Chapter 14: Man's Greed
I followed a few feet behind it, careful not to make a wrong move or even as much as a sound. I controlled my breathing, exhaling slowly and inhaling only when possible.
The creature walked around without any purpose from what I've observed. It sniffed certain trees, peed on them to mark its territory then went on on its merry way. However it never got close to the area around the nest, almost as if it knew it couldn't vie for dominance.
Fighting a Phoenix for territory would be stupid- indeed, but I wondered what it'd think if it found out that the very same Phoenix it shied away from trailed it. The thought amused me, but I couldn't lose focus.
I had yet to learn how the stealth skill works, but upon activation it would make me harder to spot in the darkness, but that didn't mean it would be foolproof. From what I understood, if a target looked for me and their perception was higher than mine, then the stealth skill wouldn't work as well.
However that also meant that every other Spirit Beast would have higher stats than me due to my class— Phoenix Chick. I figured that meant I would need to train my stealth skill and increase my proficiency with it. In order to do that, I would need to succeed in hiding myself and fooling other beasts' senses.
I had no way to check whether or not progress would be made, but as long as my Qi trickled down, then the skill would increase in proficiency and perhaps change from [Lesser] or (Novice) to something else.
I began my journey of following the strange beast around, staying just out of sight for the most part. Other times I tested to see how close I could get before it started detecting me.
The distance wasn't long— only a few feet, and I couldn't stay right in front of or it would see me for sure. After figuring that out, I kept testing the waters, making quiet sounds to test the limits of the skill.
A few hours passed like that, and I could somewhat tell that I've gotten better at being stealthy, and that the skill increased in proficiency as well. I could get closer to the thing without it noticing, and even making a relatively loud sound didn't give away my position.
It could also be that the creature lacked in the perception departement, but the fact that the skill became better was undeniable. However, as my Qi began to run low and the sun began to set, I decided that it was time to head back home.
With one last look at the strange creature, I made my way back toward the nest. The way home was peaceful, as few beasts wandered around mother's territory, and the shadows kept me hidden even with the stealth skill deactivated.
The tree— my, our home-— acted as a sort of beacon, its sheer size making it stand out like a sore thumb. The sun hadn't yet set, which meant that mother hadn't returned yet. That wouldn't pose a problem anymore, though, as she knew about my escapades and approved of them, but that didn't mean she had to come home to an empty nest.
Sneaking through the bushes became almost second nature to me, so did picking the darkest of places and the tallest of grass to walk through. I didn't know how long that would last though, as with my rapid growth rate, I would become taller than the grass in no time.
I had to get stronger faster, to challange the guardians of the lake and absorb the natural environemental Qi into my body. If I could, I'd gather it into my dantian, but any attempt at doing so without a proper technique has led to failure.
If only I could remember the one I used before... or any of the other ones I gathered from around the world!
Frustration got the best of me as I tried to remember the cultivation technique I used to use, but no matter how hard I tried it would all end in a skull splitting headache that would go away after a few moments.
"System, why can't I remember what I want to?" I whispered as quietly as I could, calling out to System once again, though I didn't have any big expectations. More often than not, System would refuse to answer any intricate questions.
[Host is too weak.]
Once again, the same thing I heard upon being reborn inside the egg came back. I still didn't know what 'too weak' meant, and what it had to do with my memories, but I didn't like it. From what I could remember, my reincarnation was supposed to be perfect, then again I wasn't supposed to be a Phoenix either.
Lost in my thoughts, I approached the base of the tree faster than I expected. A bad feeling crept up my spine just before leaving the safety of the bushes, and I activated the stealth skill as fast as possible.
My caution paid off.
A wild blast of energy echoed through the forest, blowing back the leaves, branches and grass. Then another, the sound of the resulting explosion accompanied by the muffled thud of collapsing trees. My heart skipped a beat for a moment, worried that the Qi lake might be under threat, but after a second of consideration I realised that the explosion came from the opposite direction.
I didn't know what happened, and I didn't plan to go and find out. The sheer amount of Qi far surpassed my reserves, and if I could feel the power behind the strikes from so far away, then being in the immediate vicinity of them would only spell trouble.
However I couldn't help but ask what sort of Spirit Beasts fought, as there shouldn't be any with such strength around. Compared to the aftershock radiating through the forest, the guardians of the lake looked like babies.
The blasts of energy stopped for a moment, allowing the forest to return to its usual quiet before other stray attacks felled tree after tree. From the sounds of it, one of the parties decided to stop attacking and run away, while the other chased. The thing that worried me most though was that the shockwaves from the blasts were growing stronger and stronger.
Fuck, damned bastard why are you running toward me?!
A set of rapid footsteps grew louder with each passing moment, and I could only hope that they would pass me just as fast as they reached me. I didn't dare move from my hiding spot, and made myself even smaller than before. My heart thumped against my chest, threatening to jump out as the shrill yell of a woman echoed in my mind.
"Stop right there you bastard!"
"Hu Wo Len, you're going too far!" Then came a man's voice. His meeker tone hinted that he was the one being chased, and the woman was the chasee, however why did they have to come this way? I just wanted to go back home and now I had to deal with not getting killed by some wild cultivators running through a forest filled with weak Spirit Beasts. What were they even doing here?
They didn't give me much time to ponder the question as the man's figure appeared from the cover of the shadows. Tall, handsome, with flowing black hair, wearing a tattered white robe covered in blood and dirt.
Behind him, a woman wearing a flowing black robe with white hair and an angry look to her face shot out wave after wave of sword energy. She swung the blade like one would swipe with a broom, sending hazardous blasts all over the place.
What a poor use of Qi...
I lamented, though I couldn't criticise her attacks considering I couldn't use Qi outside of my body without having any techniques. However what I needed to do was be as small and quiet as possible to maximise my chances of not being seen.
Hiding from view meant that I couldn't see the two anymore either, and I had to rely on my hearing to determine whether or not they passed me. The woman's attacks hit closer and closer to my location, and the man's screams and footsteps grew louder as they did.
Is he really going to pass away right in front of me?
Just as that thought appeared in my head, the man's breathing got cut short as a strong shockwave bent the bushes right next to me. I raised my head just in time to see him spit out blood and fall to the floor, skating across the grass and landing right in front of me.
His brown eyes began to grow lifeless, his quick breathing almost stopping, and the sound of sizzling meat escaping from his body. Whatever technique that woman used, it hit him squarely in the back. The man's hand twitched, but he couldn't move it, nor his legs, anymore. His head turned, and I saw his eyes widen with disbelief upon seeing me. He'd almost looked hopeful, and his lips parted as his dimming eyes shone with greed.
However, before he could get a single sound out, his head separated from his body, the greed-filled expression remaining forever frozen on his cold, dead face.
The woman cleaned her sword of the man's blood and bent down to pick up his ring.
"Serves you rigth for daring to touch my Junior Sister." She murmured, her tone filled with arrogance, then left after kicking the corpse away from the path.
I stood silent, quiet. I waited until the sunset, until darkness took over the land and the chilly breeze of the night made my feathers shiver.
I left my hiding place, glancing at the man's head and looking toward where his body lay lifeless. Part of me wanted to go see it, to see the wound, to see the gore, but I didn't.
Despite how many such scenes I've created myself, both upon monsters and men, seeing it happen right in front me, it...
I shook my head, refusing to think about such things any further.
His eyes— filled with greed— even in the face of death, ingrained themselves into my head whether he wanted to or not. I walked toward the base of the tree, my head slumped and legs heavy.
I didn't know if I had the strength to climb anymore, as I'd long since ran out of usable Qi. I kept my stealth skill on during the entire time, afraid that the woman might return and spot me.
The man's greed outshone his desire to live- the moment his eyes met mine he knew what I was. He wanted me, and were it not for the fact that his spine had been severed, I was sure that he would have reached out to grab me.
For what purpose? What could he have hoped to achieve by doing that?
...
I climbed up the tree without any issue, despite the lack of Qi. Mother had already arrived long ago, and had been waiting for me. Our eyes met as a sigh escaped my body.
