance [Result:???]
Probably not gonna win, but I'd still like to see it.

>>5699968
Same. It’d save our sect’s strength for whatever third wave crashes against us.

Because of course there’s a third wave. Bad things come in threes after all. They could also come in fours, but that’s a lucky number for us.

>>5700041
True, the gods haven't tried meddling yet.

>>5699928
>>5700041
Y'know what? I'll change to support this, if only to build up to a really cool fight later down the line

>>5699928
It actually works because she probably doesn't know it's huan who humiliated her.
So we can tease her for it later too!

And if we can get an exchange of gifts as rivals we can ask or barter for the desert viper skull (or even her core) so we have a starting point to revive her.

>>5699702
>>5699824
Changing my vote to:
>>Against the protests of Fu's companions, cultivators or Not, Monu approaches the Ling girl with an offer for a temporary alliance [Result:???]

If she is mad enough to crush even her own sect then she needs a support, and huan is never averse to killing ling dogs.

>>5700064
>>5700119
Glad to convince a couple people to switch! It’s still 8v4 in favor of defenses, but maybe we can still swing it around.

I like it from the potential drama perspective more than the strength-saving aspect (though that’s valid too) since like >>5700119 mentioned she doesn’t know Huan was the corpse jumper.

I have full faith that Monu could twist her to our side at least until Huan is done with core formation. We’d almost certainly need to fight her when we’re done, but I don’t think any of us would complain about beating her down as a test of our post-cultivation power.

>>5699702
>>Against the protests of Fu's companions, cultivators or Not, Monu approaches the Ling girl with an offer for a temporary alliance [Result:???]
>Against the protests of Fu's companions, cultivators or Not, Monu approaches the Ling girl with an offer for a temporary alliance [Result:???]
I'll switch why not

>>5700133
I kind of want to trick the ogress into being sent to hell, a realm where she can slaughter and boss around as she likes.

Except that the next time we visit the spider we will hear fucking DOOM soundtrack.

>>5700163
I don't know if that's a good idea, she probably would fully unlock the powers of the Ling demonic bloodline and become the second coming of the devilmind.

>>5700175
I'm saying that because the Lings are descendants from the five colors and the devilmind, and her ogre-like probably means that the demonic bloodline is already more dominant in her.

>>5699702
Oh sure, I'll switch from build up defenses to

>Against the protests of Fu's companions, cultivators or Not, Monu approaches the Ling girl with an offer for a temporary alliance [Result:???]

It'll certainly be interesting if nothing else. And Monu would do almost anything to protect us.

>>5700175
The funny thing about it is that FCE and the demon queen were married, and he seemed to miss her. So clearly they had times where they could actually get along in spite of what seemed to be very different world views.

It makes me want to see situations where they have to put up with each other for some shared purpose just to see how they get along without killing each other. Far easier said than done, especially when she’s already attacked our disciples and any situation worth a teamup is well and truly FUBAR anyway.

>>5700207
The flashback to devilmind's cat and what five colors said gave me the impression that demons were closer to Anjing's type, not really evil, just gruesome, then the likes of Baoli and the spider siblings. But at some point she went insane at some point. Very worried what could possibly have caused that and if we are going to have to face it.

But yeah, the ogress is a delicate situation, she is clearly powerful and with potential, predictably unpredictable, and has previous history both with us and our disciples that could start conflict at any time.
Still, I was wrong when I thought that sister wouldn't be so incredibly based, so who knows, maybe somehow there's a way it can work out well.

>>5700210
demons back then
and face it in the future

>>5699702
Pulse check! Easy vote to do by phone at least.

>Votes - 14
lRNUBvS9
Zi9cKKno
+aGxTlDP
Le4kiWoX
OmabJSs6)
UO99zqnY
p8D8LAkR
MMCSU7is
ADo/HIB6
kGsyQ6cX
ogqSSlLf (PSaCKdoD?)
cDsd4oY9
eWMne00y
CYYVh68H

>DE-FENSE - 8
lRNUBvS9
+aGxTlDP
OmabJSs6)
UO99zqnY
p8D8LAkR
MMCSU7is
ADo/HIB6
kGsyQ6cX

>Enemy of my enemy - 6.5
+aGxTlDP (as tiebreaker?)
cDsd4oY9
eWMne00y
CYYVh68H (switched from another ID?)
PSaCKdoD (ogqSSlLf?)
Zi9cKKno
Le4kiWoX

I thought alliance had pulled ahead of defense, but one switch vote hadn’t voted before so it’s still one switch short. More competitive than expected either way!

Changing my vote from >>5699745 to
>Against the protests of Fu's companions, cultivators or Not, Monu approaches the Ling girl with an offer for a temporary alliance [Result:???]

>>5699702
>By improving the defenses of their sect's temple and Fu's village, and recruiting the recently awakened dead and the wandering heroes of Chuan to help in the effort

>>5700253
>PSaCKdoD (ogqSSlLf?)
Sorry i'm phoneposting and switching between data and wifi to follow as much as i can.

>>5699702
>>By improving the defenses of their sect's temple and Fu's village, and recruiting the recently awakened dead and the wandering heroes of Chuan to help in the effort [Result: ???]
An expansion of Huan's realm into the living

>>5699701
>>5700253
I'm also changing my vote (>>5699711) to
>Against the protests of Fu's companions, cultivators or Not, Monu approaches the Ling girl with an offer for a temporary alliance [Result:???]

Sorry tally anon

>>5699702
>>5700253
You know what?
>>5699723
>>5699725
Count my vote just for
>Against the protests of Fu's companions, cultivators or Not, Monu approaches the Ling girl with an offer for a temporary alliance [Result:???]

>>5700253
Mini update

>New votes - 2
nU3zrw4
kfNr+eNo

> Defense - 2
nU3zrw4
kfNr+eNo

>Switched from Defense to Alliance
p8D8LAkR
lRNUBvS9
+aGxTlDP (initially counted as 1 for defense and .5 for alliance as a tiebreaker)

New tally is 16 total gotes (14+2), 7 votes defense (8+2-3), and 9 votes alliance (6.5 +2.5)

>>5700339
No need to apologize! This tally anon is also in the alliance camp.

Now I wonder if the original tally anon is still among us.

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

589 KB JPG

Ending the vote now.

>>5700253
>>5701057
Many thanks junior for showing such filial piety and undertaking the trial of tallying on your lonesome.

Very surprised but happy with the outcome, since I get to write something very FUN now.

So Monu will, against the protest, warnings and pleas of Fu and crew, will approach Yaonan with an offer of a temporary alliance against their shared enemy

Namely anyone else named Ling or in their service.

Update will arrive shortly

Though most would give a sigh of relief or even smile smugly or grin viciously like hungry wolves gnawing on bones at the news of their enemy being slaughtered at their doorstep by a unaligned third party, a portion of the Palace of Natural Laws sect was vocally opposed by the surprise arrival of the rogue sword maniac Yaonan and refused to consider her slaughter of the chaff and fodder of the Guardians of the Celestial Sunlight Sect to be a blessing. Of course, those who had fought against the devilishly natured woman were the ones who most outspoken against trusting the ogress to act in the favor of the sect even accidentally. Fu, Qiang, Hong, Lanfen and Liu warned both the grand elder of the sect and their peers and junior martial brothers and sisters of the dangers Ling Yaonan posed, even when she was half way sane which she couldn't be trusted to be if even half of the rumors surrounding her and her defection from both her clan and sect and what mischief and murder she had gotten up to since her betrayal of her blood and kin were true.

It didn't help that all of that group of disciples had a grudge against the ogress, having been beaten to a pulp, humilated and one of their number robbed of his vision by wild bitch's blade. Yujijiao of course added her voice to their argument, reminding everyone who could hear her that the ogress had chopped off her head. And with Huanliuxue practicing intense closed door meditation, Monu was the highest authority they could beseech and plead to not grow complacent just because Yaonan had blunted the spear of the sun botherers and the Ling clan that lead them. However, the toad witch wore a curious smile as she heard each of those disciples grisly tales, a certain crafty look in her squinted eyes as she rubbed her chin and thought and smoked her spirit stone laced opium. While Fu, Qiang, Hong and even the comparably meeker Lanfen pushed for attacking the ogress in force, and Yujijiao muttered suggestions of inviting demons from hell to feast on her bones, Monu with a wave of her sleeve, a bubbly smile and peachy cheeks declared loudly and proudly to the students gathered before her that she would not ignore the Ogress of Ling, but neither would she rush to attack her while her back was turned in vengeance for her acts of violence or even murder against a number of the sect's disciples.

Instead, The Grand Elder and Mother of the illustrious Sect head, with her trademark croaking cackle breathing out a dense cloud of white, intoxicating smoke that she wanted to meet the girl to see how she matched up to the grisly stories told about her. But the toad witch did not end with that and kept talking, to the outrage and disbelief of those who had met her, in particular Fu, Qiang and Yujijiao.
Cont

>>5701163

Instead of leaving it vague and open how exactly she would meet her, Monu openly admitted she'd seek a temporary alliance with the murderous brat and kept cackling when Fu's face turned nearly as red as her daughter's coat and Qiang's eyes radiated with killing intent. And the only one she even tried to calm and appease was the weeping Yujijiao, who she sweetly coddled while dismissing the other disciples.

Lei, Ping and Feiqing volunteered to escort her to the last known location of Ling Yaonan upon the now blood drenched valleys and fields of Chuan, while the students whose warnings had been ignored did not heed Monu's summons when she decided, hours later, that she should explain her reasoning for entreating with an offering an alliance to one of the sect's enemies. Instead they set about barricading the temple's interior and drilling until their hands bled in preparation to defend themselves and the temple, from either the Ling army or Yaonan herself.

With a flippant shrug Monu left them to mope while she traveled gayly to meet the bloodthirsty young woman
_
<https://youtu.be/_M-6lkoi6L4>

Ling Yaonan was lounging atop a mountain of corpses, in various states of dismemberment, her beloved and trusted sword unsheathed and stabbed through the skull, neck and torso of the "brother" who had given her the most trouble in the last bout of fighting. He'd even managed to leave a memory on her fair skin, a wound that would leave a nice scar along the back of her hand and up to halfway up the respective arm like a bolt of lightning. His bisected face was twisted into the look of agony and terror he wore when he died, after she had without use of physical cultivation, Qi empowering or any weapon besides her bare hands tore off one of his legs.

