39 Meeting Up
The lightning within him crackled and surged, a barely contained tempest that threatened to break free at any moment. But Miao Ying held it in check, bending it to his will with the discipline born of countless hours of meditation and training.
He could feel himself growing stronger with each passing moment, his Qi more dense, his sword intent more refined.
In the midst of his cultivation, Miao Ying suddenly furrowed his brows. A soft chime went off in his spiritual sea, alerting him that someone was trying to make contact with him.
The only contact ring he had now was from that demoness of a woman, Mei Xianxue.
It had been what Miao Ying assumed was days since their first meeting. Cultivation seemingly blended time together so he wasn't too sure on how long, but at the very least he could say some time had passed since then.
Though they had known each other for only a short while, Miao Ying couldn't help but feel a certain kinship with the bold, enigmatic woman.
He linked his soul force to her contact ring and soon heard Mei Xianxue's melodic voice soothe into his mind like an angelic bell.
"Hehe~! How you been, hero? I know you're thinking that I'm calling because of some business, and you'd be right! It's easy to cut to the chase with people like you."
That same brash tone and blunt words made Miao Ying's lips curl into a faint, amused smile. It was refreshing, in a way, to deal with someone who was so unapologetically direct. In the world of cultivation, where every word and action was often layered with hidden meanings and agendas, Mei Xianxue's straightforwardness was like a breath of fresh air.
"Glad we don't have to waste time then," he said back, his tone mirroring her own casual bluntness. "So? Why have you called me?"
"A real good opportunity we can do before the Haven Cave," Mei Xianxue sounded absolutely ecstatic as she continued, "There's this peak Spirit Tier demon beast, bordering on half-step Royal Tier. It's called a River Python. And this beast is in an area where it's fostering a good portion of Golden River Apples! It wouldn't matter what style of cultivation art you're investing in, these Golden River Apples flow purely potent Qi throughout your entire body, causing your Qi Seed and Sea to grow at an exponential rate."
Miao Ying's eyes widened imperceptibly at the mention of the Golden River Apples. Even amongst elite cultivators, these legendary fruits remained the stuff of myth - fabled treasures capable of propelling one's cultivation to transcendent heights in the span of a mere instant.
To have a viable chance at acquiring such a resource...
A sinister smile curled the young man's lips as his mind raced ahead, already plotting how he might combine the Apples' potency with his own Devourer Rune cultivation art and then on the resources at the Haven Cavern.
With both of those immense powers at his command, Miao Ying's rate of advancement would become utterly unrivaled throughout the entire Blazing Sun Sect, perhaps even the entirety of Moon Sky City.
"A guarded treasure spot like that is bound to pose its... complications, I assume?" he said slowly, unable to mask his anticipation at the prospect of overcoming whatever daunting challenges awaited.
The sound of Mei Xianxue's husky giggle sent a wave of warmth cascading down Miao Ying's spine. Even after all this time, the smoky alto of her voice still possessed the power to make him feel a bit arm with its blatant sensuality.
"How perceptive of you," the demonic cultivator purred, her full lips curving into a predatory smirk. "In this case, another prestigious family has beaten us to the punch and dispatched their own flock of talented disciples to secure the Apples - some noble Qin family brats who lean heavily on the righteous path."
She uttered that last part with undisguised disdain, daring to scoff at the orthodox ideals still clung to by most of the great cultivation sects.
As for Miao Ying, his smile spread into a look of feral anticipation at her words. Righteous cultivators, self-deluded fools so bound by outmoded strictures of morality, were so often the easiest prey to crush beneath his bootheel.
"Is that so?" Miao Ying's voice thrummed with thinly veiled menace. "Well then, if those foolish lapdogs choose to get in our way and bar us from greater power, rest assured we'll have some much-needed fun in dealing with them."
Mei Xianxue practically shivered with mock arousal at his coldly casual reply. Miao Ying's utter disdain for anything resembling supremacy or control was just one more trait that drew her to him like a moth to an all-consuming flame.
As an entity firmly established at the peak of the Spirit Tier, Miao Ying's battle prowess equated to that of talented half-step Houtian geniuses. Moreover, with his golden lightning and razor-edged sword Qi fused into one overwhelming combat art, even more formidable half-step Houtian geniuses would be hard-pressed to withstand his full power unleashed.
Not that such comparatively minor talents mattered in the grand scheme of Miao Ying's aspirations. In his heart, the only ones truly worthy of acknowledgment – much less his wrath – were those who brazenly dared obstruct his path to subjugating this world beneath his heel. All others were but insignificant gnats to be crushed without a second thought.
"When do we leave to claim this bounty for ourselves?" he asked, betraying no hint of impatience. Miao Ying understood better than most that true power could never be rushed, but must be meticulously cultivated over time.
"We'll make preparations and meet at the Azure Cloud Forest outskirts at first light," Mei Xianxue replied, her exquisite features alight with scarcely restrained eagerness. "And come prepared for violence, dear Miao Ying. Based on my reconnaissance, these Qin lapdogs seem rather...unwilling to relinquish their claim on the Apples."
A blooming grin slowly spread across the young man's face at her reply. "Rest assured, I'm always prepared to bathe in the blood of any foolish enough to stand in my way."
With a curt nod, he severed their connection, his mind already racing with the beginnings of a hundred contingencies to ensure they emerged victorious.
...
Dawn had yet to brighten the horizon when Miao Ying ghosted past the slumbering guards and out through Moon Sky City's main gates.
As he vanished amid the dense forests surrounding their home, a palpable sense of eager anticipation thrummed through his veins, setting his pulse hammering with the thrill of impending combat.
Only once the towering city walls shrank to mere specks in the distance did Miao Ying permit himself to move at his full speed.
Gone was the unhurried, almost lethargic pace most young cultivators preferred to conserve their energies. No, within the depths of the Azure Cloud Forest, Miao Ying became an emerald and earthen blur, his mastery over the Lightning Qi granting him preternatural speed and agility even most ordained half-step Houtian talents could only dream of matching.
Long before the first rays of dawn crested over the horizon, he sensed the scarlet flare of Mei Xianxue's aura up ahead, cutting through the serene stillness of the ancestral woodlands like a crackling furnace.
While most demonically inclined cultivators preferred to mask their energies, projecting an aura of terrifying mystery, Mei Xianxue made little attempt at deception.
Her philosophies were far too straightforward - to crush any who dared obstruct her path through sheer, overwhelming force. It's partially why Miao Ying could so easily call her out on their first meeting.
As Miao Ying drew within clear sight of the demonic bombshell, there she stood in all her dark glory, waiting with an air of brazen impatience.
"Ah, there you are!" Mei Xianxue exclaimed upon noticing his approach, her full lips curving into a salacious grin. "I was starting to worry you wouldn't be able to tear yourself away from all those nobles fawning over our dashing young hero."
Heedless of any ingrained sense of propriety, the demonic cultivator sashayed forward until she was near enough for her hands to unapologetically ensnare Miao Ying's. Her grip was possessive, all but daring him to resist her touch as her grin morphed into something more wicked.
"Don't tell me... were you simply too eager to see me again, dear Miao Ying, that not even the night's passions could slake your thirst?"
For any ordinary mortal cultivator, the sensual power behind Mei Xianxue's blatant flirtations would have bowled them over before her mere presence.
Yet Miao Ying regarded her with that same unflappable nonchalance that so enraptured her. Meeting her heated stare with an arched brow and faint smirk, he gave a casual half-shrug.
"I had nothing else better to do. Where to now?"