At first, she looked angry, but it faded away in a heartbeat upon noticing that my disposition wasn't the usual. She grabbed me in a hug and brought her head closer to my body, rubbing her forehead against mine.
"Little Flame, what happened?"
I turned to look at her, then told mother everything I saw, including the man's expression.
Her plumage shimmered, anger manifesting within her flames as she glanced toward the base of the tree.
She wrapped her neck around my body and whispered with a soft, comforting tone, "Humans, Little Flame," she began. The way she addressed me made me feel better, and each time she did, the Fa Xiaolan I knew I was took a step back, allowing me to feel the comfort and trust mother offered me without any pessimism.
"Humans are foolish creatures. They believe our blood to be magical, they think a single drop will heal any of their wounds and that our flesh may grant them immortality. Those are not the rules of the heavens, Little Flame. Forget what you saw today, mother will take care of it for you."
I nodded, nuzzling against her warm feathers and forgetting about hunger, about power, strength and fighting for a minute.
For a minute, I was, as mother called me, Little Flame.
Chapter 15: Slaughter
Two weeks had passed since, and I couldn't take my mind off of the event. When I checked back the day after, all traces of fighting had vanished. The headless corpse, and the head, had disappeared like ash in the wind, and even the bloody grass had been cleaned up.
After rummaging through my memories, I realised that one of them held the symbol of the flying sword— the one I saw earlier during my first hunting trip —and the other wore another symbol on her robe. Were they two sects that had a falling out?
Either way, I couldn't confirm my suspicions.
I was pretty sure mother had cleaned it all up, as she seemed to know how to do that well. Part of me wondered if that was what she meant when she said she'll take care of it, but I never asked.
Keeeee
I looked down, awoken from my thoughts by a tiny rabbit-like creature. Its body was covered in a half fur, half-scale material that was both hard and flexible, and proved to be a challenge to penetrate through without my Iron Claws.
It currently sat in a pool of its own blood as I fell into deep thought upon seeing it. It reminded me of the scene of the man dying, but no more.
I pressed hard with my talon, which rested atop the creature's head, and pushed down until I heard the satisfying crack of a broken skull. It stopped moving, and the notification confirmed its death.
[You have slain [Rabbet] Level 2.]
[XP Acquired]
Rubbish…
I shook my head, disappointed with the kill reward, but threw it on my back anyway. The only reason I killed it was because it got startled and cried upon noticing me while I was stalking another Spirit Beast. It ran away, so I could only make do with the lesser prey for my efforts.
Its ability to see me interested me though, so I decided to bring it back home. Not to mention its fur had interesting qualities I wanted to know more about.
I broke into a sprint, pushing the grass aside as I practically flew above it. It once stood taller than me, but now we were about the same size. The chilly wind brushed past my growing feathers and falling puff, and the lighter than air feeling my mother seemed to have began to grow within me. Soon, I would be able to fly, and with that, my plan to absorb the Qi lake would come to fruition.
I'd already reached the Third Stage of Qi Condensation, which took me way longer than I would have liked. A Spirit Beast's body simply wasn't made for cultivating spiritual Qi. However, that would never stop me from doing it.
The fourth stage was a huge bottleneck for any cultivator, and even for me, I guessed it would take a little bit more effort to break through.
However, the speed at which I absorbed Qi simply wasn't enough. I needed something more… the Qi lake.
I just needed to do a few extra things, such as leveling up my stealth skill. It was part of the reason as to why I even bothered to stalk my prey, which made the rabbit's ability to see me even more curious. I figured mother would have more answers, so I hurried back to the nest as fast as I could.
I let out a sigh, though, as yet another wave of serpents decided it was a good idea to attack me.
Ever since I killed that prince or whatever, wave upon wave of cannon fodder has followed me wherever I went, trying to kill me.
I'd just about gotten tired of that.
Seeing the scouts, guards and regular Jade Serpents charge toward me— at least three dozen in number —I frowned.
"Those who block my way… die."
Nirvanic flames infused Iron Claw took care of the first six, then- I waved a series of hand, er, wing signs, and summoned the actual Nirvanic Flames in the form of a fire serpent. It rampaged through the lot of them, killing at least seven before dissipating.
The rest had been taken care of with my Peckingskill and regular swipes, and whatever hits I took meant nothing under my Strengthened Constitution.
I ignored the notifications of the kills, as I didn't even level up, and walked away, leaving a mountain of corpses behind. Some of them were whole.
As I neared the nest, I couldn't help but realise that the number of strong beasts in the area had greatly diminished. Ever since the humans intruded upon our area, it grew quiet. I guessed that was another thing mother did to 'take care of it'. That bothered me a little, though, as my level had stagnated for a while.
It didn't matter how many lower level beasts I killed, the XP didn't seem to be enough for another level up. I sighed inwardly and kept going.
As I climbed the nest, I noticed mother had already arrived back home. The sun had yet to set, so I wondered what she was up to so early. She didn't bring back any other beast either, which meant that my only meal would be the rabbit I brought back.
After putting the hunt down, I moved closer to her and grabbed her leg into a hug. Despite how much I've grown these past few weeks, I still couldn't reach her thigh. "Mother, you are home early."
"Some things happened." She said after a moment of silence, then bent down and pressed her soft head against my body. "Humans."
"Humans?"
"They've gotten bold, they started invading my hunting ground. It's near a mountain, they must think there's some sort of treasure there. The greedy fools. The only treasure they'll ever find is the rotted sap of a dead tree!"
"Did they see you?"
She shook her head and continued with a reassuring tone, which turned to anger upon mentioning the humans. "No, but even if they did I would burn them to ashes before they could call for help. They'll go away soon. I've heard there's some sort of battles going on in their lands and some of them are getting desperate."
"Battles…" I missed those. I haven't had a good fight in a long enough time to make my fists… feathers, itch.
"Ichel told me, and they told me it's bad. Some sort of demonic cultivator rose amongst the righteous sects and razed a lot of them off the face of the planet. I don't know why they have to keep invading our territories." She paused and let out a light sigh. "We've grown soft, Little Flame. We've grown fearful."
That insect Spirit Beast… How does he know so much anyway?
Ichel was the guy that brought us the tiger back when I first woke up in this world, and also the one that's helped us relocate after humans found traces of mother's nest.
I still didn't know how they'd found it in the first place, and I really hoped it had nothing to do with the beam of light I sent out that day.
I just didn't understand how he was so resourceful and authoritative over the doings of the forest, when mother was a literal Phoenix.
"Anyway," she walked toward the rabbit, changing the topic. "Is this what you hunted today?"
"Ah, yes. I wanted to find something else but this guy saw right through my stealth skill. And the serpents came again."
She cocked her head upon hearing that, and took a closer look at the corpse. "Is that so? Interesting. Normally these things shouldn't have enough perception to see through it, they don't grow very strong. And I swear, these Jade Serpents. Do you want Mother to take care of them?"
"No, it's alright." I said, thinking for a moment. "I think I'll do that. It's about time they stopped pestering me. And regarding the rabbit, yeah, it was really weak, so I thought you may know why?"
Mother nodded approvingly to my first statement, then shook her head at the second. "I don't, but it may have been a mutation of sorts. It's rare, but not impossible."
I could only nod and accept her explanation. I didn't know how true that was, but strange things were always bound to happen. Especially in a cultivation world. I ate the rabbit, but it didn't give me any benefits besides satiating my hunger.
Most Spirit Beasts I hunted did little to help my growth, as I had grown to be on their level or way above. What I needed were stronger opponents, or a way to absorb a lot of Qi at once, so I can achieve a huge breakthrough. But the Qi lake lying in the middle of the forest kept calling to me.
I had to have it, no matter who was guarding it.
Sadly, my leveling has slowed to a crawl. There were no strong Spirit Beasts in the area anymore, and my hunting time has decreased drastically as well. Mother must be right about the humans disturbing the forest. Perhaps hunting only one thing at a time decreases the experience gained? I would need to experiment… and I would start by slaughtering that damned snake's entire fucking race.
I still hadn't forgotten how it poisoned me even after dying, forcing me to burn the poison out of my blood with fire. For that, I swore I would make them pay, and pay they will.