She was admiring the still bleeding wound on her arm as crows, mice, and maggots made a feast out her grisly throne which she had decided to build by stacking the corpses of the weaklings that had been sent in a truly misguided attempt to slow her down or wear her out, when there was a dignified cough disrupting the silence of the dead and scaring away the corpse eating crows that surrounded her in the center of the now empty battlefield. Yaonan thought the cough sounded like a matron of a whore house trying to draw the attention of a rowdy and unwanted guest.

She lifted up the mask she pulled off of her abusive elder's corpse and smiled as she looked down from her couch of corpses to see a truly beautiful and stunning woman, a jade like beauty with two curious lines of moles dotted beneath her sultry and playful fox eyes. She was wearing a short hemmed daoist robe, colored a beautiful and all too familiar shade of red and adorable pink, which would've alerted her to the fact she was a fellow cultivator if the pressure the voluptuous and haughty looking woman exuded.
Cont

>>5701164

Which would be enough to terrify most cultivators of the age into groveling, but Yaonan delighted in meeting the strong and mighty. They were more fun to cut up after all. The vibrations from her sword told her that this particular pretty face was even more terrifying than herself, how fun!

"Ling Yaonan" The woman spoke with a voice like a goddess of desire, an avatar of temptation and desire, sultry and haughty that would surely drive men mad with lust and wanting "I assume"

"You assume correctly" The ogress snickered, leaving the broken jade mask sitting atop her head like a cap "I don't recognize your colors, are you a friend of the Ling or a foe? Either way, unless you came here to fight, I want nothing to do with you. I am trying to catch up on my beauty sleep, something you should understand hmmm <3"

"Eh, foe by association" The woman answered while the handsome boys around her stood stiffly and Yaonan wondered if something under their robes were stiff as well "Though your child killing ways do disgust me, I have no personal strife with you, little girl"

"Ohoho, how bold and despite what rumors surround me, I don't kill children nor do I devour them. I might be tall and have red eyes, but I am no demon" Yaonan snorted, brushing off the accusation "What, did you want my autograph or something or did you actually come here to fight me over some tall tales, Hnheh"

"There are children who are not human girl, but I wouldn't even roll my eyes if you did eat human flesh" The woman explained drolly with her eyes drooping tiredly, as if meeting her was boring her to death "I use it to make medicine and poison after all"

"Hm, refreshing to meet someone who actually understands the worth of results and power <3" The ogress tittered "But you still haven't said if you've come to grind me up into makeup or just drag away some of my cushions like the other scavengers"

The two handsome men and the other extra who made Yaonan feel a twinge of pity just from the sight of him exchanged silent glances as the truly bosmoy raven haired woman stepped closer to her, her hands stowed away in the sleeves of her robes while her best assets bounced freely, unrestrained from any bindings or laws of decency. Yaonan could respect that kind of attitude.

"Neither, brats make poor foundations and worse lip stick, Heh-Heh-Heh" The woman said, sticking out a fat toad like tongue "No, I just figured woman in a man's world should stick together, and heretics like us should join together to show the stuffy old men in their palaces and shrines the true definition of strength"

"You don't need to be so blatant about it, your bit about using human corpses was enough to tell me you don't buy the bullshit the elders of the cultivation world peddle like rotten fish" Yaonan giggled, narrowing her eyes cutely as the woman came to the bottom of her throne of bodies "Just like the adorable little me <3, but that doesn't mean we're friends"
Cont

>>5701166

"Certainly not, but adults and aged crones like me are wise enough to know when a partnership can be struck without any lingering attachments or serious relationships~" The woman said with a seductive smile that quickly turned to a gross toad like grin as her surprisingly dexterous tongue wrapped around her silver pipe like a tentacle

"I don't see any crow's feet on you" The ogress pouted "So what, do you want to hire me to kill someone? I do admit to have not exactly taken my finances into account when I murdered my old uncle, which if you know my name, you must've heard about"

"Why pay for the pleasure when you can have it freely?" The woman huffed haughtily, crossing her arms under her heaving chest while Yaonan picked at her ear and frowned "Besides, I'm sure shedding more blood and cutting down more lives is exactly the kind of payment you'd take"

"Eh, its worth as much to me as spirit stones, gold cash or exposure" She explained casually, having spent the whole of the conversation trying to find an opening in the apparently old crones defenses, but just like her age, she couldn't find it anywhere "Go on"

"You're fighting a sect that's one of the strongest in the what remains of the empire, and while you can overpower the weaklings they've nurtured, there are some actual monsters in their rank" the woman explained just as casually as she pressed the heel of her shoe against a mushy and half decayed skull

"I was once one of them <3" Yaonan chirped happily

"But you were never close to the ranks of the strongest" The woman sharply replied, parrying Yaonan's confidence with her curtness "And if you keep killing, they will send someone who can make easy work of you"

"I'm no frog in a well grandma, I'm the strongest of my generation. and I'm just growing stronger with every life I cut short" Yaonan growled back

"No you're not" The woman laughed, immediately intriguing Yaonan as she knew that was no lie or baseless claim, if she could come up to her and insult her like she has without so much as flinching. And that brazeness just made her like her more, but the temptation of finding out who could be stronger in the current crop of cultivators than Ling Yaonan was far more of an inncentive to humor her and not test the beauty's strength by immediatly attacking her, as she had been doing for any cultivator that had the balls to approach her since she began her rampage

"Go one" Yaonan growled hungrily

"You might get to meet her if you survive, which is why I am here, we're both threatened by the hornet's nest you've gone and kicked, you, me, and her" The woman said sweetly, but Yaonan could feel the venom lurking within her heart on her skin, raising up the hair on the back of her neck "And together we'll have a better chance of surviving"

"And later fighting eachother~" Yaonan interrupted with an excited trill

"If we join forces and combine our strengths' They both said in unison
Cont

>>5701168

"So do you accept, or does this old woman need to beat some sense into you?" The woman boldly asked

"I don't care if I'm fighting solo or in a group, just stay out of my way and don't spoil my fun" Yaonan said, giving her few demands to enter into an alliance with this mysterious heretic "Just tell me your name and what your specialty is, so we can work better together, since I don't think calling you Big tits is very nice. It is Funny, but kinda mean Riiiiight~"

"Don't ruin my fun either, little girl, and I've been called that too much to care if its rude, its accurate after all, Heh-Heh-Heh" The woman said with that weird cackle again, it was kind of gross the more Yaonan heard it "And fine, that's more than acceptable. And you can Just call Me Monu, the toad witch"

"OH!" Yaonan shouted, skipping from her perch as the two pretty boys and the poor man reached for the weapons at their side "I've heaaaaard that name before <3! The old windbag I took this mask from always used to say I'd end up like you if I didn't shape up"

"So you killed him?" Monu snickered, cutely covering her mouth with her sleeve

"His fault for telling me his weakness" Yaonan said with a grin like a hyena, revealing her teeth that had sharpened into a mouthful of flesh tearing and bone crunching fangs "Never turn your back to a sword demon, especially if you've given them every reason to hate your guts"

"Well if you'll stoop to backstabbing, surely you'll not balk at coating that big sword of yours with my dragon killing poisons? It'll be a nasty surprise for the brave heroes that'll come looking to cut that pretty head of yours off of your shoulders" Monu said foxily from behind her sleeve

"Whatever it takes to win" The ogress proudly answered

"Maybe we'll become friends after all, I like a girl who knows her own heart. So, Yao-Yao, what do you say about getting right to the fun part?" Monu said playfully "And slaughter all of those self righteous pieces of shit, hmm?"

<https://youtu.be/bZsvL7-ovGw>
_
Result: A Heretical Alliance. Outcome: success. Fu, Qiang, Hong, Liu, Lanfen and Yujijiao's relationships with Monu have suffered and they may ignored her orders or command despite her seniority and higher position in the sect. Their loyaltly and bond to Huanliuxue remains unchanged

And while the alliance between a witch and ogress was struck, and the horrors of a master poisoner working alongside an unrepentant sword maniac were unleashed up the unprepared disciples of the Guardians of the Celestial Sunlight, and anyone else who dared to stand against the Poison Fairy and Sword Devil, Huanliuxue was quite comfortably cultivating.
Cont

>>5701170

Ascending the ranks of the core formation stage faster than the whole of the cultivation world combined, while the Chuan lands was filled with corpses from that world, cut too ribbons or withered from deadly poisons, whose ghosts joined in haunting the region while Pure Blood Qi battled against the ghostly Yin, despite coming from the same source.

Even the mundane world of the region could no longer be called that as The Demon Cat's aura and the explosive bursts of her peculiar combination of spiritual energies flooded the lands. Though the number of fights between cultivators would've done that anyways, as would the literal rivers of blood and poison flowing from those battles.

Even the most blind and isolated of sects noticed now what was happening in Chuan, even those hopeful pacifists who told themselves that the cultivator whose Qi was blazing in the night sky like a second sun had to be a follower of the orthodox were forced to admit that the worst fears of the cultivation world had come true. Somehow a true and unabashed heretic had slipped by unnoticed, in spite of the Primordial roar that shook the lands setting them all on high alert, and had found some secret technique or treasure that had granted them power or wisdom none of them had seen in living memory. And that could not stand.

But while the passive and stagnant sects argued and debated how they should interfere as was their duty as the righteous sects of the world, as some of the sects partaking in the interregion squabble between the Sun and Winter alliances, one ignored the laws and restrictions all proper Daoists followed and another simply watched from the sidelines

The Winter blossoming wisdom Sect (冬䓵智, Dōngfūzhì) marched to war, lead by their dying head, while the the Five colors and Five purities (五彩和与五純度, Wǔcǎihéyǔwǔchúndù) sat upon their spring and attended no meetings or conferences.

Event: The Snow Tiger Emerges from his den

Xue Laohue's voice carried from one end of the Chuan lands to the other, as he recognized the techniques and poisons of the woman he betrayed and branded witch

" Hao Lianduye! You contemptuous witch ! How dare you persist to still live beneath the same heavens as I! Persisting in your wickedness, carrying on your sinful ways! This time I shall not be merciful. In spite of our past bonds, I shall take your head, Villain!"
Cont

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>>5701171

Sect action

Things keep getting more treacherous, the peaceful land of countless rivers has become a sea of fire and a mountain of blades!? What to do?

