Chapter 7
Yue Li's determination burned like a steady flame, even though she knew she wasn't the strongest in the realm. She understood the importance of keeping a low profile, honing her own strengths before seeking to surpass others.
The mourning dew, a rare substance she had come across, helped to temper the fierce killing intent that simmered within her. Yet, it wasn't a complete solution. It held an addictive quality that could not be ignored. It was no wonder that achieving one hundred straight wins was an almost insurmountable feat. The true battle, she knew, lay within herself.
With a swift and efficient survey of the mansion, Yue Li took in its layout. Two floors and a basement, rooms spread across both levels. Above, three spacious rooms, complete with a bath and a toilet. Below, four rooms, also equipped with their own amenities. It was a place of comfort and refuge, a sanctuary where she could refine her abilities.
Carefully cradling her precious subject, Yue Li ascended to the upper floor. Here, she selected a master bedroom and an experimentation room, each chosen with purpose and foresight. Nightfall was approaching, and she wasted no time in placing the cocoon in its designated spot. It was no different from a relic of immense potential, one that she intended to unlock and harness to its fullest extent.
As the first stars began to dot the evening sky, Yue Li settled into a meditative stance. Her focus turned inward, seeking to replenish her spirit power. Five spirit rings adorned her, each a testament to her journey and the formidable creatures she had encountered. The first, a gift from a 500-year-old ice cicada, bestowed upon her the power of the ice bite. The second, a memento from a 900-year-old dreamy butterfly with a trace of fate's bloodline, granted her insight against illusions while also leaving behind a latent potential that she had since realized.
The thread of the future, born from that potential, granted her the ability to simulate the outcomes of her actions, so long as she made physical contact with her target. It was a skill that had proven invaluable, a testament to her adaptability and resourcefulness. The third spirit ring, a relic from a 4000-year-old poison-shooting dark snake, bestowed upon her the power to weave threads of darkness imbued with venomous potency. It was a formidable ability that struck fear into the hearts of her adversaries.
The fourth ring, a legacy from a 13,000-year-old silent ghost, allowed her to cast yin illusions that burrowed deep into the recesses of the mind. It was a power that danced on the border between reality and illusion, unsettling and disorienting her foes. Lastly, the fifth and most recent addition, a 32,000-year-old spirit-cursed bat, granted her the ability to inflict cursed damage upon contact. It left behind a spectral mark, a spider tattoo that fed upon the vitality and spirit power of her adversaries, sapping their strength and resolve.
As the night deepened, Yue Li's presence became a steady beacon of determination and power. She was a force to be reckoned with, a warrior whose journey had only just begun. In the quiet of the night, she knew that her path was clear - to continue strengthening herself, to unlock the full potential of her abilities, and to face whatever challenges awaited her with unwavering resolve.
' Now then, let's start the simulation, but first, I need to make a layout around the mansion. Being disturbed is quite taboo when I use the thread of the future. '
Yue Li waved transparent threads all around the house while weaving some transparent ones in hidden locations.
' I highly doubted that the thread of the future would have worked, but since it was a half self-made and half soul ring ability, I guess It's just under the radar. After all, it's impossible to use any spirit ring abilitie. ' Mused Yue li to herself while weaving a big cocoon all around herself and putting all her clothes in her storage bracelet.
' Now then, let's start the simulation. In the past, I needed 70 percent of my spirit power for a single simulation of ten days. Now, I only need one percent for ten years. May control and understanding of spiritual energy sure have gone a long way. But to simulate other people with me is a first, I have a feeling that I won't have to pay any additional price, yet I know it would exist. Probably the other one will be paying. ' With such thoughts in mind, Yue Li began the simulation. Her first goal is to figure out if there are any spiritual meridians in the body besides the location where the martial soul resides.
While Yue Li was beginning her simulation, Fan Su was paying the price with pain and cultivation level.
Fan Su's agony was excruciating, an unrelenting tempest of torment that ravaged his very essence. It was as if a thousand red-hot blades had pierced his body, each incision tearing through his flesh with malevolent precision. The pain was not merely physical; it transcended the boundaries of the corporeal and delved deep into the recesses of his soul.
As his cultivation plummeted from level 67 to level 66, he felt his life force drain away, every ounce of his strength evaporating like water in a scorching desert. His bones cracked and splintered, his muscles contorted in unnatural agony, and his organs seemed to liquefy in a molten inferno. The pain was a relentless cascade of suffering, a symphony of torment that echoed in the deepest abyss of his being.
With every passing moment, he yearned for the sweet release of death, but it remained just out of reach, a tantalizing specter on the periphery of his consciousness. The cocoon that ensnared him became a crucible of anguish, where his very existence was forged anew in the searing fires of agony. Fan Su's world had become a maelstrom of pain, a descent into the darkest abyss of suffering.