"Mother, I killed a snake a few weeks ago. I think you should remember it. I was wondering where its nest would be?"
Mother turned to me and cocked her head. "Well, underground usually, they shouldn't be too hard to find. Why?"
"I haven't gained a single level since a few weeks ago, and the prey around here has gotten weaker and weaker. I can't train like this."
"Oh, then you should be level five then. It's a sort of threshold for us, and a lot of things will change after you achieve it, that's why it takes so long to get to the next level. Don't worry about that, but if you want to speed that up I suppose a mass killing would work. Mother will help you find those snakes. I assume you didn't have a good experience with it when you tried eating it?"
I shook my head, confirming mother's words. "Really nasty things, I swore to kill off their entire race."
"Hmm, that might be a little difficult, but you can definitely try. This forest isn't big enough for them to hide from my Little Flame's wrath."
I nodded, flapping my wings in a fierce fashion. "That's right. I'll take care of all of them. Tell me mother, how do I find them?"
…
The moonlight scattered through the dense foliage of the forest. I used the darkness to its fullest, keeping my stealth skill active all throughout while looking for signs of a snake's nest. I also chanted the Ghost Qi mantra in my head, absorbing every little bit of Qi I could.
I felt myself getting closer and closer to a bottleneck, and I wanted to use the Qi lake to break through and rush through the stages. Then I could take my sweet time consolidating my foundation.
The large well inside my dantian had to become a lake, which would then need to be stilled, flattened and appeased. It would need to be stable for it to be able to grow larger and larger. Otherwise, without a solid foundation, it might overflow and collapse.
A sudden rustling sound brought me out of my thoughts, and I turned only to see another chicken walking about. It ran away as soon as our eyes met, and I kept focused on my goal.
Mother explained that nests would usually be found at the root of the trees, with a hole only as wide as my leg. Those snakes could fit into holes many times smaller than their body, which sounded both horrifying and interesting.
Another sign of a nest would be patrols slithering about, making sure to keep predators away. They were supposed to be strong, which was exactly what I needed.
I had a lot of confidence in my Nirvanic Flamesand Iron Claws, and even my Phoenix Fire and the rarely used Evasion skill. Not to mention I also had the Poison Resistance skill, acquired from the very first Jade Serpent Core I'd absorbed. It happened to be the only one as well, as the rest of the hodder had nothing except useless meat to offer.
Even if they injected me with venom, I had confidence that my frigid Qi and fire would get rid of that at the cost of some of my HP.
"Where are you, stupid fucking snakes?"
I looked under every tree I could find, but much to my dismay, there were no snakes to be found. I didn't know what sort of miracle was necessary for me to stumble upon one, but it only fuelled my drive to keep searching.
As time passed, my search got less and less fruitful, and I would have to return soon. That thought didn't tickle my fancy, as I wanted to harvest these fucking bastards and level up. I desperately needed more skill points so I can purchase that Dragonbone Tempering Technique. It had been on my mind ever since I first saw it, and I knew I had to have it.
Nevertheless, I had enough points to buy it, but I didn't check the Skill Shop recently, and I also wanted to have at least ten Skill Points in reserve in case I needed them. I was level five, so that would be twenty five skill points. I had spent five for my Nirvanic Flames, which was a genuine rip-off, and another five for Strengthened Constitution, which meant that I only had fifteen skill points left.
Enough for one skill, but not for any emergency.
Hisssssss….
The sweet sound of a snake whose tail got stepped on echoed in my ears, awakening me from my thoughts. I looked down and saw one of the Jade Serpent guards slither away. It called for backup at the same time, and soon about a dozen or so of the fuckers surrounded me.
"Alright then, bring it on you dimwitted green hat wearing bastards!" I screeched, and I was pretty sure they understood me due to the Universal Language, which wasn't a skill or anything, but simply was. That meant that I could converse with any Spirit Beast granted they had the required intelligence.
These snakes didn't seem to have any, though.
Nirvanic Flames burst out from my wings, engulfing the entire area in a sea of fire that burned everything that it touched. Grass, insects, bushes, the earth and especially the Jade Serpents.
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Guard] Lvl. 2] x 6
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Guard] Lvl. 3] x 5
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Guard] Lvl. 4] x 2
[XP Acquired] x 13
"No level up? Are you kidding me? What is this XP threshold?!" I groaned, and looked for the opening of the nest at the base of the nearby trees. Since the guards showed up around here, that meant that the rest of them should be really close.
It only took me a minute to discover it, and it was just like mother had said; the hole was way too small for anyone but them to slither through. That was fine, though, as I had no intention of going inside.
After checking that I had enough mana, I rubbed my wings together and picked apart as much of the entrance as I could. That proved to be a task that required me to use Iron Claws, as the surrounding earth had been hardened by something.
Regardless, after doing that, it only took me a second to prepare my offense. Whether they wanted to or not, these damned snakes would become fried meat!
Chapter 16: I always loved serpent barbecue
I didn't hesitate to conjure a ball of Nirvanic Flames, which I then placed at the mouth of the entrance. After it settled, I controlled it to spread throughout the nest. Due to my link to it, I could get a rough map of the den, filling it out as the fire spread.
It wasn't small by any margin, and it stretched farther than I could ever have imagined. From here, if we considered this the centerpoint, it spread about thirty miles in each direction.
As the fire spread, it didn't take long for the first kill notifications to appear.
[You have slain [Jade Serpent] Lvl. 1] x 2
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Hatchling] Lvl. 0] x 1
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Guard] Lvl. 3] x 2
[XP Acquired] x 5
At this rate, leveling up won't be an issue in the slightest. Heck, I might even level up a few times! I didn't know how much the level difference mattered when gaining XP, but it didn't matter, as long as I killed enough of these fuckers!
I wanted their entire species to get eradicated from this forest, then from the continent, planet and universe. They dare poison me after I kill and eat them fair and square? What rubbish! They'll suffer eternally in the cycle of reincarnation until there are none of them left.
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Hatchling] Lvl. 0] x 12
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Hatchling] Lvl. 2] x 1
[You have slain [Jade Serpent] Lvl. 3] x 2
[XP Acquired] x 15
By now they have to have been alerted, and I felt some of them escaping my grasp through other entrances and exits. However, that didn't matter. I will come back, I will look for them, I will find them and I will eradicate them.
Keeping note of where this entrance was located, I swiftly moved toward the others, which were spread out not that far away from each other. Finding them was easy, as Nirvanic Flames erupted out of them like a volcano, acting as beacons in the night.
More and more notifications of low-level beast killing popped in my view, but I brushed them aside, tuning them out. Unless there was a level up notification, I didn't care. Their eggs and newborns could burn in the depths of hell for all I cared.
I was determined to fish out the escapees, though. They'd popped out of their nest— at least those lucky enough to be close to it and know of the danger— but didn't know they'd leapt straight into my claws.
With a quick swipe of my Iron Claws and a rush of Nirvanic Flames, I took down half a dozen snakes, ignored the kill notifications, then rushed to the other entrances.
I repeated that process as many times as it took. Although most of them were very low level, and I was now one hundred percent sure that affected how much XP they were giving me.
You level up faster by killing things higher level and slower by masscaring small fry. Got it.
That meant I had to find one of the strongest snakes, and kill them without a second thought, before hunting the rest of its species. That way I would have an easier time with the bonus stats.
I stopped in my tracks and looked toward a corner far into the distance, a metaphorical smile creasing my beak.
***
Lord Ssseverus hadn't expected to get sssummoned for an emergency meeting in the middle of the night, yet there he wasss. Besssides him sstood hisss daughter, Sssonia, hisss ssson, Sservus, next to which wasss an empty sseat. After them were the membersss of hisss council.
"My lord!" A rather jaded Jade Sserpent ssmacked hisss tail on the ground, hisss once vibrant green ssscales sshowing their age. "There isss an isssue all throughout the foressst. Sssome pyromaniac isss burning down our nessstss and killing our people. I beg of you to do sssomething!"
