"Isn't it getting colder?" Akira said as she rubbed her arms.
They were outside as they enjoyed a walk after a sumptuous meal. Well, they were actually going to the inn they first went to.
"Cold? It seems normal to me," Leovanni tried feeling the air, but it didn't seem there were any changes in the temperature.
"You're an ice elemental, you idiot!"
Gaius touched his chin then said, "It is quite getting cold... isn't this a tropical country?"
Chang Xiuying flinched inwardly.
She connected the two points of where Oscar and her destroyed the Cold Plain's barrier, and this sudden change of temperature, then it could only mean that it was her---rather, Oscar's fault. Now, the extreme cold was slowly reaching Avarice.
"Well… I guess we need to buy winter clothes," Caine said.
"Of course we'll buy winter clothes. Ever since they found the Cold Plain's barrier broken, they immediately procured those necessities."
Chang Xiuying quietly followed them to the clothes store and picked her preferences. She sighed. After all, she had to spend money again on winter clothes. Because of her sudden growth spurt, her old winter clothes got so tiny. She had to donate those in the orphanage.
When they finished shopping, they immediately prepared in the inn then went out.
After a few hours of walking deeper into Avira, they arrived in front of the ground that had been blanketed with snow. It was extremely chilly that their clothes did no justice, except Leovanni and Chang Xiuying.
"Yi-ying, aren't---aren't you cold?" Akira asked.
"Ah. Because of my affinity?"
"You---you have strong resistance to the cold?! How strong did you become?!"
However, Chang Xiuying didn't respond.
"Some of you would only drag the party down. So, Leovanni and I will go and collect ores."
"Okay," the rest of them said.
Chang Xiuying led Leovanni as they walked towards the frosty forest.
When they encountered monsters, Chang Xiuying would deal with them as Leovanni would just stand there, watching the fight unfold. His eyes twitched since he couldn't even fight because the monsters' affinity were the same as him, and his physical ability was lacking.
So, what was he exactly doing here? To expectate?
Anyway, they reached the glacier where Chang Xiuying met her other body. When one looked around the vicinity, one would find an unsuspecting cave.
They went there, but inside, there was a monster. A Primordial White Tiger at that.
Chang Xiuying motioned at the monster to come at her and it obediently did what it was told. The action made her gawk her eyes.
Leovanni didn't pay attention to it and just snuck into another path to collect the ores they need in the mission. He successfully harvested a lot, he could only wait for Chang Xiuying to finish what she was doing then store the ores in her item box.
Meanwhile, Chang Xiuying was rubbing the monster's head as it cried for more attention. However, her eyes were blank and at the same time, confused.
[I finally had the screen time I wanted.]
"What's the matter, Xue?"
[Look into your oceanic life force, one of the orbs is flickering.]
She looked with her inner eye and was surprised that the red orb was indeed flickering. Suddenly, she felt something happened with the White Tiger.
The red orb convulsed then entered her blood stream, then it swam its way towards her heart as it found shelter there.
She could feel her heartbeat grow stronger as it produced more blood.
She suddenly bled as her body expelled the old blood.
[... you keep getting monstrous and monstrous...]
"Is that remark necessary? As much as possible, I don't want to become more of a monster as I am now," Chang Xiuying sighed.
She continued rubbing the tiger's head as it cried in satisfaction. It went out of the cave and then never returned.
Shrugging her shoulders, she entered the cave where Leovanni was in.
"You surprisingly took a---what happened to you?!" Leovanni exclaimed in worry.
After all, Chang Xiuying was bleeding all over her body.
"This? I'm fine. Just had a fierce fight with the monster. So, time to collect the ores, right?"
"Ah… yes, of course."
Then they exited the cave with the bleeding Chang Xiuying.
"Why are you still bleeding?" Leovanni suddenly asked.
"... my body is expelling blood. I broke through the final hurdle to become a transcendent practitioner."
"Does that have a connection to the Qi?"
"Yes."
"I see," then they became quiet.