>Monu and her eldest daughter and her pet, driven wild with wrath at the entrance of their shared enemy attack him, unleashing a hundred percent of the power. [Result: ???. Additional modifiers. Ling Yaonan is currently allied with the Palace of Natural Laws. Fu and Co are unlikely to follow Monu into battle]

>Fu seeks out Yuyi, remembering his master's visits to the sect she stole the harmonious five elements spring water from, and with the disciples with a good reputation in the Martial world and world of cultivation, sneaks off to approach the Five colors and five purity sects to plead with them to help them fend of the two sects invading their turf. [Result:???. Additional modifiers. Fu and Co's heroism in the swamps and Su Zhe'xínglǚ's view of Huanliuxue]

>Feiqing, panicked by all that is going on, with Lei's assistance and a few odd statues he turned into stone puppets, works overtime to complete the tunnel to the primordial wilderness. And unleashes Tiexingege's army on all who threaten his savior's life and cultivation [Result: ???]

>And The Crow Crone Devil approaches Qiang and offers her assistance in ensuring the safety of the palace of natural laws and the Crow Killer herself. [Result: ???]

>Write in

>>5701172
>Fu seeks out Yuyi, remembering his master's visits to the sect she stole the harmonious five elements spring water from, and with the disciples with a good reputation in the Martial world and world of cultivation, sneaks off to approach the Five colors and five purity sects to plead with them to help them fend of the two sects invading their turf. [Result:???. Additional modifiers. Fu and Co's heroism in the swamps and Su Zhe'xínglǚ's view of Huanliuxue]

>>5701172
Well that's not great. About Monu or Snow tiger.

>Fu seeks out Yuyi

>>5701172
>Feiqing, panicked by all that is going on, with Lei's assistance and a few odd statues he turned into stone puppets, works overtime to complete the tunnel to the primordial wilderness. And unleashes Tiexingege's army on all who threaten his savior's life and cultivation [Result: ???]

>>5701172
>Monu eases up on the remains of the Guardians of the Celestial Sunlight and instead maneuvers in a way to have them clash with Winter blossoming wisdom

>>5701172

>Feiqing, panicked by all that is going on, with Lei's assistance and a few odd statues he turned into stone puppets, works overtime to complete the tunnel to the primordial wilderness. And unleashes Tiexingege's army on all who threaten his savior's life and cultivation [Result: ???]

Just throw our insect army into the mix for maximum chaos

>>5701172
>Feiqing, panicked by all that is going on, with Lei's assistance and a few odd statues he turned into stone puppets, works overtime to complete the tunnel to the primordial wilderness. And unleashes Tiexingege's army on all who threaten his savior's life and cultivation [Result: ???]

I like the idea of bringing the geges into this, it is actually the best time as i doubt there are more armies coming. (I expect the heaven meddling will be some extremely powerful cultivators instead of armies.)

The neutral sect should remain neutral and the ogress is best kept at arms lenght, and as much as i am intrigued by the crow crone offer openly allying with demons would cement us as the bad guys.
I know monu would want nothing more than to destroy the winter sect and their elder but it's best to strip the armies from around him first so she can freely gloat and kill him without too much interference.

>>5701172
>Feiqing, panicked by all that is going on, with Lei's assistance and a few odd statues he turned into stone puppets, works overtime to complete the tunnel to the primordial wilderness. And unleashes Tiexingege's army on all who threaten his savior's life and cultivation [Result: ???]

Ok, I flip-flopped on this like 5 times, but I think that'll work.

Ideally what I would hope for, no matter what, is that whoever we pick will do good enough that the Winter Blossoming Sect force is pushed back, but not good enough that Family Vengence is denied Huan when she wakes up.

I feel like Monu and Co. going after them will end up getting the job done completely with the whole Winter Sect dead, even if it cost them some horrible injury, which makes that option not ideal. But on the other hand, this event seems like Frosty Crotch coming out of hiding with some of his best instead of the usual fodder, which is a force that I think even with the insect Army, might result in Feiqing's efforts failing outright. Especially given the lack of modifiers.

That said, since on the Monu and Co option it seems that Fu and Co will join the efforts of whatever option isn't the Monu and Co one, since it's specifically pointed out that they might not join her, maybe the combined whole of all of Huan's strongest minus Monu will do exactly what I want them to do and leave the old bastard exposed and even more weakened for Huanliuxue's return.

There's also the idea that there will be one more event after this which will be a better, if not less thematic, use of Monu's time.

Also, finally getting the Cute Gege's onto the scene would be great!

>>5701172
>Feiqing, panicked by all that is going on, with Lei's assistance and a few odd statues he turned into stone puppets, works overtime to complete the tunnel to the primordial wilderness. And unleashes Tiexingege's army on all who threaten his savior's life and cultivation [Result: ???]

I like this option, because we don't poke more into the fractured relationship with Monu and Fu and Co, we don't drag the five spring elder into a war as our first, official meeting/action, and we don't associate/ally with demons (yet)

Plus, it brings the cute geges and Fu and the others will join. With this fucked up ant army it's surely a way to bring even more panic from the other sects, but I believe it's a good show of our power for when we finally end our cultivation.

>>5701206
My fellow juniors have convinced me.

LET THERE BE GEGE'S!

Changing from this to
>Feiquing panicks and completes the tunnel.

I think we'll stop at golden core stage, would be very very lucky if we get half way through the stage [a 2 realm jump] but my money is on peaking out near the start of it.

If we made it to Nascent soul well. . I'll be.

>>5701172
>Feiqing, panicked by all that is going on, with Lei's assistance and a few odd statues he turned into stone puppets, works overtime to complete the tunnel to the primordial wilderness. And unleashes Tiexingege's army on all who threaten his savior's life and cultivation [Result: ???]
Welp, we've got some inter-sect drama to deal with once we're done leveling up. But now the insects!

>>5701382

Even better, We have Insects under the lead of someone who studied war and army formations!
I don't think the sects are superb with them, given they only got to warring like 2-3 years ago after thousands of years of peace.

Tietie though is enthusiatic about it and has an ancient teaching scroll on the topic.

>>5701172
>>Feiqing, panicked by all that is going on, with Lei's assistance and a few odd statues he turned into stone puppets, works overtime to complete the tunnel to the primordial wilderness. And unleashes Tiexingege's army on all who threaten his savior's life and cultivation [Result: ???]

Well we're not remaining allies with the Ling Yaonan for long hopefully we can fix the their relationship since it's a temporary alliance. The fact of the matter is they just had a battle and some are wounded. And most of the students are not even foundation realm.

They are not strong enough to protect the sect against outside forces. Who would have more core and foundation experts.

>>5701172
I do have a fun idea for a write-in. Well, maybe “fun” is the better way to say it.
>Feiqing, panicked by all that is going on, with Lei's assistance and a few odd statues he turned into stone puppets, works overtime to complete the tunnel to the primordial wilderness. While the ants reinforce the sect, the bees and their princess step out onto the field, the sect’s second sanguine peach in hand…

I would love to see what a blood tree could do when weaponized by cultivator who commands plants and a battlefield of corpses to draw blood from.

Having a Yang-heavy locus so near Huan may be dangerous, but with her nature I’d expect her to simply adapt to it make her core as transient as her roots.

>>5701172
>Feiqing, panicked by all that is going on, with Lei's assistance and a few odd statues he turned into stone puppets, works overtime to complete the tunnel to the primordial wilderness. And unleashes Tiexingege's army on all who threaten his savior's life and cultivation [Result: ???]
Feiqing is best boy.
I hope one day he gets reforge into the gigachad he is.

>>5701597
Now that is an idea to consider
Having the bee tend to such a tree would be interesting.

But i don't know if using it on a field of slaughter would end up tainting it, and i would refrain from using it unless it's a truly dire situation.

>>5701727
Agreed on all points. I propose it since all choices seem to have advantages and drawbacks, and this would be very impactful on both fronts.

In the event of a tiebreaker being needed, I’d shift my vote to drowning the enemy in ants as the “normal” choice suggests.

>>5701172
>Feiqing, panicked by all that is going on, with Lei's assistance and a few odd statues he turned into stone puppets, works overtime to complete the tunnel to the primordial wilderness. And unleashes Tiexingege's army on all who threaten his savior's life and cultivation [Result: ???]

>>5701597
>I would love to see what a blood tree could do when weaponized by cultivator who commands plants and a battlefield of corpses to draw blood from.
that sounds like a good way to get blood qi corrupted

>>5701919
Yep, we should not have beginners messing with blood Qi. Especially not without it being a real emergency (pretty sure the insects can do plenty of damage just with the element of surprise!)

>>5701980
>We are about to fight heretics expect the unexpected
>pfft, how weird can they be? Surely we of the orthodox faction can't be beaten the worst will be breaching the winter sect lines for sure..
>arrive at the place and there's rivers of blood and ghosts
>the ogress immediately betrays us, who could have seen that coming?!
>suddenly the ground is ants and the sky is bees
>not the bees.jpg
>somehow the toad witch has returned
>want to go back home and cultivate in peace but the heavens are watching

This is just the shittiest day for the orthodox guys

>>5701980
>>5701597
The peach is in the cultivation chamber, with Huan

>>5702015
Better hope Huan doesn't finish up with this going on, because at that point willing joining the cycle of rebirth would be a smarter choice.

>>5702015
>For the gods... We barely make it out of that battle with most of our members, and our elder it's in even worse shape, I doubt he makes it out of this year
>It's been 2 year since the Battle of the Ant-hill, the reports from the village that lives near says that even if the place it's haunted and ridden by undead and ghost, they have some sentience and are part of that heretics army like the ants
>The people there apparently are ok and still happy... What kind of spell does those heretics used on them? If any, the worst part, IS THAT WE DIDN'T DETECT ANY SPELL OR SOMETHING AFFECTING THEM
>Wait... what now? The flow of Qi it's even higher on the cultist hq? it's awakening?! Oh god, WHAT DO WE DO NOW?!
>She's getting out of the cave...
>Oh no... She's marching with her undead army... gigant ants... BEE? JIANG SHI?! GHOULS?! F-FUCKING DEMONIC BEASTS?! WHAT'S GOING ON
>AAAAAAAAAAAAH, SAVE US FIVE COLOR EMPEROR

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>>5702059
And then 5 color will be like...

>>5702079
"Lol" said 5CE, lmao.

>>5702050
Ah, I missed that. I thought she didn’t take it because of the Yang-alignment, but it’s just a lesser bonus since she’s still a practitioner with blood qi.

>>5701597
>>5701172
Officially switching my vote to
>Feiqing, panicked by all that is going on, with Lei's assistance and a few odd statues he turned into stone puppets, works overtime to complete the tunnel to the primordial wilderness. And unleashes Tiexingege's army on all who threaten his savior's life and cultivation [Result: ???]