"How isss that posssible? We have guardsss ssstationed at every entrance and formationsss to ssstop enemy attacksss from reaching far into the tunnelsss." Lord Ssseverusss asssked, hisss tone calm, yet worried.
"We don't know, My Lord. Everything their fire touchesss, regardlesss of defensesss, getsss burnt to ashesss. I essstimate we've losst hundredsss by now, and are losssing dozensss more every minute."
Lord Ssseverusss's exsspression changed to one of concern, and he sslithered toward what looked to be an opening in a wall. He looked out of it, at a larger area where sserpentsss— hisss kin—ssslithered around, living the bessst life they could afford.
"Where have the attacksss ssstarted?"
"Sssection S, My Lord."
"What?!" The sserpent whipped back. "The lowessst level area, with all our hatchlingsss and eggsss?"
"That isss right."
"What are we ssstill doing here, then? We need to hurry! Gather everyone level ten and above, fassst!"
"Yesss, my lord!" The jaded Jade Sserpent ssignaled hisss obedience by bringing the tip of hisss tail to hisss head, then sslithered away in a hurry.
However, before he could disssappear within the complicated tunnel sssystem, a gigantic fire engulfed the large entrance, ssspreading through the sssurrounding tunnelsss.
Lord Ssseverusss sslithered out of the room-like burrow as well, watching with dessspair as the place he called home—the place he ruled—wasss burning to ashesss.
A familiar yet not sso familiar sssound of a sssingle 'ssstep' echoed behind him, and he turned with a relieved, yet nonethelesss worried exsspression.
"Sssnape!" he cried out as the figure of an old Jade Sserpent holding a cane between hisss tail, which he usssed to drag hisss half-limping body forward, appeared in hisss view. The sserpent had grey ssscales at the bottom of itss chin, looking almossst like a gray beard that fit hisss dissscolored ssscales.
"Are you ssstill ussing that cane, even after you evolved?"
He nodded. "It bringsss me sssome comfort."
"Hah," Lord Sseverus chuckled. "Issn't your dexterity in the high fiftiess already? What do you need a cane for?"
"My Lord," the old sserpent groaned in a hoarsse voice, "We musst sstay on topic." He looked at the fire, which had ssstopped jusst before entering the large nessst area. "It ssseemsss the enemy isss ssstrong, to be able to do ssso much dessstruction with what isss at a glance a sssimple fire."
Lord Ssseverusss nodded. "Indeed. I am consscerned, but the ssstrongesst membersss of our race are here, and thiss place hasss no ordinary protection formation."
"You're right. We can only hope that'll be enough to deter them. We can alwaysss make more hatchlingsss, asss long asss we—"
The old sserpent'ss ssspeech halted as hisss eyesss widened, and he looked up. Where he once knew to be a ceiling that blocked out the outssside world, a hole as big asss the entire room had begun to take form.
"It'sss a demon!"
"A fire demon, your lordssship, we have to hurry!"
"Sssilence!" Lord Ssseverusss yelled, hisss eyesss filled with disssbelief.
He couldn't underssstand how sssuch a thing wasss posssible, asss they had reinforced the den wallsss and ceiling ssseveral timesss over, usssing Qi and even their own vitality to make ssure no predator could get through.
Between tunnelsss that only they could sslither through and an abundant amount of reinforcementsss, their bassse should have been almosst imposssible to infiltrate.
Yet there he sstood, watching asss the protection of hisss entire ssspeciesss got dug away like sssand on a beach. The clawsss that lifted the ssoil didn't ssseem that big, but the ssstrength they exercisssed made him ssshudder.
"Get up, up! Go and defend the den before we all die, you foolsss!" he commanded the nearby ssoldiersss, whossse level should be in the mid tensss. Hisss own level wasss only in the mid tensss asss well, but by right asss a mutated ssspecimen and bloodline, he wasss their ruler.
The ssoldiersss didn't hesssitate to rush through the parts where the fire wasss weakessst, sslithering their way to the sssurface asss the clawed demon kept digging and digging, until clear sssunlight broke inssside the nessst.
"Thisss—"
Lord Ssseverusss gasssped upon ssseeing a golden-colored chicken ssscrape away at hisss home with her bare clawsss.
***
I couldn't believe how easy it was for me to find their main nest. Above the surface, it looked ordinary, with no entrances or exits within a few miles. However, who would have ever guessed that there was an entire society of snakes only a dozen feet below everyone's feet?
If it wasn't for my Nirvanic Flames giving me a mental map of the underground, I would have never found it. Now that I did, though, it was time to unleash my wrath.
I won't rest until I've annihilated all generations of their species, and even their chickens and dogs if these damned serpents had any. They dared poison me, the great Fa Xiolan, after I'd killed them? Fucking poisoners, always having a trick up their sleeve.
No more, this forest shall be cleansed of their race!
I dug where the Nirvanic Flames had stopped for one reason or another. They had to have some sort of array formation or protection barrier that stopped attacks from penetrating inside their main nest area. However, if my fire couldn't pass through, then I'd just have to kill them myself.
After checking my Qi reserves, and deducing that I had more than enough for a prolonged fight, I activated my Iron Claws, and got to digging.
There was some resistance at first, as if the soil had been reinforced, much like the first entrance I found. However I quickly overcame that by adding a little more Qi in my legs.
As I dug, I began catching glimpses of the interior. A surprising amount of societal marks for a bunch of poisonous snakes— building attempts, organised ranks, hierarchy— all they were missing was trade and commerce.
However I couldn't care less.
I kept digging until I could see them all, looking up at me with shock and bewilderment.
Bet you didn't expect someone to find your base of operations, huh?
I gloated internally, noticing four of them slithering away, bearing the heat of the fire to climb to the surface. They were fast, very fast.
Finally, worthy opponents.
I stopped, and waited, my chest held high and gaze sharp. They showed up a minute later from an entrance a few miles south, and stood before me after half that time.
Their green scales shimmered brightly despite the darkness, and they looked to be much stronger than the weaklings I'd fought back near the nest.
"Who are you, demon?" One of them asked, which surprised me, as besides mother, no other Spirit Beast had spoken to me.
But more than that, did he just call me a demon? The gall!
"Your mother is a demon, your dog is a demon, your entire family is a demon!" I spat back, flapping my wings in anger.
They all looked at each other with a strange expression, then sort of shrugged their non-existent shoulders, and charged at me.
That's what I'm talking about!
Filled with the desire for battle, I imbued my claws with Nirvanic Flames, turning on Strengthened Constitution as well, for good measure.
The first one that charged at me was the unlucky one to test my power at full strength. As he charged at me, his fangs glowing with a green, poisonous light and his scales shimmered even brighter than before, I swiped my claw at its head.
While there was some initial resistance, it quickly faded under my flames, and its skull got severed into three equal pieces before it could even use its attack.
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Guard] Lvl. 13]
[XP Acquired]
Level 13? The ones I killed before didn't even reach level six, but these guys here are level 13?? Oh I'm so going to have a feast!
Despite the huge difference in level, I doubted either of them had any cultivation. While they could barely use their innate skills such as poisoning and hardening their scales, I had access to Qi.
I figured out rather quickly that my Phoenix Firewas an innate ability, one that came with the bloodline, and it didn't use a lot of Qi. If a human infant had it, they could use it as well without having reached the first stage of Qi Condensation.
However, they would burn themselves to death.
In comparison, a Phoenix's body was far, far stronger, even as a chick. However, my Nirvanic Flames were hundreds of times stronger than my Phoenix Fire, even though they were at the same level.
And so, that could only mean one thing: even against opponents with a higher level than me, I would win, simply because I could use and control Qi.
"Sssu Jin!" One of his brethren cried out, anger and grief appearing in his eyes. "You damned demon, I'll kill you and avenge-"
I couldn't take more of their shit. Considering the fact that they outlevelled me, I was expecting a level up notification pretty soon.
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Guard] Lvl. 13] x 3
[XP Acquired] x 3
[You have Leveled Up]
[Phoenix Chick Lvl 5 Phoenix Chick lvl 6.]
[Skill Points Acquired]
Finally!
