Hard Truths

"This is the Talent revealing Artefact. As the name says, it reveals one's talent." Xiao Lingxi motioned towards an orb placed in a small shrine.

"I don't think I need to do this, as I am the greatest talent my Star Realm ever had."

"Oh? What are you good at?" The Head Maid asked curiously.

"Excuse me?" The blonde was confused for a bit. What does she mean by good at?

"By Talent, what are you good at?"

"Cultivation? What else is there a need for?"

"Umm? It's useless here."

"Hah?" The Head Maid's words confused the pair!

"It's useless here. Core members here all have Heavenly God's Spiritual Veins, and now we have bloodline purification rituals and Soul cleansing pills.

"We are destined to reach the apex. This means our Young Master simply doesn't care about your most common talent." 

The blonde, for a second, was out of words. She can't say anything! 

"So, what kind of talent is he looking for?" Xing Tong asked curiously.

"For Pills, Arrays, Artefacts, Formations, Blacksmithing." Xiao Lingxi explained as she then proceeded to tell more."My talent, as well as Lady Xiao's talent, is for 'everything'. The Young Master appreciates these the most as we can be useful at everything. 

"The others which he acquired to be his maids are usually the most common ones, talent for the Profound. He has over 20 of those from Xiao Sect and Divine Phoenix Empire."

"...Divine Phoenix Empire?"

"Umm… you never heard of it?"

The pair shook their heads.

"It's the biggest Empire in this continent. They have the bloodline of the Phoenix. Young Master acquired the Phoenix Trial grounds, and the excess blood most likely has reached them."

The Head Maid casually told them how Xiao Long acquired a trial ground. Something like that would cause a large amount of commotion in the Realm of Gods.

'This place…what is this abnormal Star Realm!?' Qianye Ying'er frowned deeply. 

"Anyway, place your hand on the orb and channel some of your Profound energy." 

Xiao Lingxi motioned towards the orb. 

The first one to do it was the blonde, as she wanted to know her talent. 

As she poured her energy, it started to glow. A letter appeared inside the orb.

"It's Profound. Impressive! Tier 1 talent for Profound!" 

"Tier 1?"

"Yes. There are three tiers for talents. Tier 3 is a general talent; Tier 2 is gifted, those usually have large amounts of opened Profound entrances from birth and lastly, Tier 1. 

"It's the genius level. You have a genius level for Profound." 

Qianye Ying'er had a knowing look. She knows this already. 

But then her good mood was a blow away.

"However, this talent will be useless for Young Master. You would have greater use in the main Hall where our Sect's Profound talent lies."

Xing Tong snorted in amusement when she saw this. Holy! When did the blonde get demolished like this before? 

"...I am sure I can be useful!"

"I guess. However, you have more than 20 maids to compete against."

The blonde snorted. She was certain she could get ahead of the pack! Her cultivation and her looks will make those maids follow her! 

"Alright, now it's your turn."

Xing Tong nodded, and she put her hand on the orb, then channelled some profound energy into it.

"Hmm?"

"Curious… this is new! I think this is a talent for knives?" Xiao Lingxi said with an intrigued look.

"Figures." The blonde said with a snort. She knows how stabby the crimson-haired girl is.

"What does this mean?" The Star God asked as she wondered if she was better than the 'average' Goddess.

"This means you will be with the Battle Maids."

"Battle—"

"-Maids?"

The pair spoke in sync.

"Yes. There are only two battle maids so far. This makes you the third. Quite an honourable position as Young Master pampers them quite a bit."

"Hehehe! I guess my combat abilities will come in handy."

Xing Tong laughed as she enjoyed the jealous look the blonde had!

"And is there no other way to become a battle maid?" Qianye Ying'er asked with a small frown.

"You are not a combat type. Last time this Princess checked, you sent fodder first. Only then did you 'grace' people with your presence." The Slaughter God said with a mocking tone. This made the blonde give the little girl a murderous look.

Can this little girl stop constantly getting in her way!?

"In that case. You will be part of the regular maids. Young Master doesn't need someone who doesn't fight among the battle maids." Xiao Lingxi said with a casual tone. 

She has no idea what is going on between these two. Not that she cares. As long as they don't annoy the Young Master, she doesn't care. 

The answer from Head Maid made the Blonde Goddess' eyebrow twitch as she took a deep breath. 