Also, don’t think I didn’t notice that line about odd statues! Huan is going to have a coronary when Feiqing shows her his “stone puppets” and they turn out to be the same ones that beat her so soundly when confronted early on.

It won’t kill her, of course. Blocked blood flow to the heart really doesn’t mean much when she could make new arteries with a thought.

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Ending the vote, tallying the result now. Happy freedom day for any of you who live in the White eagle nation.

Fu seeks out Yuyi, remembering his master's visits to the sect she stole the harmonious five elements spring water from, and with the disciples with a good reputation in the Martial world and world of cultivation, sneaks off to approach the Five colors and five purity sects to plead with them to help them fend of the two sects invading their turf. :1

Feiqing, panicked by all that is going on, with Lei's assistance and a few odd statues he turned into stone puppets, works overtime to complete the tunnel to the primordial wilderness. And unleashes Tiexingege's army on all who threaten his savior's life and cultivation: 11

Monu eases up on the remains of the Guardians of the Celestial Sunlight and instead maneuvers in a way to have them clash with Winter blossoming wisdom:1

Feiqing, panicked by all that is going on, with Lei's assistance and a few odd statues he turned into stone puppets, works overtime to complete the tunnel to the primordial wilderness. While the ants reinforce the sect, the bees and their princess step out onto the field, the sect’s second sanguine peach in hand…: 0

Near landslide victory for Feiqing and Lei to break their backs and complete the tunnel, adding more fuel to the wildfire raging through Chuan by adding the Gege's to the equation so the black iron ant army can defend Huanliuxue's life and her cultivation

Update will arrive shortly

>>5702015
>>5702059
>>5702079
>>5702103
LMAO

>>5703386
Subtle entrance? Understated announcements?

DO YOU KNOW WHO THE IMPERIAL CAT EMPRESS IS!?!?!

>>5703437

Four fourteen threads we have said "lay low, bide our time, one day, not yet."

This thread is different.

>>5703440
THE TIME IS NOW, OLD MASTERS, OUR TIME IS NOW!

We didn't really get a choice in this case, given we were that successful that we couldn't hide our advancements, but when the cards fall differently adaptation is a valuable skill.
So why not go wild with it?

>>5703440
Agreed with >>5703441. Our preparations were far, far more noticeable than expected. They struck first. We now need to be sure they don’t get the chance for a second one.

>>5703440
The thing about not yet, is that there is a time it arrives.
Besides, they attacked us first. Ignore the fact we were planning on going after the winter sect when we reached golden core. Which would be now.

For hundreds of years, for centuries, Huanliuxue, The Red Cat Empress has been a figure of respect on our world, the one who brought back knowledge long forgotten and opened the eyes of the villanous orthodox of the time. But one of the pieces of arts that are the most famous at the time, and are still relevant, are the series of Haikus that Feiqing, The Gentle Smith, wrote on the first years of Huanliuxue campaing to make a place on the cultivation world, detailing part of his first years with The Red Cat Empress and her eventual reveal to the world

-----
One really old God wept
His beloved cat was hurt
So, the sky ripped apart
-----
A hate so long lost
Millions of His friends now gone
The Earth and Heaves shrunk
----
To make right the wrongs
The scared kitty goes to hunt
Happy to shed blood
----
The sins of the past
Brought to the present once more
Now the Peach fully grown
----
The smilling cat came
The powerful crow stood there
Poof! The bird is dead
----


Yeah so from some time I got interested in Haiku and this is just my first shot at it, right after reading half an article telling how to do it. I'm a ESL so I got kinda fucked with the counting the syllables but whatever

>>5703451
Rule number one of life: never pull up to someone's residence without notice unless you have a death wish.
>>5703459
We have a poet among our ranks

>>5703459
Excellent work, I think you did a fantastic job. Love the haikus you came up with

>>5703459
I’ll kick in a couple.

Forging of new clans
Cats, bees, ants, royalty made
New courts bring old ways

The wheel still turns yet
The grudge unfulfilled
Immortals must fall

Our ghost majesty
Reads human romance novels
But dreams of spiders

>>5703475
>>5703482
Thanks!

>>5703503
>Spoiler
Heh-heh-heh

>>5703503
Nice

anyways
the update is coming. its big

It was a time of chaos and fear, both in the mortal realm and the world of cultivation. From the lowliest of beggars to the greatest lords, from the weakest outer disciple to the highest and most mighty of young masters, all waited with baited breath to see which way the wind would turn as the Radiant Dawn slowly gave way to Crimson Night as poison and blood seeped into soil long parched off the wine spilt from war and the long slumbering dragons of the sect rose and took up arms once against eachother and the mysterious, nameless and faceless threat that had arisen under their noses as they shed blood and ended the lives of their fellow daoist for the sake of pride and face alone. Ghosts and buried soldiers rose and walked the roads. Strange wildlife and plantlife emerged from forests once tamed and serene. A demonic howling could be heard at night, carrying to all corners of the realm by the winds that reeked of rot and iron. And at night, the silver moon glowed dimly scarlet, like a baleful bleeding eye hanging in the heavens.

Cultivators joined priests in their prayers to the gods, pleading for divine guidance or celestial protection from whatever horror had ushered in this calamity even the blind could see rising up before their eyes, heralded by the parade of phantoms and corpses, the bloody winds, and the reemergence of villains long thought dead and outlaws recently branded as outcast and murderer. All of the mortals Chuan huddled by their fires, daring not to step outside the safety of their villages, cities or temples. Except for the youngest of the four sister cities, who were confident in the protection provided to them by the numerous martial heroes that walked its streets and called the riverside town their home. And even in the sects of the region that was the epicenter of these world shaking events, some dared not travel or even peek their heads out from their sect's retreats and strongholds, while the strongest of their number and their heads debated what the laws of the five sages would allow or demand them to do in the face of what to all seemed like the emergence of a great, dark power opposed to their virtuous and noble way of life.

Even in the sect belonging to the not so humble cat that was causing this stir with her talent, skill and foresight alone, there were those who trembled when they thought of what the future was to bring, as the shadows of great enemies and the din of their armies' approach haunted his dreams and waking life.

Feiqing might have become confident and braver than he was before, but he was not as fearless as some of his sect mates nor anywhere near as brazen as his master. And in spite of the strength he had cultivated and the fights he had won, the humble and hideous blacksmith retained what he considered a healthy survival instinct and enough common sense to consider his own self preservation.
Cont

>>5703534

Others may dub it cowardice and timidity, but Feiqing was only still alive now because he knew when he should run and hide rather than stand his ground. And as he watched the dominos fall as the Grand Elder and doting mother of the Sect Head revealed in the slaughter she was now assisting and partaking in, and the catacombs where his master still meditated and contemplated the mysteries of death and life surrounded by ghosts long driven mad and insane from their heavens' ordained confinement beneath the earth, and even his own martial brothers and sisters now argued instead of obeying the temporary head of the Palace of Natural laws sect, with some even going so far as to ignore her decisions and prepared to fight the powerful ally she had won by what Feiqing saw as either sheer dumb luck or the show of Monu's legendary talents as a manipulator and seductress. Probably to the death, considering what said ally had done to a number of those same brothers and sisters.

Feiqing, despite holding a position of some importance in the sect, considering his level of cultivation, usefulness as a crafter and status as one of the first four disciples recruited to it before it was even a proper and named organization, could not lend his authority to either demanding his peers and juniors obey the Grand Elder or join them in their rebellion by assisting them in building defense and training with them. Not just because it was against his somewhat meek and cautious nature, but because he thought both the Elder and Fu and his friends were acting like idiot children!

Couldn't they see the threats around them? This was no time to seek revenge and no time to revolt against their elders! While the ogress might be a threat, even she and Monu combined couldn't stem the full tide of the Guardians of the Celestial sunlights wrath, and worse yet Monu lending her poisons and cunning to that towering brute of a woman had attracted a second tiger to gnaw on their bones and incensed a second army to march up to the gates of their temple. And what would lurking in the gloom beneath the mountain accomplish, while the strongest member of the sect gnashed her teeth and prepared to throw herself at her most hated rival beneath all nine of the heavens?!

DEATH! That was the only outcome Feiqing could see, both if he encouraged his juniors and peers to join the fray beside their grand elder, or advised them to remain in the safety of their stronghold to prepare for the inevitable counter attack. Even if they had more than doubled in size this year, and each of them were more talented than the young masters applauded by the orthodox sects, they were still grossly outnumbered by The disciples of both the Guardians of the Celestial Sunlight and the Winter Blossoming wisdom sects, and their lesser allies! Even though they had spent the better part of the last couple of years slaughtering eachother.
Cont

>>5703536

This was not a fight they could win, even if Huanliuxue burst from the ground as Underworld dragon. But Feiqing also couldn't run away and hide, he owed too much to Huanliuxue and even facing death was he not so terrified to abandon the few men and women in the world who had accepted him as their friend and brother despite his monstrous countenance

Rubbing his bearded chin, Feiqing sat down on the floor in deep thought, wondering what could be done to protect the master who had saved his life without interrupting her cultivation and ruining her refinement.

"What can I do, to save all that I cherish in this cruel world?" He sadly asked himself, before a tingle upon his foot alerted him to a tiny, lonesome ant crawling on his toe. And in that moment, the ape faced man was enlightened. Grabbing a working pick and hammer and his mute martial brother Lei, he set immediately to work.

Without Monu's attention, the various puppets she commanded had fallen still and lifeless, and without clear direction or command structure, the outer disciple and workers of the sect had too slacked in the work. But through the roughly hewn and hacked rock of the latest tunnel of the sect that extended for leagues away from it beneath the earth, past hard packed soil and solid stone, Feiqing could feel chittering and sense magical ores being picked away at and devoured.