I took a quick look at the situation below. They didn't notice the guards they'd sent had perished yet, so I decided to quickly open the shop.
"System show me the shop."
It was finally time to buy that Dragonbone Tempering skill.
Chapter 17: Because your race is a Jade Serpent!
[Opening Skill Shop]
[Updating…]
[Update Successful!]
[Qi Bind]
Wrap yourself with small strands of Qi and operate yourself like a puppet, breaking past the limits of your body, or your bones, whichever comes first.
Cost: 5 Skill Points
[Enhance Senses]
Imbue your senses with Qi, granting you abilities beyond what would be otherwise possible.
Cost: 5 Skill Points
[Dragonbone Tempering]
Completely change your body's constitution to be akin to that of a Dragon's. The change is gradual and permanent; however there will be no visible change, and thus your race and class will remain the same. This skill can evolve.
Cost: 10 Skill Points
[Leaf Step]
Dash in a direction as if carried by the wind. Your initial and final destination will not change, however your trajectory will be randomly altered.
Cost: 5 Skill Points
The shop had a few new additions since I last checked; however, I could take my time to look at them later. What I wanted the most was the Dragonbone Tempering skill. From its description, I could tell it was a passive skill, but whether or not it was for offense or defense was hard to say.
What interested me most about it was the fact that it could evolve.
Does that mean it can go beyond other skills?
[Yes.]
System was quick to respond, and it provided me with an ample explanation not a moment later.
[Skills that can evolve can break past the five initial stages: Novice, Beginner, Intermediate, Expert and Master.]
System had told me that before, but a quick jog of my memory always worked wonders. It was decided then, I would buy that skill.
[Would you like to purchase the skill 'Dragonbone Tempering'?]
"Yes!" I chirped out loud.
[Purchase Complete]
[Skill Points Remaining: 10]
[Skill: Dragonbone Tempering(Novice) has been acquired]
[Would you like to view Skill description?]
I checked my surroundings and noticed that another dozen or so of the serpents had showed up again.
Maybe later.
The system view closed, granting me a full field of vision once again. My body felt different, maybe a little stronger than before, but it was hard to say without a proper test.
Luckily, I had the perfect opportunity to do just that.
I noticed a few serpents that looked somewhat similar to the guards laying dead on the ground, but also some with less shiny scales— perhaps younger serpents— and others with duller scales—maybe the elders.
Either way, it made no difference. Young or old, they'd all become sources of XP.
They 'sss'd' at me, their forked tongues smelling the air, and some of them looked at their dead comrades, their corpses almost unrecognisable. Not that they looked any different to me, they were all scum.
One of the stronger looking ones pointed its tail at me, and the rest of them all charged at the same time. I thought they would challenge me to duels until they realised they couldn't take me down, then jump on me when it was too late.
Seeing them all try to kill me was a pleasant surprise, and it made my job easier.
I called upon the Qi in my dantian, and summoned a giant ball of Nirvanic Flames, then waited.
The charging serpents only hesitated for a moment, their scales glowing with whatever defense skill they had been born with, then continued their approach.
With a kick of my feet, I jumped, flapping my wings while sending the Nirvanic Flamescrashing into the ground. While I couldn't quite fly, it would be enough for me to hover a little for my attack to take full effect.
A powerful blast of flames spread outward, scorching the earth and grass beneath. The serpents hurtled backward from the force of the explosion, but quickly regained their balance and rushed toward me again.
It seemed they were much stronger than what I'd expected.
Perfect…
That's exactly what I needed, as it was about time for me to test the limits of a Phoenix's body. With a swift kick off my feet, I dashed toward the approaching serpents without my Nirvanic Flames.
The first one to attack lunged at me, jaw wide open and fangs shining green. I avoided the attack at the very last moment and swiped my claw at its body. Sparks flew off as I met its scales, and I barely penetrated its protective layer with my Iron Claws, leaving a superficial wound.
It seemed that relying solely on my talents as a Spirit Beast would be more difficult than I first thought, but I never backed away from a challenge.
Another swipe, this time imbued with the power of my Phoenix Fire, and the wound began to bleed. However, before I could finish him off, a blade of green energy rushed toward me.
Jumping out of the way, I saw three others and cursed that I didn't have any active defensive technique. I tanked the first one, using the force to dodge the other two. A little blood dripped out, but quickly healed.
My health points didn't deplete.
However, something else had inflicted me.
[You have been poisoned.]
"DAMN IT ALL, YOU GREEN HAT WEARING DIMWITS AND YOUR FUCKING POISON. MAY YOUR SOUL GET CRUSHED INTO NOTHINGNESS." I couldn't help but scream from the top of my lungs, and decided that I would find more worthy opponents to test my skills against.
Without any further hesitation, I commanded my Nirvanic Flames to engulf me, and rushed toward them while eliminating the poison in my body.
One swipe at the first serpent I wounded, and he fell dead.
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Guard] Lvl 13]
[XP Acquired]
The rest stared in shock for a moment, which gave me enough time to jump into their midst, sending wave after wave of Nirvanic Flames smashing against their body.
Their scales shimmered once, twice, thrice, then their light began to dim, and after the fifth time their flesh began to melt off their bones.
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Guard] Lvl. 13] x 3
[XP Acquired]
For those that survived, I used my talons to rip their tails, necks and heads apart. Blood gushed out like a fountain before evaporating from the surrounding heat.
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Guard] Lvl 14] x 2
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Guard] Lvl 15] x 1
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Guard] Lvl 16] x 1
[XP Acquired] x 4
Death and sorrow surrounded me, the screams of the few unlucky serpents to have died slowly echoing right after they died. The rest of them stared at me, eyes wide and filled with indignation.
I took slow, careful steps toward the one that looked like their leader. He stood in the middle of a few older serpents, with two younger ones right behind him. Now that I took a closer look at him, he seemed familiar.
"Why… are you doing thisss?" He asked, slowly backing away. The rest followed his lead, their nerves and courage having disappeared after seeing what I'd done to the rest of them.
"Why? Why, you ask?" I chuckled coldly, having already removed the poison, or rather, venom, from my body.
"Why? BECAUSE YOUR RACE IS A JADE SERPENT!"
I rushed him, jumping into the air and sending a high kick straight at his head. However, something stopped me right before my talons connected.
A barrier?
I stepped back, dodging the sudden attacks of the other serpents.
"What did we ever do to you? For you to masssacare all of us?!"
I paused, glaring at him. "You… cowardly, poison-using pieces of shit, dare ask such a thing?! You think poison is brave? You think you're smart using poison to kill your enemies? EVEN AFTER I KILLED YOUR KIND, YOU STILL DARED TO FIGHT BACK USING POISON."
"Even your flesh and core are poisoned, fighting a coward's fight even in death. Pieces of shits like you do not deserve to live."
After a moment of them staring in shock, I thought it would be a good idea to enlighten them before their demise. "A few weeks ago, when I was still immature, I killed one of your species. It was a fair battle, and I won it fairly, yet… yet… Even after, when I tried to eat him, I still got poisoned, and almost died. But that wasn't even the end of it! More and more of you kept seeking me out to kill me!
"For that reason… you all should die. Disappear from this world, cowards."
I didn't give them any more time to think, and rushed toward the rest that appeared. I couldn't sense any others on the surface, and those that remained underground were too weak to walk past the Nirvanic Flames that lingered.
My Iron Claws got intercepted by a rather jaded Jade Serpent's tail. Sparks flew off as his scales deflected my attack, and I rolled back, staring at him.
"You're strong." I stated, my Nirvanic Flamesenforced Iron Claws hurting from the impact.
"Ssso are you, young Phoenix." The elderly snake said, surprising me with his knowledge. "I apologize on behalf of my race, but it iss within our nature to act ass sssuch."
"And that is why you should die!"
He sighed. "I undersstand that thiss matter can only be ssolved with bloodshed. However, if I may asssk, did the snake you killed perhappss look like the man behind me?"
The serpent pointed toward the fancy-looking snake behind him, which I found to be a little familiar. I nodded, though I couldn't say for sure.
"And did he have a core?"
I nodded again.