"Now that we know the talents, let's go to the Contribution Hall." 

~~~

'What is with these people? They pay barely any attention towards me!'

Qianye Ying'er noticed how the people around here. Barely notice her. Sure, they look awed by her looks, but soon after, they just get over it and continue to move forward!

"This is the Starting gift box." Xiao Lingxi gave the pair exquisite wooden boxes.

"Inside of these, there are a set of pills."

The pair took it and opened them.

"You have the purifying pills; they remove impurities from bodies and profound entrances. There is enough to have all 54 profound entrances opened. Though I doubt you need those.

"Then there are 3 Vitality pills; they permanently boost your base physical strength. As you can imagine, the boost is even more impressive when you channel your Profound strength afterwards.

"Then you have a set of detoxification pills that are in case you are poisoned, then the newest addition of Soul purification pills; these pills boost profound comprehension and are said by the young Master vital to ascend beyond [Sovereign Profound]."

"Who is the Young Master?" Xing Tong asked with a baffled tone.

Pills that open Profound Entrances, Casual Soul Purification pills, Permanent Vitality boosts what is this!?

While these things are not THAT impressive, they don't come in the shape of casual-looking pills in Realm of Gods! 

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"I mean… even in the Realm of Gods, such a person doesn't exist!"

'Realm of Gods? Sounds important, but if they don't have someone like Young Master, then it's not that impressive, is it?' Xiao Lingxi thought to herself.

"I see. Young Master is incredible because he always cares about his clan. If it becomes hard to cultivate, he starts to look for alternative means to boost the speed of progress. In just a few months, he went from [Spirit Profound] to [Emperor Profound].

His speed slowed down a little bit because he has been working on rebuilding the Phoenix trials and the Seven Floor Pagoda." 

'Is she for real?'

'Even in the Realm of Gods, it takes a few years to transition into Divine Origin!' 

"I-I see."

'If he was born in the Brahma Monarch Star Realm, I would have already been married off and been reduced to scheming housewife.' The blonde thought to herself about that kind of scenario.

"Good. Anyway, let me explain the last pill, the most important one for cultivation."

The Head Maid showed a crystal-like salad-coloured pill.

"This is a Profound Energy Sensitivity pill. For a few hours, you gain a sense of the cultivator of the Great Realm higher than your current realm. 

This allows you to absorb a higher amount of Profound Energy."

'Higher!?'

'Heaven! If this is true, then this is extremely useful even in Divine Master!!!'

"From your expression, I can see that you two know what this means."

The pair stiffly nodded. Did they end up in some sort of Cultivation Heaven!?

At that moment, the blonde pinched herself to make sure she was not dead or asleep from the high amount of poison in her blood.

'No, it appears this is not a dream.' 

The pair looked at the wooden box; they had 5 of these pills ready for them.

"You both start with five pills. To get more, you need to buy from the Contribution Hall." Xiao Lingxi showed the building behind her.

"As you are maids of Young Master, you automatically are classified as Core Members. As such, you get 2000 points per month. To get more, you need to do the assigned tasks." 

She motioned to follow her inside the building. 

Once inside, it was similar to a shop. People waiting in lines, there are items on display, 

Most importantly, the whole place is segregated into three shops.

"The Contribution Hall at this moment is going through renovations again."

"What happened?"

"When we added the Feng Clan and became a Sect, Young Master decided to split up into outer, inner and core disciples systems.

"If you are below [Earth Profound], you are an outer disciple; below [Emperor Profound], you are Inner Disciple; and if you are above [Emperor Profound], you are Core Disciple. 

"The issue is that our Sect is considerably young, so 99% of the entire population is Outer or Inner Disciples."

The pair's eyebrows went up! Is she for real!? How lucky is this clan to get someone like Xiao Long?

"Yes, I know. Now, follow me."

She motioned for them to follow her, and they walked to the Core disciple section, which was empty at this moment. 

Qianye Ying'er noticed several pills on the display case in one of the areas.

It piqued her curiosity so she walked over. She could see green and lighter green pills.

'The cheapest one is 10 points, then 100 points, and the one she showed is 500 points. So with the points I get per month, I could get 4.'

Internally she did the maths. This was not enough by any sort of stretch.

She used to cultivate for days, even when she was a child. A pill which only gives her a few hours of a boost is not enough! She needs a whole bowl of these!

"What is the difference between these sensitivity pills?" 

The blonde asked the Head Maid.

"The green one is the original pill created by Young Master years ago. It was his first-ever pill. It's only useful below the Throne, and it's easy to make. Thus such a low price.

"The next one is the improved version which is useful even for a Monarch. It lasts up to 4 hours, and lastly is the augmented version in which Purple Veined crystals and Profound Cores are used in the making. 

"These last up to half a day. People below the Throne can cultivate for days with just a single pill."

'Oh… for that long!? This is good! Very good.'

The blonde, for a second, stroked her blonde hair. 

Did some maths before looking at the exchange centre.

"How does this work?" 

"Right. Here are your Sect talismans. Use them for exchange and other things."

The Head Maid gave them the talismans, which had 'Floating Cloud' symbols carved on them.

Seeing that she was all set, the blonde walked over to the exchange point.

A bored Quartermaster was almost snoozing there.

"Excuse me. I want to exchange."

The guy snapped out and looked panicky for a second. He paled as he saw Xiao Lingxi looking like she wanted to murder him!

Did they see him sleeping!?

"Y-Yes? What can I do for you?"

"I want to exchange this." Qianye Ying'er made the space crack open and dropped a lump of Purple Crystals. 

One thing is for sure. She has money. People give her wealth all the time. So she might as well use it!

"Oh, that's quite a bit." 

The Quartermaster took the crystal and weighed it.

"Hmm… around 5 kilos. You can get 500 thousand points for this."

"...This little?"

"Well, yes. Young Master is producing the crystals on his own. So the price depends on how much we need them at the moment."

'Produce? He can make Purple Veined Divine Crystals!?'

For a second, her brain tried to process this.  

He can make money!? Regardless, she will take the deal and see how he is making these crystals. If this is true, then he just became even more valuable, not that she already has placed him at the highest value as it is.

"I see. Then I accept the trade." 

"Alright, your talisman, then, please."

The blonde handed over the talisman, and the Quartermaster placed the talisman on an array and set the points. Moments later, the blonde was already super-rich by the Sect standards. 

"Do you like to exchange for some items?"

"Yes. The Augmented Profound Energy Sensory pills." 

"How many?"

"Do they come in boxes?" 

"Yes. One small box has 50 pills, a medium one has 100, and a large one has 200. They come in discounts when you buy the large ones. We will give you a discount in future if you bring the box back after you use the pills." 

'Oh, convenient.'

"Then the large one, how much does it cost?"

"The price is set at 80 thousand. You get a 20 thousand discount."

When she heard about the discount, she instantly decided to take it! 

"Huh. Then I'll take two for now." 

"Very well."

Moments later, he and she got another two sets of smooth and elegantly carved wooden boxes! Not realising that she is falling for a basic capitalist trick of a 'discount.'

Sure, she got it quite cheaply, but to make a pill costs much less than the price shown on the counter. While not as a rip-off as outside the Sect. Well, the Augmented ones don't even sell. 

The Sect still earned more from this exchange. 

As she took the boxes, only then did she realise that this was the first time she had a normal conversation with a male who was not drooling over!

'What a strange Star Realm this is.'

While the blonde was wondering how this mortal could resist her, the Crimson-haired girl was mumbling to herself what a cheat the blonde was! Why doesn't she have some wealth with her!?