The Palace of Natural Laws sect might be small. But they had an army rushing to meet them, lead by two princess trying so hard to reunite with their elder sister. With a confident smile and tears of rejoicing relief in his piggish eyes, Feiqing got to work with Lei at his side, telling no one besides the mute of his plan
_
<https://youtu.be/YpS904mcfwM>
"I am telling you Lei, everyone has gone insane except you and Me. Ping is holding council with strange spirits, Fu, Qiang, and Yujijiao are in open rebellion, and I am pretty sure Huili has been eating people again" Feiqing snarled as he worked through the cloud of stone ground to dust and the miasmas unleashed from deep beneath the earth while his mask wearing friend nodded in agreement

Grunting, he set himself against the wall and grimanced, which Feiqing knew to mean "And that's without even considering that our beautiful grandmother is attracting the worse kind of attention, we'll be lucky if only she dies"

"You're lucky Huanliuxue can't understand you, or else just saying that outloud might rouse her from her meditations to scold you for daring to think her mother could die" Feiqing said grimly, finding absolutely no humor in their dire circumstances even though Lei did and showed it by laughing

"Hey, who knows, maybe the little moth will find enlightenment in our corpses! Maybe the buddhist deer will grow strong upon our bones" was what Lei's laugh meant. Feiqing did not dignify his flippant attitude with a serious response, and returned to working alongside him.
Cont

>>5703537

and alongside the odd, triangular headed statues he had found while wondering the upper levels of the catacombs in despair. They were all smashed to pieces, but he was easily able to repair them and with a bit of practice, managed to replicate the spell Monu cast to guide her wooden and straw puppets throughout the temple grounds. Oddly enough, Siwang mentioned seeing a pristine statue of similar make in his nightly scouting flights, but Feiqing had counted again in the morning and he hadn't lost a single one of his collection of towering stone servants. Curiouser yet, Siwang had mentioned that it moved with the dexterity of living creature, rather than the sluggish and stilted gate that was the most Feiqing could produce with his novice skill at controlling puppets.

Maybe the owl had gained a sense of humor from mingling with his juniors? If he did, it was terrible. Feiqing didn't see the purpose in messing with his head like that, when it was already messed up with panic and the dread of losing all he held dear due to no fault of his own.

Grumbling he worked harder, his muscles feeling close to tearing as he swung against the rock with all his might, eventually forgoing the pick and hammer to strike with his meteorite iron infused arms, summoning the Astral Qi he had skimmed off the top of the jade throne as he used his open hand to cut through the walk and the spiritual essence of the void of space to displace them from the wall while Lei sang a song that seemed to only have "All gonna die, all gonna die, how fun" as its lyrics, despite sounding like a song kids would sing while they played.

They worked for days, for tireless nights, not sleeping or eating as they removed miles of stone and left it in the "Courtyard" of the temple. Someone was taking it from there, Feiqing wasn't sure if it was one of the outer disciples trying to keep the temple grounds clean, or Fu wanting to build walls that'd put the former imperial capital to shame around his city and the mountain. And he didn't care. He could feel the march of a thousand feet growing closer and closer and was determined to reach them. It didn't matter if he dropped dead in the process. He needed to reach the Geges and the armies they had both birthed. That would be the salvation of the Palace of Natural laws and for Huanliuxue and if he would gladly lay down his life if it meant preserving the sanctuary that welcomed him and the master that had saved him and treated him so kindly.

Lei? Well he wasn't sure how Lei felt or why he was working so diligently beside him besides the bounds of their sworn brotherhood. The man was nearly as whimsical as their master and had a stranger head on his shoulder than half of the young beasts they were raising.
Cont

>>5703538

"Nibble, nibble, going to feed the flesh of the dogs of the gods to the little cuties <3" Lei mumbled, the working song coming out as a jumbled mess of grunts and groans

"Ah of course!" Feiqing chuckled "You have a grudge of your own against the heavens, just like Huanliuxue, just like Monu, just Like Fu"

"Just like you" Lei said, sounding unusually wise and sagely

Feiqing frowned, and realized he did have a bone to pick with the gods who chose to shape him the way they did and set him down on the life that lead him to here. Sure it had all turned out well, but he had nearly lost his head a dozen times before his fortunes turned around. Somehow, the fatigue of his muscles and exhaustion deep in his bones seemed to vanish after that realization, and he was able to work with the same intensity as he had when he first started tunneling like a madman besides an actual mad man.

The wall loosened and began to crumble

And the smith and cultist were met by the curious waggling of a giant's ant antenna before it disappeared into the darkness of the unlit tunnel they had just breeched.

In a matter of hours, its mother appeared before them along with Jiǒnghuāgége (炅花格格, Shining Flower Princess), who was looking strangely human. Which lead to lei demanding to see the human form of Tiěxīngége (铁心格格, Iron heart Princess) before either him or Feiqing would explain why their expressions were so stricken and their face so shallow and pale.

Because of course he did
_

"Oh that's terrible!' The freckled and silver haired Jionghuagege wailed, covering her mouth in shock once Feiqing had explained to not so little princess and the quite small princess exactly the kind of troubles Huanliuxue and his students and found themselves in due to no fault of their own, besides maybe the way Monu choosing to assist the ogress in her slaughter in a way that made it clear she was involved in it. The Bee Princess was dressed in clothes woven from white petals and living vines, while the Ant princess was dressed in what looked like raw iron she had pounded into armor that vaguely resembled the chitin of her native state.

Which made her look ridiculous, as unlike Huanliuxue or Jionghuagege, she appeared as a little girl when she was human. A deeply tanned, scar covered little girl. Her hair was black, and while duller than her sisters, still had a metallic glint to it. But while Jionghuagege's eyes were of the peach blossom shape, Tiexingege's were sharp, triangular and threatening. Which made her glare almost intimidating in spite of short stature and bratty looks

"How dare they! The bastards! Do they have any pride as men? Attacking someone while they might as well be asleep? The audacity of these fuckers!" Tiexingege drawled angrily and Feiqing couldn't help but wonder who taught her that language, it couldn't have been Huanliuxue or Qiang, maybe Fu had been a poor role model to her?

Cont

>>5703540

"Tie tie!' Jionghuagege scolded while Lei nodded in agreement and silent approval of the little princess' rather crude assessment of the situation

"There is no reason to scold her, she has every right to be angry and express it" Feiqing said, raising a calming hand as Tiexingege huffed and pouted, crossing her arms and giving him a curt nod while Jionghuagege looked like she had just bit into a lime

"I'm angry to" Jionghuagege said after allowing silence to settle, polite and pleasant as always despite the furrowing of her brow "Not only are we going to have to wait to see our older sister, but there are ruffians at her door, this can't be allowed to carry on"

"Exactly what I was thinking Jiong-Jiong" Tiexingege said, as Feiqing sighed in relief and slouched were he sat, grateful he didn't have to waste any breath or time convincing them of his plan, since it was obvious they were bothing thinking the same thing as he was.

"Let me gather my kids up and we'll march to war! Its the least we can do for Red fur!" Tiexingege "Though we both owe her a great debt, ripping apart some cowardly shitstains who think they could beat her if they attacked while her back was turned should be a nice little gift to give her when she returns from her training"

"She's cultivating, not training" Jionghuagege corrected with a wag of her finger

"Whatever!" the smaller gege barked angrily "Just get your daughters ready for a scrap, Jiong-Jiong, we're calling up all the reserves and are marching to a true war!

Feiqing thought that Tiexingege sounded a little too excited, all things considered.

<https://youtu.be/HLk4nj0dZ7Q>
_
Result: Revolting Beasts: The Iron princess' rampage. Outcome: Extreme success

No one, not even the palace of the natural laws itself, expected the arrival of a third army. An army of giant, armored ants and massive honey bees that emerged from beneath the mountain at the center of the maelstrom of ghostly yin qi and accursed blood qi.

Before the dithering old sages and arguing elders of the sects could react, the army of monstrous insects rallied around the mountain and its surrounding lands in strict formations in a carefully and brilliantly planned defensive line behind walls of living trees that sprouted in a day and grew as tall and proud as ancient titans within a fortnight . Thinking that this must be the source of all the trouble, a hidden hive of demonic beasts the young master of a minor sect flew into battle, thinking insects to be easy prey, as ants and bees were the least of all life.

His mistake cost him his life. And he was but the first to fall.
Cont

>>5703543

As then emerged the mother of one half of the forces, who, despite appearing as a human child, a most abhorrent affront to the natural order and mandates of the heavens, shouted to the skies
a challenge against both the armies of the Guardians of the Celestial Sunlight, the Winter blossoming wisdom, and the other sects that had been roused to action at the emergence of a stampede of demonic beasts that

"Not one of you weaklings is touching my big sister without getting through me and my soldiers first! You don't have the right to threaten Red Fur without even proving your strength first! I'll show you what backstabbing earns you, wretched cowards!"

And so began the darkest day in ten generations of cultivators, as the Ant that they had at first scoffed and laughed at, proved to be a military and tactical genius, who put to shame even the rare acolyte of the long forgotten arts of war like the late Ling Meng or the triumphant and heroic Chuān Jianjun. In fact, she made those two modern generals and indeed every general that had partaken in the war against the false emperor or the border conflict of Ling and Chuan, seem like children waving swords around.

On their own, or even in a swarm, the ants and bees weren't a threat, but when commanded and strengthened by the mysterious arts of their leaders and apparent mothers, their strength was multiplied by ten fold and the cohesion of their units and tactics became so tight that not even a hair could pass through their defenses. And despite fighting amongst themselves, the sects allied to the Guardians of the celestial sunlight and the Winter blossoming wisdom sect, were entirely unprepared to deal with an true, professional army trained and drilled tirelessly by someone who actually understood more than the absolute basics of warfare

They did not protect their supply lines, or even know to establish them, being used to crushing any beast with the same disdain as they would a worm beneath their feet. And so black iron ants burrowing through the soil stole their supplies and raided their stores while they were squabbling over who and which sect deserved to lead the charge and take command of the alliance that had been hastily formed. And then while their first squads sent to subjugate the insects were encircled and slaughter, a fragment of the army broke off to swarm and fill the place left by the Winter blossoming Wisdom Sect that had allowed the Guardians of the Celestial sunlight to stream through uncontested, while another, supported by shambling corpses and hungry ghosts, crashed into the might of the Winter blossoming Wisdom Sect as they rushed for the mountain.
Cont

>>5703546

And the rogue cultivator, aided by the heretical, demon raising witch, took full advantage of the blow the demonic insects had dealt to the two armies, as a great miasma rolled out over the snow covered hills and the crazed swords demon appeared to meet the Ling clan's army as they routed and fled from the hill of corpses that ants built from their dead.

And while the sects of the regions of Ling and Chuan were humiliated and mocked by their more distant peers for being unable to deal with "Mere insects" and the geniuses and young masters of the sects that had not died in the opening of the war, torn limb from limb by the "Impudent vermin" they had grossly under estimated, buried themselves in their studies of warfare, buying relics and demanding them from mortal allies and libraries in a desperate attempt to match the strength of the "Black Iron devil", the rank and file of the sects were forced to deal not only with the swarms of demonic insects, the hungry ghosts and jiangshi, but the land itself turning against them, as they focused on the Ant princess as the main and sole threat.

and forgot to pay any attention to her meeker sister, who had put to good use her ancient techniques and magics and revealed herself to be just as strong as her sister. Few cultivators dared to mention that both of the insects were only the equivalent of foundation establishment novices, but with their armies, had beaten and humbled , nor speak the rumors of other kinds of beasts and even heretical cultivators joining the battlefield on the side of the abominations who dared walk as humans, or that the ogress and witch were allied with them in someway or that this was all the result of a centuries old scheme of all the heretics and villains of the world.