At that moment, the fancy-looking serpent's eyes constricted, pupils widening as he stared at me as if I killed his mother. I probably did, but that was besides the point.
Two of the serpents next to him also had a similar reaction.
"Ssshuri…" He hissed under his breath, seemingly stricken by shock.
"I ssee." The old serpent nodded, and coiled his tail, getting ready to attack. "Then we have nothing elsse to talk about. Let'ss fight."
The jaded Jade Serpent lunged at me, fangs primed with poison and tail glowing with a sharp light. He wasn't like the rest of them, he'd fought plenty of battles and knew the meaning of death.
It was rare for such an opponent to appear amongst the weaker Spirit Beasts, as they had a bigger chance to die at the first dangerous encounter.
It swiped its tail at my body, using it like a whip instead of sending poisonous Qi waves toward my body. However I knew that the crackling tail was far more dangerous than any of the other attacks combined.
With one swift movement, it landed a talon's width away from my body, cracking the ground and leaving a corrosive substance behind. If I hadn't dodged by the length of my talon, I fear that it would have done more damage than I could heal.
I covered myself with Nirvanic Flames and jumped, kicking at his skull. He raised a tail in defense again, and he seemed that whatever attack it had used earlier was on cooldown.
I took advantage of the situation and flapped my wings, flying— if even for a brief moment— and sent the concentrated Nirvanic Flames toward the serpent. His scales shone, changing to a verdant color as opposed to his previous dulled jade.
However, I would be willing to bet I had more Qi than him, even if his level was higher. The only issue was keeping myself afloat, as true flight was still a few weeks away for me. Though given my growth rate, it may be sooner than that.
With one last flap of my wings, I brought myself as far as I could, then without thinking, dived head first toward the serpent. It was an unconventional attack, but that's exactly what I needed if I wanted to end it fast.
He caught a glimpse of my descent and readied his whip attack. I swore he smirked for a second before lashing his tail at me.
However, I was prepared for that and put all the Qi I could into my Iron Claws. They became heavier, much heavier than I thought they would, but still kept under control. I endured the pain and fear of losing my talons, and evaded the tip, deflected the attack, and jumped off it at a perfect angle.
Then headbutted the fucker.
Without preparing himself, it left him dizzy, and I would have to kill him long before he recovered. However I acted quickly and did a series of 'hand' signs, creating a more potent ball of Nirvanic Flames than before, which I shoved down his throat.
He hadn't expected such an attack, so when the fire burned through his throat in an instant and exited out the other end, the only expression he had on his face was shock.
The jaded Jade Serpent's corpse fell to the ground.
[You have slain [Jaded Jade Serpent ] Lvl 20]
[XP Acquired]
[You have Leveled Up]
[Phoenix Chick Lvl 6 has become Phoenix Chick lvl 7.]
[Skill Points Acquired]
[Achievement De-Evolve: Unlocked!]
[Skill: Nirvanic Flames has reached the(Beginner) rank!]
[Skill: Strengthened Constitution has reached the(Beginner) rank!]
[Skill: Evasion has reached the(Beginner) rank!]
It was about damned time.
Chapter 18: Returning with a full bag
The few serpents that were left, the fancy looking one and the other two that looked somewhat like him, as well as a few guards, stared at me in shock. I hadn't expected to meet a level twenty Spirit Beast, let alone kill him. His core, if it was still intact, would surely grant me a lot of Poison Resistance and XP.
I turned to face then, my claws still burning with Nirvanic Flames. They jumped in place, fear coursing through their bodies. Before I could even take a step forward, the fancy looking one placed his head to the floor.
"Oh Phoenix, please spare our worthlesss livesss. We promise to never bother you again." As he spoke, the rest of them followed in kowtow. "We'll even change our waysss… we promise. We will not use poison again…"
Seeing them prostrate themselves like that made me feel a little bit of pity. I even considered letting them live, despite the fact that they would never change the way they were.
Such were the laws of nature, one does not simply change their methods just because somebody else threatened them. In fact, they may do the opposite and double down.
And that was only one of the reasons I hated poison users with so much passion.
I made my way toward them, each step I took making them shudder. I used my Qi, not Spirit Beast Qi, but cultivator Qi— a Divine Sense of sorts— to analyze the serpent's body.
Most cultivators wouldn't have been able to use Divine Sense while in the early stages of Qi Condensation, however I had greater reserves of Qi and even greater experience using it.
And similarly, most cultivators wouldn't fall into such an obvious trap. Would they really change their ways if I spared their lives? No. They would lay low, waiting for a chance to take revenge.
I've had plenty of such encounters before, and my body, at least a phantom of it, still remembered them.
I halted, frowning at the sight of half a dozen tails charged to the brim with Qi. Clearly they were preparing themselves to assault me the moment I got closer for an attack or anything else.
Their kowtowing and begging was merely an act to fool me. I don't know which was worse, that it would have worked were I just a simple Spirit Beast, or that they lacked a hint of sincerity?
"I see how it is then."
I waved a few hand signs, splitting my Nirvanic Flames to attack each and everyone one of them while I jumped to dodge the first wave of poison attacks. I flapped my wings again to dodge the second wave and then used Phoenix Fire to propel myself toward the ground, dodging the third wave.
At the same time I hit the ground, I sent a combination of both fires outward, scorching the vegetation.
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Lord] Lvl 15]
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Prince] Lvl 6]
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Princess] Lvl 7]
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Guard Lvl. 13] x 2
[You have slain [Jade Serpent Guard Lvl. 15]
[XP Acquired] x 6
[You have Leveled Up]
[Phoenix Chick Lvl 7 has become Phoenix Chick lvl 8.]
[Skill Points Acquired]
[Achievement: Tiny Lord Slayer - Unlocked]
After taking care of them, I turned my attention toward the nest. There were still plenty of eggs, hatchlings and newborns down there, not to mention those that managed to escape.
However, they were all small fry. More importantly, after such a long fight, I had to recover my strength.
[That was unexpected.]
What was?
I hadn't expected System to start chatting all of a sudden. I didn't mind, as having a conversation partner wasn't that bad. After picking a cooler spot to sit down, under the shade of a tree, I opened the system messages again.
[I didn't expect you to hate poison to this degree.]
Hah, I chuckled coldly, remembering a certain Teng clan that refused to die.
They're all worthless, greedy, good for nothing cowards.
[I wonder what triggered such an opinion. Must be something to do with your past life.]
Past life… it never mentioned that before. But I guess it wouldn't be hard to deduce what had happened.
"I couldn't tell ya either." I chirped out loud, preening my feathers. "I guess the hate for poison is ingrained in my soul."
[It must be. By the way, they had something that might be of interest to you in the nest.]
"Huh? Oh— Thanks, I guess." I found the way System gave me advice to be very foreign. It talked in a more automated manner before, now it seemed almost… sentient. Sapient? Whatever the word was.
I rested half an hour more, then got up and walked toward the hole I'd started to dig. The view inside was quite luxurious from a Spirit Beast point of view, and now that most of the serpents had fled, whatever barrier they had up weakened.
After digging up a hole big enough for me to fit in, despite my fluffed up body, I jumped right on top of the barrier, crushing it with a good swipe of Iron Claws. Finding myself amongst a scorched serpent nest wasn't on my bucket list, but System said they had something that interested me.
Besides rat corpses and skeletons, I couldn't see anything else. At least, not with my eyes.
Activating my Divine Sense gave me a better view of the surroundings, though it was far from perfect due to my low cultivation level. The Nirvanic Flames gave me a better map than what I had right now.
Despite that, I'd gotten enough information to figure out where the thing System talked about was. Down a hall in a small room, there were things other than rocks and animal remains, and that's exactly where I headed to.
I couldn't fit through their tunnels, of course, but making new doors was a piece of cake. In no time at all, I reached the room, and my eyes widened.
Shiny…
Gems of all shapes and sizes stood in a pile in the corner of the room. Red, blue, yellow, pink, they all sparkled with the intensity of a diamond.
I never thought I'd find myself interested in shiny stones, but there I was, staring at them like a fool.