Chang Xiuying sighed in relief when Leovanni didn't attempt to ask any more questions. Then they arrived where the others were camping and huddled closely to the fire.
"Finally! You're back---eh?! What happened to you?!" Gaius screamed in terror as he saw how bloody Chang Xiuying was.
"Mhm… just had a tough fight and a breakthrough."
"You have to change your clothes! And you're still bleeding!"
"It's nothing… really. It's not even painful."
"We need to get you to the royal physician!"
"I broke through the final hurdle of cultivation of Qi. It's just nothing."
"You need to get your body tended!"
"Shut up..." Chang Xiuying muttered in exasperation.
"If this bleeding didn't stop, we will immediately get a physician."
"Fine!" She sat down then closed her eyes.
'Xue! What happened to my body?!'
[As you said, you successfully entered the realm of transcendentals.]
'Wait… it's true?'
[I thought you knew.]
'That was only a cover up...'
[I see. Anyway, since your body is expelling your old blood, it would end once your old blood was replaced with your new blood. But you need to close your vessels once it stopped. So, pay close attention.]
'Got it.'
[The only matter we are concerned for is that silver orb under your oceanic life force. The black orb could control all of the darkness, and the red orb was capable of radiating enormous bloodlust, what would the remaining one be?]
'You're asking me? I don't know? Even though it's my body, I don't know a thing!'
[Since you've been practicing controlling the elements, you progressed farther that I initially thought. You're growing so wonderfully, host.]
'... for some reason, I don't want to hear that from you.'
[You've been doing great work so far. I'm honestly impressed.]
'Like I said, I don't want to hear that from you.'
[I am only praising you, host. Accept my good will.]
'Like I care!'
[Anyway, I discovered something in this planet.]
'What is it?' She inwardly rolled her eyes.
[There are dimension tears somewhere in this planet, and it is connected to another place. I went to try investigating it but I can't go past the barrier.]
'Hmmm...'
[The location is in Thelorion, past the Sea of Eugen, and the other is in Lasirion.]
'When is the expected time for the tear to open?'
[Two months.]
'What?! Isn't that too early?!'
[That's only the expectation based on what I saw. It might be early or later than expected. Host! The blood has stopped!]
'Got it,' then she worked on each of her vessels to close.
When she opened her eyes, the people staring at her immediately backed away.
"What? What happened to all of you?"
"Your---your eyes. They were red…" Gaius slowly said as the rest trembled.
"..." Chang Xiuying sighed. Back then, when she was still on Earth, this was the common reaction of people whenever they met her eyes. Although she got used to it, it was somewhat new to her in this situation.
'Well, I guess, back to being red-eyed.'
[Correct.]
'I don't need your confirmation.'
"And… and… somehow… your aura is radiating... extreme bloodlust. Can… can you tone it down?"
Chang Xiuying sighed again.
"I'm sorry, it seems like I can't." She noticed that the others couldn't even talk as they cowered on the ground. She had no choice but to leave.
"I'll just be in the Cold Plains. Calculating the days we took to get in Avarice, it would be around one week. I'll be in Lasirion in that time frame. I would like for Gaius and I to meet in front of the academy along with a few officials. Right, Gaius?"
"Yeah… I need to report what happened to you… since it would greatly affect all the people in the academy."
"Mhm. That's right. So, I'll just be on my way?"
So, she quickly ran and entered the Cold Plains again.
They could feel the pressure lessened and they could breathe normally now, thankfully. Gaius, however, never took off his eyes at the direction where Chang Xiuying disappeared.
"Everyone, let's---wait, the ores are with Chang Xiuying, right?"
"..." They remained silent.
"Well… we will meet her in the academy anyway. As long as we delivered the ores to the guild, it'll be fine. Let's go now. We need to go home quickly."
"What about our provisions, your highness?"
"... we have money. We'll get by."
Then they dejectedly went back.
However, when they arrived in the northern gate, Flora was waiting for them and waving at them.
"What's wrong?"
"Master sent me to provide provisions for all of you."
"How did she contact you?"
Flora giggled then twirled her hair.
"Secret~☆"