None of them could know that the true cause was once just a notched eared house cat who came from the flames of her village and the enmity watching her people be slaughtered awoke within her. Though the mortals of the land did turn to the shrines they had built to her to pray for their salvation and her to once again intervene in the darkest hours of the Chuan people.

And all the while, the true cause of all this chaos, Huanliuxue, remained in deep contemplation, cultivating further and further, ascending faster than a shooting star burning across the night sky as she stepped from one rank of the core formation stage to the next with the same ease as hopping across stones in a river, acquiring power at an unprecedented and unbelievable rate. The influx of spiritual energies was beginning to taper and slower, but she had not yet finished cultivating, even as the Quantity of Qi she absorbed turned from a bottomless ocean to a trickle of rain as her cultivation base expanded further and further, and her beast core expanded and refined countless times.
cont

>>5703549

Final Event: The Old Man atop the Mountain

And sensing this, the heavens again interceded. Wrathful at the fall of the martial gods who had been unable to strike down a simple cat and outraged that that same cat dared to outshine their mortal descendants and bring such chaos to the mortal realms, and fearful of what would happen if the same beast to endure a heavenly tribulation through trickery was allowed to finish her cultivation that made even the greatest of the last ten generations seem to be the stumbling of the untalented and unblessed, chose to simply smite the annoyance, receiving the five colors emperors blessing to ignore their usual clauses and laws of non interference to attack with all their might.

But, when the heavenly array appeared in the sky, alighting the blood red night and banishing the black clouds of grudges, resentment, enmity and undying curses that emerged from the mountain, banishing ghosts and cowing beasts, it was challenged by an aurorae of a five colors.

And beneath the massive celestial array powered by dozens of gods, a single, furious old man appeared. Overlooked by the younger gods, he raised a single hand and outstretched a single finger, challenging the full might of the nine heavens with just that and a simple protection spell. One he had learned from looking upon its creator. Summoning on his own grudge against the crimes of his students and descendants, he intervened with a cocky smile as the first bolts of divine retribution fell towards the mountain

To the utter horror of those watching, cultivators and mortals alike, the great heavenly away cracked and broke as soon as it appeared, seemingly without a cause as a surge of yin qi followed by yang qi erupted from the mountain, roiling black clouds and scarlet mists oozing from the mountain that had been split and sundered by not broken or crushed.

Shaking his smoking finger, the five colors emperor coolly departed the scene as he sent the strongest of the modern celestial realm flying with a single flick of his finger against a humble dying grudge shield. And far below his feet, Huanliuxue's eyes began to open, casting off the dust that had settled over them.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K43ui9_ul1M>

Cont

File: 1670129170613944.jpg (1.06 MB, 1800x2400)

1.06 MB JPG

>>5703551

1st Bonus choice of 4./b]

>Further evolution as a magical beast [Including a unique evolution amongst the choices]
>Bloodline creation
>Secret art: Monarch of the Phantom Butterflies: The dead recognize the practioner as their rightful sovereign. Any ghosts weaker than yourself, or those who freely submit themselves to you, Can be bound and made loyal beyond death itself. Tied not to lingering earthly desires or grudges, but to your regal presence, they follow you always. However, Ghosts or spiritualists equal to or stronger than your power will be able to break the oath/ steal away your court
>Secret art: Carmine mysticism, Refined. An improvement of the heretical art of carmine mysticism and the secret art adoption of the grave created by Huanliuxue's constant balancing between life and death and the respective worlds. All the benefits, none of the draw backs
> write in

2nd bonus choice 4
>An extra opening in your spiritual roots to paint [current Spiritual roots alignment. Ghostly, Blood, and one empty (Earned from reaching the core formation stage, so if you take this, you'll have four total spirit root slots)
>a 2nd demonic beast evolution (If taken with the 1st further evolution, you'll get two votes on it)
>Living source: Primordial beast essence
>Chimeric/partial transformation unlock
>Write in

3rd bonus choice of 4
>Living source: Blood Qi
>Living source: Ghostly Yin Qi
>Ghost Empress Melody Awakens! (first living tool/ weapon in ten generations)
>Specter lightness skill evolution/ upgrade (Full intangibility/ ghost form)
>Write in

4th and final choice of bonuses

>An extra opening in your spiritual roots to paint

>Eclipsed Yang Physique

>Ghostly evolution (Separate from Magic beast evolution)

>Secret Art: True Specter Lightness skill (It actually slows down time rather than just altering the perception of it in its area of effect)

>Write in

And what do you first do after you end your meditation, Huanliuxue (Besides gauge your current stage and level of cultivation, which will be reveal next update)

>Rub your eyes and yawn and go find something to eat and drink to wash the taste of dust out of your mouth

>Immediately learn how much time has passed by ambushing the first disciple you meet outside of the catacombs

>On a whim, see how long it takes your sect to realize you've stopped cultivating

>Realize immediately something fishy is going on and investigate

>Write in

next update, the final result of your cultivation will be revealed.

>>5703553
>Secret art: Carmine mysticism, Refined. An improvement of the heretical art of carmine mysticism and the secret art adoption of the grave created by Huanliuxue's constant balancing between life and death and the respective worlds. All the benefits, none of the draw backs
This would be great. What a better way to spite the heavens then to revive a dead, heretical practice that was once accepted.
Also we promised the jiangshi we would teach him it when/if he reincarnated, and I want to honor it.
>Living source: Primordial beast essence
It's just right for the ruler of beasts.
>Living source: Blood Qi
Because there is no other source in the world.
>Eclipsed Yang Physique
It feels like it would combo well with blood source, plus it's extra cultivation points.

>Realize immediately something fishy is going on and investigate

>>5703553
>Secret art: Monarch of the Phantom Butterflies
>Living source: Primordial beast essence
>Living source: Blood Qi
>Write-in: Linked Realms Of Life and Death: Your meditation has led you to see just how forgiving the barrier between realms can be. You can now easily shift from one land to another, even in your “living” body and in areas without a strong connection to death. You can bring others with you if you touch them without thought, and with some effort can pull an area with you in either direction. What better shadow to pounce from than from the other side of death’s veil?

I’ve wanted the first for a while, the third is to balance out the first, the second sounds interesting, and I wanted to have fun with the fourth.

As for our first action,
>Try reading one of Anjing’s books while everyone seems to be out on their own business. Once you step outside you will likely be quite busy for some time.

>>5703553
>Further evolution as a magical beast [Including a unique evolution amongst the choices]
>Chimeric/partial transformation unlock
>Specter lightness skill evolution/ upgrade (Full intangibility/ ghost form)
>Secret Art: True Specter Lightness skill (It actually slows down time rather than just altering the perception of it in its area of effect)

>Write in (On a whim, see how long it takes your sect to realize you've stopped cultivating. But don't just sit there. Spy on everyone to see what's been going on and how things have progressed with everyone.)

>>5703553
Grandfather, could you explain to this junior more about what the Eclipsed Yang physique is/does? Or is that something to be revealed after we pick, like the potential Evolution choices?

>>5703553
Man, just having the geges give such an ass whooping to the orthodox sects so big the cultivators now are TRYING to spect all their points into Warfare it's just fucking funny

Btw grandpa, I have various questions:

the first one is that any of these options about evolving, if we end up choosing, are there some special conditions or options that we're going to miss if we encounter those options on other circunstances? What I mean is, if we just pass those options on evolving after doing our amazing leap on cultivation, are there options we're going to lose if we can evolve later?

Second is: could we discover those secret arts later by other means outside of cultivating?

Third: is Eclipse Yang Physique a special condition of just plain Yang Physique? I mean, I already know we have the same thing with Yin, but I wanna know if the Eclipse has some advantage thanks to our Yin Physique or are just plain buffs that don't "evolve" each other

Forth: bloodline creation? I thought that we already have a bloodline thanks to us possesing Yuyi for months and giving her our Qi. Or this option it's something completely different?

Fifth: I guess we're going to wait for tomorrow for the results and a new update... Right?... Shit

>>5703582
>>5703583
My bet is that Eclipsed means that it would work together with our Yin physique instead of weakening it.

>>5703584
Yeah, I was thinking the same... Hell, it's in the name, if Yin it's related to the ice and the moon, and femenine energy, and Yang is related to the sun, fire and masculine energy, it should mean they align into a perfect Physique.

>>5703584
I read “eclipsed” as “hidden by” or “disguised by”. As though we put get hit with Yang Qi and go “nah, I want this to be Yin Qi” and it’d transform effortlessly. Alternately, we could choose to use Blood Qi as a Yin energy and really screw with things.

I’m probably wrong. But turning everything into Yin Qi sounds funny at least.

>>5703553
>>Further evolution as a magical beast [Including a unique evolution amongst the choices]
>Living source: Primordial beast essence
>Living source: Blood Qi
>Ghostly evolution (Separate from magic beast evolution)

my reason behind the evos is cause we was due for a upgrade from princess

>>5703551
> he had learned from looking upon its creator
Oh shit he's not gonna-
> sent the strongest of the modern celestial realm flying with a single flick of his finger against a humble dying grudge shield
Yes. Yes he is. Awesome.

>>5703575
To justify my particular choices
Magical Beast Evolution and Chimeric/Partial Transformation are things that are simply fitting to have.
Beyond the thematic bonus of having ultimate dominion over the beast and man forms, as well as reaching an even higher status as a Magical beast, I still long for the day Huan is finally able to cast spells with both her hands AND her tail at the same time. Something that was hinted, at in the earlier parts of the story, would boost Huan's power significantly.

As for the Upgrade to the Ghost Form and the Spectral Lightness Skill, not only are the abilities to stop freaking time and to become utterly intangible both insanely useful on their own, but together they would make Huan truly devastating.
Imagine stopping time for a second and just phasing through to wherever you please on the battlefield.
Stopping time Phasing through an attack, through an enemy themselves, then using both human hands and cat tail to cast something INSANE.
It'll be great!