Mother would like them for sure… our nest does need a bit of decoration. The dry yellow and dry green get a little boring.
Once I'd had my fill of staring at the gems, I noticed a small bag laying nearby. It was more of a satchel than a bag, and it had a string to tie to one's waist, or to open and close it. Either way, I made my way over to it and picked it up.
"Now what's this thing?" I murmured out loud, hoping that System would say something, but it remained silent.
With a sigh, I placed it within my left talon and sent a wave of Divine Sense over it.
This—
No way…
A storage bag?
I couldn't believe I'd found a storage bag in the nest of snakes, of all things.
How did they get their slithery hands on this?
It didn't look like any storage bag I'd seen before, but upon probing it with my Divine Sense, it did indeed have a small amount of space. There was no mark on it or anything, neither spiritual nor physical. I could only assume it belonged to a poor cultivator who found himself or herself walking into a bunch of poisonous sons of bitches.
Well, it worked out for me. I was worried about doing so many back and forths to collect all the cores. Now I could just place them all inside. I'm sure Mother would be happy… though she could wonder how I'd found it.
I wouldn't shy away from telling Mother I killed a bunch of bastards, but as to how I could open a storage bag…
Could Spirit Beasts even open storage bags before? I don't think we should be able to at my level…
From what I could remember, in order to open a storage bag you had to have a cultivation base, not a strong body. Spirit Beasts could not use Qi outside of their bodies unless it was through a bloodline technique.
Then, how could I use it and hide the fact that I have both types of cultivation from Mother? What a pain…
I would have to figure it out later. For now, let's grab all these shiny stones!
***
Figuring out how the bag worked wasn't difficult, and I also grabbed a few papers and clothes they had lying about. Probably stolen from all the people they've killed. I couldn't say I cared, as it was a dog eat dog world after all, but dying from these things must have been infuriating.
After climbing back up, I made my way to the Jaded Jade Serpent and extracted its core. There was no way such a strong monster didn't have a core. It looked similar to the other one I extracted from the first one I killed, just much duller and somewhat bigger.
It had a few strange purple runes etched onto its surface, though I couldn't read them at all.
Do the cores have any ties to their strength? Surely. So then these runes must be what signifies their strength. Wait… this one was level twenty, does that mean it was evolved?
System spoke about evolution when I first gained consciousness, but I had no idea what it meant. I had to ask later, since it said it's available at level ten.
Evolution…
My heart tingled as I thought about it. I wonder what that entailed.
Then again, I couldn't tell if Spirit Beasts relied solely on levels or if they had actual cultivation stages in this world. But since levels seemed to be tied to strength, and judging by the fact I didn't have a Spirit Beast cultivation stage, it was safe to assume that was the case.
Then, did humans have both?
I shoved those questions aside for the moment and placed the core within the storage bag, then I did the same with the rest of the corpses. Using my claws to dig through them had become second nature, and I almost didn't miss my hands. Almost.
For my total haul, only about a third of the guards had any cores, but the lord and his children each had one core. That surprised me, considering the fact they were so low level, but then again, the first one I killed also had a core.
The Lord's core was different from the rest. It was purple with a deep, dark tinge of red, with at least twice the amount of runes compared to the one from the Jaded Jade Serpent.
I think System said something about that first one being a prince? Is that why it had a core at level 3? Interesting.
After I got done collecting that, I focused on the dormant Nirvanic Flames I left inside and outside the nest, waking them to life. A string of notifications about me killing small fry flashed in my vision, but I ignored them.
With the map of the entrances and exits in mind, I dashed toward the nearest one, finding a pair of serpents cowering inside a bush.
Swipe, swipe.
I took care of them, but neither had a core. I moved toward the next nearby entrance, scanned the area for runaway serpents, killed them if there were any, then moved on to the next.
Repeating that a few dozen times, I found myself dirty with serpent blood. After cleaning myself with Phoenix Fire, I decided it would be a good idea to stop the Nirvanic Flames, even if they were dormant and didn't use a lot of Qi.
I got a few other notifications informing me some other poor bastards died from looking at my Nirvanic Flames for too long, and brushed it aside. I took a deep breath afterwards, and patted myself on the shoulder for a job well done.
[Achievement: Species Destroyer - Unlocked]
And it seemed I wasn't the only one giving myself praise. For once the name of the achievement caught my eye, and I was really curious to know what it was about.
"Achievements." I chirped out loud, and the familiar screen appeared before me.
Achievements
[First Blood (Rewards Claimed)]
[I found it on the ground! (Rewards Claimed)
[I am a Spirit Beast! (Rewards Claimed)
[De-Evolve (Rewards Unclaimed)]
[Tiny Lord Slayer (Rewards Unclaimed)]
[Species Destroyer (Rewards Unclaimed)]
Claim achievements! Wait, before that, show me the details for the last one!
[Achievement: Species Destroyer]
[Kill enough of a species to drive it to extinction. Extinction means less than 0.5% of their total population remaining alive.]
Huh, I hadn't expected such a detailed and specific number, but I wasn't one to complain.
Alright, now claim!
[Achievement: De-Evolve has been claimed.]
[+100 Qi; +4 Strength]
[Achievement: Tiny Lord Slayer has been claimed.]
[+100 Qi; +5 Strength; +4 Intelligence]
[Achievement: Species Destroyer has been claimed.]
[+200 Qi; +2 Strength; +2 Dexterity; +2 Perception; +2 Charisma; +2 Intelligence]
A sudden surge of power coursed through my body the moment I claimed those three achievements, and the world around me became clearer. At a glance, nothing changed, but if I stared at a blade of grass long enough I could see it from super up close.
As far as I knew, such a thing should only be possible in the latter stages of Qi Condensation, yet here I stood at only the third stage. My dantian also had a moderate amount of Qi increased, the lake inside filling up little by little.
System is amazing…
[Why thank you. ^_^]
Ignoring that, I really wanted to check out my profile. It's been a long time since I've done it and I feel like the numbers will be amazing at the very least.
"Profile."
Details
[Name: Fa Xiaolan]
[Race: Phoenix]
[Class: Phoenix Chick]
[Level: 8]
[Hit Points: 1033]
[Equipped Titles: None]
[Bloodlines: Phoenix]
[Cultivation: Qi Condensation III]
[Qi: 1325]
Stats
[Strength: 92]
[Dexterity: 66]
[Perception: 87]
[Charisma: 102]
[Intelligence: 97]
[Skill Points: 20]
Sweet Buddha! Twenty whole skillpoints, and those stats, they're almost in the hundreds? We'll just ignore charisma for now… Is that normal? I really have to ask Mother about it! No wonder my attacks were so strong… I wonder how much that evolved Jaded Jade Serpent had.
After gloating about my stats, I took a look at all the cores and shinies I gathered.
One Jaded Jade Serpent Core, unusual but somewhat interesting. I didn't dare absorb it yet, not without Mother checking it out first.
One Jade Serpent Lord Core, very pretty and edible looking, even though I knew it was poisonous.
Thirteen regular cores, all of which reminded me of that bastard of a prince.
Storing them away to safety in the bag, I threw it around my neck and made my way toward the nest. I'd been out so long that the sun had already risen.
All in all, I gained a lot of levels and skill points, and I would need to sort everything out once I got home.
Where… was home, exactly?
Chapter 19: Killing
I figured the way out after remembering the map the Nirvanic Flames created for me, though as time passed it began to fade away. It was still fresh enough for me to find the first entrance, and from there I'd already memorised the way back.
However, I hadn't expected to meet something that didn't resemble a Spirit Beast on my way back.
No, what I met was not one, but a group of cultivators. Seven of them, roaming the forest like they owned it! Three of them wore similar clothing and looked alike— they must be brothers and sisters— with the symbol of the flying sword stitched on their chest.
The rest of them all wore a different colored robe, with a different symbol each. A blooming lotus flower, a shiny jade, a colorful Phoenix— the gall!— and a round pill.
I hid within a bush, activating my Stealth skill and stalking them. When I first met those two cultivators, my Universal Language didn't work well; however, it seemed to be doing much better now.