~~~~~~Xiao Long~~~~~~

What a pleasant surprise this is. I didn't expect Xing Tong AND especially Qianye Ying'er, of all people, to drop on my lap. 

As I walked over, I saw my grandmother refining and polishing her soul. 

The soul-cleansing pills are a major hit. Soon, the whole Sect will have their souls cleansed. The effects are immediate.

Especially in the presence of Qianye Ying'er, while she is no doubt extremely hot and very much pleasant to look at, soul purity gives one mental fortitude towards such things like beauty.

'No doubt I could use this to base a technique of some sort to build up mental defences.'

"This pill is extraordinary. I can already feel my sensory range and depth increase, just from refining one."

She said to me as she sensed my presence.

"Yes. I do believe once a certain amount is consumed, one can achieve a similar stage as Heavenly God's Spiritual Veins but with its soul."

At that moment, a certain girl popped into my mind. Shui Meiyin? Divine Stainless Soul?

'Maybe? Who knows? The author doesn't address this stuff in his book at all. Just stuff the character with God's legacies, and he is ready to go.'

"Possible. We have never considered that soul and bloodline are needed to reach the next Great Realm. That reminds me, did you question the pair? Who are they? What can they tell about the place beyond our skies?"

For a second, I snorted.

"Nothing extraordinary. It's like here, only on a grander scale. They are like the Divine Phoenix Empire. They found legacies left by Ancient Gods and built empires around them.

"My innovative ways have caught them completely by surprise."

My Grandmother, for a second, got disappointed. But then she got over it quickly enough.

"I see. We can move on then." She smiled at me as if she had an idea. "My granddaughter-in-law said you finished the Phoenix Trials."

"You want to try them out?"

"Yes."

"I suppose you can try. However, I don't recommend taking Phoenix blood as the Phoenix will have its authority over you after you take it."

"Then there is something else I can gain from finishing it?"

"Blood purification."

"Perfect! Just what I need at this moment!"

"Yes. But, the trials are recharging. They won't be useful for another few months."

My words have deflated her enthusiasm. 

"Then. Can you make pills which could do the same thing?" 

Her words made me think. If I can do that, then this would, for real, change the whole landscape of cultivation. 

If my guess is right, then almost everyone will be able to reach the [Divine Master] realm. Such a thing alone would make my Sect apex existence in the whole of Primal Chaos. 

'Hmm, I do have excess Profound Beast blood.' 

I lifted my finger and started to draw symbols with Profound energy.

One could say I am writing a formula. 

'Mix with Purple veins crystal, the blood of profound beast, purifying grass, desert flower. 

Normally this would mean nothing. But if I am to add runes which specifically tell me to concentrate on blood purity.

It could work.'

"Possible. I do need to run a few tests."

"Good-Good! As expected of my Grandson! I mean time, I will continue to cleanse my soul with these pills."

"Sure."

After the short conversation, she returned to her cultivation while I sighed in relief. Thank whatever Heaven system there exists that she doesn't care that much about those two.

Don't want her to be attached to them and end up reversing the control. I guess my pills are a good enough alternative to step to the next Great Realm.

In the meantime, I have some ideas about what to do next. I guess delving into the blood is a fascinating way to waste time until the tournament starts.

'Hmm, I do have a bunch of blood after those two bleed like a fountain.'

~~~

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