>>5703553
>Secret art: Carmine mysticism, Refined. An improvement of the heretical art of carmine mysticism and the secret art adoption of the grave created by Huanliuxue's constant balancing between life and death and the respective worlds. All the benefits, none of the draw backs
To mend what was broken.
>a 2nd demonic beast evolution (If taken with the 1st further evolution, you'll get two votes on it)
Gotta match our power inside and out
>Ghost Empress Melody Awakens! (first living tool/ weapon in ten generations)
Our already tremendously powerful tool able to act independently to aid us? Incredible.
>Eclipsed Yang Physique
Not sure what this is, but feels like a step toward all around balanced perfection
>Rub your eyes and yawn and go find something to eat and drink to wash the taste of dust out of your mouth
But of course be our usual smarmy self


All around, wow. Just wow.

>>5703553
Is the unique evolution exclusive to this choice? Im really torn between it and Carmine Mysticism.

>Living source: Primordial beast essence
>Living source: Blood Qi
>Eclipsed Yang Physique
More traits!

>>5703553
>>5703676
Oh and as for the action:
> Rub your eyes and yawn and go find something to eat and drink to wash the taste of dust out of your mouth while also watching how long it takes your sect to figure out you've stopped cultivating.

>>5703553
>Secret art: Monarch of the Phantom Butterflies: The dead recognize the practioner as their rightful sovereign. Any ghosts weaker than yourself, or those who freely submit themselves to you, Can be bound and made loyal beyond death itself. Tied not to lingering earthly desires or grudges, but to your regal presence, they follow you always. However, Ghosts or spiritualists equal to or stronger than your power will be able to break the oath/ steal away your court
>Chimeric/partial transformation unlock
>Ghost Empress Melody Awakens! (first living tool/ weapon in ten generations)
>An extra opening in your spiritual roots to paint
>Realize immediately something fishy is going on and investigate

>>5703553
>Secret art: Carmine mysticism, Refined. An improvement of the heretical art of carmine mysticism and the secret art adoption of the grave created by Huanliuxue's constant balancing between life and death and the respective worlds. All the benefits, none of the draw backs

>Chimeric/partial transformation unlock

>Living source: Blood Qi

>Eclipsed Yang Physique

>Immediately learn how much time has passed by ambushing the first disciple you meet outside of the catacombs

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

2.91 MB PNG

>>5703583
1st: Depends since evolution can be very dependent on environmental influences and recent doings. But you'll be able to reach all of the ones available now with proper planning/ setting

2nd: Yes, eventually, but it'll be harder

>>5703582 (Correct)
>>5703591 (Yes, the name is very apt as you correctly guess)
>>5703598 (it does have some pretty wacky abilities, but I don't wanna spoil too much)

3rd: Special. Huan has supreme Yin physique, meaning her body is naturally amazingly yin aligned but without being purely yin like Monu's pure yin physique is (which among other things, basically locks her to Yin techniques and styles, and causes her to have a deficiency of Yang), so she can use Yang spells and stuff, but her bonuses are weighed heavily towards Yin with it and her ghostly half spiritual roots

Eclipsed Yang physique, to be blunt, is practically unheard of. Mostly because it is a physique that requires another to actually become active or be inherited. So even if someone has it, they probably won't know they have it.

And its called Eclipsed Yang physique because it, both in function and appearance, resembles a total solar eclipse. The yang energies forming a halo around the black sphere of Yin, and switching from the usual conflict of Yin and Yang to how dark and light and the various other aspects of the two compliment each other rather than oppose. Basically, Eclipsed Yang is the white dot in Supreme Yin, but that does not mean its weaker or lesser than it, and it will boost her Yang aligned abilities+ resistances

Which is like how Huan already uses her Pure Yin Ghostly Qi and her Pure Yang Blood Qi together, and her body could adapt the rare/ unusual eclipsed yang physique because she makes a habit of slipping in between boundaries. Like how she can befriend and earn the loyalty of people all across the alignment chart. If that makes sense

The best way I can describe it is how I did early, Eclipsed Yang physique embodies the total solar eclipse, which means it has some pretty mysterious, esoteric and odd abilities, since most cultivation clans aim for PURE YANG or PURE YIN with eugenics and physiques occurring naturally (In random births I mean, like high quality spiritual roots or special organs like Mermaid lungs are pretty rare). Like Huan had to make her physique supreme Yin when she, ya know, turned into a puddle.

There are a lot of variations and types of physiques

Also trying to explain this reminds me of how spooky Huanliuxue's aura looks and feels

4th: Yuyi has a bloodline due to being infested with a lot of Primordial beast essence, similar to the other unlucky souls who were affected by the beast roar, which activated it inside her and them. Basically the bloodline creation is codify Huanliuxue's legacy and expressing it as power and will. Yuyi is the start of a cat blooded bloodline because of Huan, even if she removed the more obvious signs of it from her

5th: Unless I drink too much tonight, yes.

>>5703676
it is not, it'll remain in your selection unless you cease meeting its requirements. Which would be very bad for Huanliuxue's health

>>5703553
Holy. . hell.

>Carmine mystisim refined.

>Living source: Primordial beast essence

>Living source:Blood Qi.

>Eclipsed Yang Physique.

We can wait till bit later before we condify our bloodline, so I think we should do a carmine mystisim.

Primordial essence and Blood Qi are two of our inherentences which need help if they are to become widespread and useful to the sect.

The Physique is another power boost that we can't learn or figure out how to trigger later, so immediately do that.


>Find out how long it took us, by ambushing a disciple.

>>5703553
>Carmine mysticism, refined
>Living source: blood qi
>Specter lightness skill Evolution
>Eclipsed yang physique
>Immediately realize something is up

>>5703553
>Secret art: Carmine mysticism, Refined.
>Chimeric/partial transformation unlock
>Specter lightness skill evolution/ upgrade
>Eclipsed Yang Physique

I was about to vote for the primordial beast essence, but >>5703636
Made a good argument for catgirl transformation.

Eclipsed yang is too good to pass up

I don't feel the need to become the next five colors emperor so i'm not too invested into new spiritual roots, and we already get an extra one.

I have no idea what living source of qi could entail, it's probably crazy too.
And fucking with time is too scary yet.

Hilarious how the old man gave the finger to the heavens, and the geges are freaking scary, weird the enemy didn't make kill teams of elders to kill them..
Or they did and the ogress intercepted them.

>Realize immediately something fishy is going on and investigate
(Who needs a spanking?)

>>5703553
>Further evolution as a magical beast [Including a unique evolution amongst the choices]
>An extra opening in your spiritual roots to paint
>Living source: Blood Qi
>Eclipsed Yang Physique

>Try reading one of Anjing’s books while everyone seems to be out on their own business. Once you step outside you will likely be quite busy for some time.

File: WTF.gif (960 KB, 245x250)

960 KB GIF

>>5703793
>Huan's emergance, colourised

>>5703806
>"Hey Yuyi, I need you to tell me why Jing Lian can't choose between Mao Nan and Faguang Tong, when objectively...
>What the fuck is happening here!?"

>>5703815
Even with the accumilated wisdom on human kind to transcend physical reality, we still can't figure out the logic of love triangles.

we will gain an immense enlightenment on the dao of the writer when we realise that there is no logic to be found. Only drama.

>>5703553
>Secret art: Carmine mysticism, Refined.
>Living source: Primordial beast essence
>Ghost Empress Melody Awakens! (first living tool/ weapon in ten
>Ghostly evolution (Separate from Magic beast evolution)
So many good options, I feel bad for whoever has to tally this vote
>Realize immediately something fishy is going on and investigate

>>5703846
It is so good, we've not got a question of what is best for us, but what can't we leave behind.

So many good things!

>>5703459
>>5703503
>Yeah so from some time I got interested in Haiku and this is just my first shot at it, right after reading half an article telling how to do it. I'm a ESL so I got kinda fucked with the counting the syllables but whatever
I am a poet autist
some tips are that haiku are a short form defined mostly by a sharp ('cutting') juxtaposition of natural images to create a composition. like if you laid two paintings together and they provided additional context to each other and changed the other's meaning slightly. like one of the most famous haiku features a well, a frog, and, not the water in the well, but the noise of the water. good ones avoid abstract ideas and concepts, and focus on the image, the natural world, and single physical moments.

syllable count is not the most important part of haiku, it's just the part that people focus on because it's easy to talk about and spread. formal requirements like that can be useful, but only if you think that working around such limits are helping you produce better poems. if they're more of a hinderance than a benefit then you should fudge them a bit, go for eight or six or four or whatever many syllables once in a while. even in japanese, lots of the most famous haiku have structures that deviate from the 5-7-5 pattern.

富士の風や扇にのせて江戸土産
Fuji no kaze ya
ōgi ni nosete
Edo miyage

has 6-7-5 and is by Bashou.

(the original source of haiku is also torn out of a longer form called renga so it's unlikely that a long poem would be a series of haiku; for a chronicle/epic it'd make more sense to link several renga, though it's still not a great formal fit...but again this is my autism breaking out.)

anyway now that I have said my autism here are a few contributions to the haikuthon

whose paw leaping up
dug up yellow worms here?
writhing in red soil

the smell of locusts
wet on a daughter's shoe
mother laughs as well

hooting of an ape
rushing through mountain bamboo
until friends arrive

bees work the flowers
honey-heavy and ready
for old leaves to fall

(addendum to the addendum, but renga are traditionally written by multiple people responding to 5-7-5 7-7 verses with their own. so it's very fitting that anons are sharing with each other.)