"Why are we even roaming here anyway?" The man with the round pill symbol asked, his voice arrogant and annoyed. "There's nothing in this part of the forest. All the good things are being snatched by the other sects."
"Quiet." The flying sword man said, his sword-like eyebrows furrowing. "We were sent here by Elder Fo, if you don't remember. One of our tokens had been activated some time ago, but there were no survivors to speak of. All of their Life Jades shattered."
"So a Spirit Beast activated it? Big deal!" the one wearing the lotus flower uniform, a woman, said.
"Spirit Beasts can't activate tokens." The flying sword woman interjected, anger and annoyance obvious within her voice. However, there was also a hint of grief.
"Little sister…" The other flying sword member said, patting her on the back. His expression had softened as he spoke. "We'll get our revenge for Senior Brother Shen. That damned bird—"
"The Phoenix, you mean?" The Phoenix symbol wearing man said, his scarlet hair almost burning my retinas.
"The Phoenix…" The sword-shaped eyebrow man continued, "We'll roast it alive for what it did."
Were they talking about Mother? Was that 'Senior Brother Shen' one of the people she killed all the way at my birth? What gall! After they murdered my siblings?
Anger flowed through my veins like lava through a volcano, and it took everything I had in me not to jump out and fucking murder them. But I sat and listened, the murdering would come later, information was precious.
"What can we even do?" The man wearing the pill symbol said. "Senior Brother Shen was at the late stage of Foundation Establishment and we're barely in the middle stage of Qi Condensation. There is no way we can do anything about it. I don't even know why the sect elders sent juniors to scout the area."
"They didn't send anyone… they took off on their own after seeing the elder's Life Jades shattering. Who would have expected to meet the Phoenix so far from its nest?" The guy wearing the Phoenix symbol explained, as it didn't seem like anyone else knew about it.
However, I didn't know what pissed me off more. The way they talked about Mother or the fact that somehow, at least four different sects united to kill her.
What is going on? Are they that desperate? It doesn't seem like that demonic cultivator is giving them that many problems!
"Shut it already and let's keep movi—" The sword-shaped eyebrows guy began, but stopped and took a careful look around him.
He noticed me.
"Senior Brother what is—"
I didn't hesitate anymore. The moment they saw me was the moment I would get attacked.
I had to take the lead.
Since it looked like we were at the same level of cultivation, I decided to take my chances. Running wasn't an option, not without flying, and I didn't know what sort of techniques they had.
It's been a while since last I've killed.
The sword-shaped eyebrow man's pupils constricted as a ball of Nirvanic Flames flew straight at his head at a speed faster than he could react to. It made contact, instantly burning off his skin before he put it out with a wave of his hand.
I jumped out of the bush, priming my Iron Clawswith Nirvanic Flames and surrounding my body with Phoenix Fire. Blood spewed out of his neck for a moment before the wound cauterized, however the throat had already been severed.
Within a few minutes, he would choke to death.
I sped out of there, dodging a sword attack from the younger sister. The sorrow on her face couldn't be described, but then again, neither could Mother's grief.
Without any movement skills, I decided that my best course of action would be to take advantage of the shock and jumped. Using both my talons and beak, I attacked her face, causing her to drop her sword in fear.
I poured more Qi into my flames, and she caught fire as easily as dried hay. I didn't care whether she lived or died for the moment, because a wave of sword Qi hit me on my right side.
Luckily, I had Strengthened Constitution active, so the damage was minimal. I turned my head, glaring at the one who did it, the pill guy.
With an angry screech, I weaved a few wing signs and turned the Nirvanic Flames and Phoenix Fire surrounding me into two serpents, which then grew claws. A snake without legs is just a snake, but a snake with claws was a Dragon.
For people in the middle stage of Qi Condensation, they're far too weak. Far too inexperienced.
[You have slain Meng Bai, [Cultivator] Lvl 3]
[XP Acquired]
So his name was Meng Bai? Poor bastard, I guess.
I shook my head, not letting that push away the fact their faction not only killed my siblings, but also threatened Mother.
The two fire dragons, one made out of Nirvanic Flames and one made out of Phoenix Fire, kept the pill guy occupied.
I turned toward the blooming lotus woman, but she had all but frozen in fear.
"Weak!" I cried out and slashed her throat. She didn't even flinch before dying. I hadn't gotten any notifications yet, but I would make sure to check them when things settled down.
My anger hadn't settled. In fact, seeing just how pathetic they were made me even angrier.
I looked toward the pill guy and saw that the two serpents had already taken care of him. With that, it should be all of the—
"Phoenix."
Great.
The last one, the one I'd forgotten about, and the bastard wearing the symbol of Mother, murmured under his breath.
I sent a flying kick toward his jaw, knocking him unconscious.
***
Where am I…
Lai Meng woke up with a skull-splitting headache. His arms and legs were tied with some sort of rope made out of grass, and if he tried hard enough, he bet he could easily break it.
But he didn't.
Without knowing where he was he wouldn't make any rash moves. He tried to remember what happened right before he fainted, and between the burning people and fountains of blood, he recalled.
"Phoenix!" He yelled out, his voice echoing throughout the empty forest.
"So you woke up." A soft, faint and dainty voice echoed in his head, and when he turned to look at who or what spoke, his eyes almost fell out of his sockets.
There, right in front of him stood a dog-sized bird with six bags of holding tied around its neck. He found the image comical, and he would have laughed were it not for the fact that it had killed all of his friends.
Well, 'friends' was a big word, more like forced teamwork.
In either case, they were gone, and it seemed like the Phoenix had claimed their spoils.
"Phoenix…" He repeated again, stupified.
"How long are you going to say that for?" The Phoenix asked, its voice clearly annoyed. It walked forward, its eyes staring right into Lai Meng's soul. "Tell me what I want to know unless you want to be turned into ash." Its tone turned solemn, and he could only nod.
"Why were the six of you, weaklings, roaming around my forest?"
"We— Lord Phoenix we—"
"Speak clearly!"
"Lord Phoenix, we didn't know. We were just investigating our member's mur— er… disappearance."
"That doesn't answer my question. Why were you weaklings, specifically, roaming about?"
"That— Because this part of the forest doesn't really have any dangers. It's mostly low level Spirit Beasts, so we were the ones sent. We don't exactly have the manpower to spare."
Lai Meng spoke surprisingly calmly for someone held hostage. It must have been because the Phoenix's appearance was quite cute and snuggly like, with puffy feathers and a tiny figure. Adding to that the large bags of holding she had no business having, and he barely held back his laughter.
"Is something funny?"
He turned solemn.
"Answer my questions without any distractions, understood? If I don't like what you're saying, I will kill you. I may spare your life if you please me."
***
[You have slain Lai Meng, [Cultivator] Lvl 3]
[XP Acquired]
"Useless trash." I grumbled, walking away with seven bags of holding hung around my neck like I was some sort of cloth holder.
That human didn't have any valuable information. He did tell me that there is someone looking for Phoenixes, dead or alive, preferably alive. The rewards for hunting us are huge, but nobody knows who the actual requester is.
They were actually just looking for remnants of the people that died around here, both those that wanted to kill Mother and the two fuckers that killed each other.
It seemed like me sending a signal all the way back then also had something to do with it, as it alerted them. Though that's strange, I activated the token at our first nest. Or was it the guy that got killed by that woman that alerted them?
Besides that, he blabbered about some sort of war, a sect coalition, righteous vs demonic, lots of bullcrap I didn't care about. Mother might, though, so I'll just tell her once I get back to the nest.
When I got close to the nest, I killed a chicken, skinned it and ate it. Then I waited for the blood to dry and took out all the shinies and cores, creating a makeshift bag like I'd done before.
I controlled my desire to check the bags of holding, and hid them away, as I didn't know how to explain that one to Mother, then I climbed up.
After all the stats and levels I'd gained it was much, much easier than compared to before.
However, Mother wasn't home, much to my disappointment, and I could only wait.
Growl…
Ah, I'd forgotten to eat more. I haven't had anything substantial besides the tiny chicken I found around the nest, but I fought and used energy all day and night. It would probably be a good idea to go hunt until Mother returns.