I haven't tallied in some time, so I may be rusty

>Votes - 13
+aGxTlDP
cDsd4oY9
sQGfk2NV
yUCw463G
Le4kiWoX
ADo/HIB6
lRNUBvS9
MV0nlm+b
x+/jSLIx
rQK6lmEZ
B9cWye52
kGsyQ6cX
CYYVh68H

Upgrade 1

>Secret art: Carmine mysticism, Refined. - 7
+aGxTlDP
Le4kiWoX
MV0nlm+b
x+/jSLIx
rQK6lmEZ
B9cWye52
CYYVh68H

>Secret art: Monarch of the Phantom Butterflies - 2
cDsd4oY9
lRNUBvS9

>Further evolution as a magical beast - 3
sQGfk2NV
yUCw463G
kGsyQ6cX

Upgrade 2

>Living source: Primordial beast essence - 5
+aGxTlDP
cDsd4oY9
yUCw463G
ADo/HIB6
x+/jSLIx
CYYVh68H

>Chimeric/partial transformation unlock - 4
sQGfk2NV
lRNUBvS9
MV0nlm+b
B9cWye52

>a 2nd demonic beast evolution - 1
Le4kiWoX

>An extra opening in your spiritual roots to paint - 1
kGsyQ6cX

Upgrade 3

>Living source: Blood Qi - 7 (8?)
+aGxTlDP
cDsd4oY9
yUCw463G
ADo/HIB6
MV0nlm+b
x+/jSLIx
rQK6lmEZ (?)
kGsyQ6cX

>Specter lightness skill evolution/ upgrade - 2 (3?)
sQGfk2NV
rQK6lmEZ (?)
B9cWye52

>Ghost Empress Melody Awakens! - 3
Le4kiWoX
lRNUBvS9
CYYVh68H

>>5703867
Upgrade 4

>Eclipsed Yang Physique - 8
+aGxTlDP
Le4kiWoX
ADo/HIB6
MV0nlm+b
x+/jSLIx
rQK6lmEZ
B9cWye52
kGsyQ6cX

>Linked Realms Of Life and Death - 1
cDsd4oY9

>Secret Art: True Specter Lightness skill - 1
sQGfk2NV

>Ghostly evolution - 2
yUCw463G
CYYVh68H

>An extra opening in your spiritual roots to paint - 1
lRNUBvS9

Action

>Realize immediately something fishy is going on and investigate - 6
+aGxTlDP
lRNUBvS9
MV0nlm+b
rQK6lmEZ
B9cWye52
CYYVh68H

>Try reading one of Anjing’s books while everyone seems to be out on their own business. Once you step outside you will likely be quite busy for some time. - 2
cDsd4oY9
kGsyQ6cX

>On a whim, see how long it takes your sect to realize you've stopped cultivating. But don't just sit there. Spy on everyone to see what's been going on and how things have progressed with everyone. - 1
sQGfk2NV

>Rub your eyes and yawn and go find something to eat and drink to wash the taste of dust out of your mouth - 2
Le4kiWoX
ADo/HIB6

>Immediately learn how much time has passed by ambushing the first disciple you meet outside of the catacombs - 1
x+/jSLIx

yUCw463G >>5703612 hasn't voted for an action
ADo/HIB6 >>5703676 hasn't voted for the first upgrade
rQK6lmEZ >>5703774 hasn't voted for the second upgrade, but voted for two of the third one

Had to split the post because 4chan kept saying it had too many lines

Oh, and I think we might have made a mistake making an alliance with the ogress, since the ling attacked us even more, and all the updates saying that the ghosts started rampaging through the land.
Recruiting then to fight might have been the better option, since then the ghosts would fight cultivators instead of terrorizing Chuan, and the celestial sect would probably have focused on going after Yonan, either abandoning the siege or
Also recruiting her made Monu show herself, which lead to the elder appearing.
But the geges saved everything in the end, so all is well that ends well.

>>5703867
>>5703868
Everything's pretty solidified except choice 2 between PBE and Chimera mode. Shame about no evolutions but c'est la vie.

>>5703883
lets just work towards an evolution after we finish cleaning up our territory.

We should damn well have the time and the know how now.

now to actually vote instead of sperging...
>>5703553
>Secret art: Carmine mysticism, Refined. An improvement of the heretical art of carmine mysticism and the secret art adoption of the grave created by Huanliuxue's constant balancing between life and death and the respective worlds. All the benefits, none of the draw backs
>a 2nd demonic beast evolution (If taken with the 1st further evolution, you'll get two votes on it)
>Ghost Empress Melody Awakens! (first living tool/ weapon in ten generations)
>Eclipsed Yang Physique
>Rub your eyes and yawn and go find something to eat and drink to wash the taste of dust out of your mouth

I think the Ghost Empress Melody awakening option is underrated

I feel like the Living source options are okay, and might win the vote just cause they're very unobjectionable, but for Primordial beast essence it feels like re-iterating a plot point that the Roar accomplished, and for Blood qi we already have two peaches. so it feels like something that was unique, and then got duplicated, and then we're gonna triplicate it? nah miss me with that.

>>5703886
Melody tempted me.

But I want to let Feiquing have that honour.

>>5703890
I thought the same thing, it just feels right that he would be the first one to get an awakened tool. Specially since he is working on that book about the living sword.

>>5703866
>some tips are that haiku are a short form defined mostly by a sharp ('cutting') juxtaposition of natural images to create a composition.
So, it's like each line should be read like it's own thing, but with the other two they linda share a under theme, right?

And it's also like trying to describe a painting or put an image on your head... But what do you think about the ones I did? Idk if trying to describe the feelings or how i did was right, so yeah I have that doubt. Also, yours are awesome, I loved the last one

>>5703890
>>5703898
I was also going to vote for melody, but damn I didn't remembered the sword Feiqing is doing. I honestly hope that the sword isn't a bloodthirsty maniac like it's described, and it's more of warnings or a Taboo thing around those living swords.

But yeah, I believe Feiqing should be the one that takes the credit on this one, he deserves it

>>5703886
I'm of the opinion that it's not reiterating the roar, but expanding on it.
It was a one time surge of primordial essence originating from us as a promise to defy the heavens after a tribulation. But now it becomes a constant source, due to Huan's will in response the dao about her goal to return the world to the primordial state.
As for why I voted for the blood qi, it's because we apparently ate the peach in preparation for this breakthrough, so we need it to be a pure blood qi source in the world. Do we still have another? I don't remember

>>5703907
No wait, we used the peach but didn't consume it.
We can still create a source of pure blood qi!

>>5703553
>>Secret art: Carmine mysticism, Refined. An improvement of the heretical art of carmine mysticism and the secret art adoption of the grave created by Huanliuxue's constant balancing between life and death and the respective worlds. All the benefits, none of the draw backs
>a 2nd demonic beast evolution (If taken with the 1st further evolution, you'll get two votes on it)
>Living source: Blood Qi
>Eclipsed Yang Physique

I'm between 2nd demonic evolution or the chimera-mutation. With what >>5703886
said about the living resource for beast Essence I also think it's not necessary for the moment, knowing how we kinda permeated the world with our roar. But i'm kinda worried it's also temporary and the living resource might be necessary, tho I guess that can be fixed if we find ourselves some place with primordial beast Essence where we can meditate/absorb on our region.

Also another option that's kinda making this hard it's the magical beast evolution (because I think it's the first one we saw and have a special option) and the bloodline creation, which we might be able to make it possible with other events aside from this vote. But if we choose it, I guess we can already cement our legitimacy for the future.

Talking about my vote for the Blood Qi, is basically because there isn't a Pure Blood Qi source of it, only the corrupted one on the Primordial Wilds and that's the only one we know

And the Eclipse Yan Physique it's a clear pick, with this one we will surely train with more ease our Blood Dao further more that we could with our Supreme Yin Physique.

>>5703886
>and for Blood qi we already have two peaches. so it feels like something that was unique, and then got duplicated, and then we're gonna triplicate it? nah miss me with that.
I think you're confused anon. We only have a preserved Blood Peach, the one we found on the temple of the Crow King. The other one was the fully grown Blood Peach of the past, we ate that one and that's how we got to paint our spiritual roots with Pure Blood Qi.

>>5703930
Btw, while i'm still sperging i'm going to bring back the topic of cultivating more Pure Blood Qi fruits, with an idea I kept thinking since the last update.

I believe that we should use our next spiritual roots slot for a wood/Nature aligned Dao, after all, we have Jiong-Jiong here who has a Dao aligned to it.

We can either create a whole new Dao, and try to use it to grow new Blood Qi fruits, using the juices or seeds of the preserved Blood Qi peach, the juices for making some kind of special soil or maybe vitamins to enrich the soil with this kind of pure Blood Qi, and try to experiment with how it can grow. First we use the juices to see the effects on normal crops, and only a little of it for testing. My guess is that we might be able to make more nutricious or bigger fruit, and once we have that figured out we can actually try and replicate more cultivation focused fruits.

And you might ask: Ok, but where? We've been discussing this for so much a d that's the difficult question.

Well, now that we're fully Awaken, and we already kinda did a little lie about it... I believe we need to go to the Primordial Wilds, go see tribe by tribe if there's cultivators or people with the ability to cultivate, and ACTUALLY CREATE the Gardening Sect, with the help of the geges, maybe one of the dragons (if not the elder one), and finally the Horned Ape. We just need a just and good tribal village with enough potential cultivators, or maybe even a group of villages that are near one another, try so that they all have some kind of alliance and hope there's enough cultivators there to make a decent sect size. We train them, try to equip them with tools for making sure no ghoul or those weird blood creatures comes to fuck around, and they can take care of our gardening experiments while The Horned Ape takes care of them. And also, this might be a awesome experience to see if there are other Awakened Beast we can befriend for them to make a alliance and protect that place, because i'm sure the Winter Blossoming sect, sooner or later, are going to send someone to try and talk to our invented Gardening Sect.

>>5703866
I am pleased the spoiler haiku met the “complimenting” criteria. Though natural imagery isn’t my strong suit.

I can try though.

The lotus will bloom
Amongst the graveyards
Cared for by insects

Teasing Huan is fun. I can see why Monu does it.

>>5703937
>We BS’d a gardening sect
>Make it real because we can
I’m on board with this. Finding ways of making ghost plants would be fun too. Blood plants will be more exciting, but that’s expected and I enjoy it when Huan does the unexpected.

>>5703949
>ghost plants would be fun too
Now that you mention it, I guess the flowers on the Underworld can be classify under the ghost plant category... Or maybe demonic flowers, considering there's a fruit we heard before that's actually just a unborn fetus.

>>5703937
Didn't we tell Monu and Xiabao that we would start to take down the winter sect after this breakthrough? Covering our lie might not be necessary. Specially now that the geges aren't hidden anymore
Although I'm not opposed to teaching some of them just for teaching sake, and start our own little magical garden under the shadow of 5CE's

>>5703553
>Secret art: Carmine mysticism, Refined. An improvement of the heretical art of carmine mysticism and the secret art adoption of the grave created by Huanliuxue's constant balancing between life and death and the respective worlds. All the benefits, none of the draw backs
Our own physical cultivation path! Also, we already have in-depth prior knowledge and I like this storyline.
>Living source: Primordial beast essence
Dont know exactly what it is, but it sounds important for a leader of all beasts.
>Specter lightness skill evolution/ upgrade (Full intangibility/ ghost form)
I have qlways been an will always be voting for phasing. RIP Crusty Jones.
>Secret Art: True Specter Lightness skill (It actually slows down time rather than just altering the perception of it in its area of effect)
See above.
>Realize immediately something fishy is going on and investigate
We should act quickly so that the Geges dont lose any of their children. Also the grudges within ouelr sect might deepen if we dont cause an adorable mess soonish.