Chapter 401 - She Is My Daughter!
Hugging into Xuefeng arms, Ling already knew the answer to his question. She wanted it more than ever and she was glad he proposed it himself.
"Close your eyes and don't let go of me…" She whispered, still a bit anxious but Xuefeng presence gave her a lot of courage. Just as she freed her mind, accepting the rest of the memories, the surroundings around them changed.
"To understand what happened… You need to see the last memory of mine…" Ling muttered, still recalling the scene. It was after that she was scared of what could happen next.
"I'm with you, don't worry. We will go through it together. Just hug onto me." Xuefeng assured her as he tightened his embrace and finally opened his eyes. "Where are we?"
He looked around the scene and realised they were in a spacious oval room with tens of people sitting at a round wooden table. Many things were blurred as if Ling couldn't remember everything.
"This is a projection of my the room my mind created. Instead of seeing through my eyes, we see the overall picture I remember… If you can see there is a small girl looking through the small hole in the ceiling." Ling explained as she pointed her finger at the small eyeball above them.
The men and women by the table were talking quietly but they could still hear some of their conversations.
A blurred-faced man of the strong build was reporting to a bear-like mountain of a person with sharp and domineering facial features who sat down on what looked to be the throne. Ling shivered when she heard the man's voice.
"What about the Orc Race? How is their Civil War going on?" His voice was solemn and harsh to the ear and it didn't seem like Ling was the only one scared. The men by the table seemed to be also affected.
"He is my father… And my mom sits next to him…" Ling muttered before the blurred-faced man replied. Xuefeng glanced at the lady and was glad to see Ming sitting calmly on the right side of her husband.
She looked less mature compared to now but he could still tell it was her. If the lady wasn't her, it would mean that Ming was lying to him which would create a giant mess between them.
"So she is really your mom…" He confirmed his thoughts out loud.
"Mhmm… She is… I need to apologize to her later after I breakthrough." Ling nodded, finally glancing at the scene as well.
"Didn't she still try to cancel our connection?" Xuefeng pondered, not able to forget that moment but Ling shook her head. "You will understand later…"
They listened to the report, describing how north and south in the Realm of Orcs was split and how civil war terrorized their Realm. Ling's father had only one response to that.
"Leave them alone. They can kill themselves as they want. It's their matter. You pay for your own mistakes."
The blurred-faced man wasn't surprised by such an answer and bowed, sitting back down.
"Is there anything else?" Ling's father asked sternly as he stood up, ready to leave.
He thought that no one else has anything to say and planned to end the conference but another person from the end of the table voice out their question.
"Yes. I heard the rumours that the Royal Princess is close to breaking through. Is there a date when she will finally acquire her second ability? Her first is already a blessing for mankind so everyone is patiently waiting for another miracle."
"She has been working hard recently. We suspect it will happen today or tomorrow. I will check up on her after the end of the meeting." Ming was the one who replied, showing a gentle smile to the gentleman.
Right at that moment, the scene in the oval room got cut as the small Ling pulled away from the hole and rushed towards the stairs. They followed after her as she ran towards what they thought was the meeting place entrance.
One guard was protecting the doors yet he didn't stop Ling from running past him, only calling out in warning.
"Little Princess! You can't go in!" He couldn't touch the royalty so it was hard to stop her.
Little Ling had a grin on her face as she knocked on the doors, acting like a polite kid and entered inside. All people from the round table were surprised that someone dared to disturb them before it changed into shock when they realised it was their Princess Ling.
Little Ling knew she was forbidden to leave her room but she just couldn't wait to share the news with her parents.
"Dad! Mom! I broke through!" She called out with a bright smile.
At that moment, Ling hid in Xuefeng's chest, no longer looking at the scene in front of them. He knew it was the signal that something was about to happen.
Before her parents said anything, still in shock that she came here, the man, who was curious about Ling's power, called out first.
"Perfect! Princess Ling, how about you show us your second ability?" The corners of his mouth lifted to for a cheeky smile. He wanted to see it before her parents reacted but he was too late.
"NO!" Ling's father bellowed, scaring everyone, including Ling whose smile froze. "Get back to your room! We will come to you in a minute."
Little Ling looked like she didn't understand what was going and questioned, hating when her father shouted at her.
"But I—" Her voice was already shaking but she was disturbed as her father ordered the maid who stood on the side.
"Linda! Take her out!" He sounded really mad, making little Ling take a step back.
The maid didn't hesitate and rushed towards little Ling, picking her up abruptly, causing her to get really upset. No one ever touched her other than her parents.
"Let go of me!" Little Ling cried out as she tried to struggle to free herself, kicking and punching the maid.
"Princess! We need to leave!" The maid bore all the kicks as she had to carry out the order.
"Nooo! Don't touch me!" Unfortunately, the little Ling didn't have any of this, only wanting to escape.
Her eyes flashed goldenly and her hands followed right after before she caught the maid's face. The shriek of the maid was the most painful cry anyone in the room ever heard.
"AAARGH!"
Her eyes and mouth opened wide as Golden Fate Qi simultaneously burst out of them, showering little Ling with it. The closest members of the meeting quickly distanced themselves, horror painted on their faces.
Little Ling's eyes were filled with anger and injustice but she didn't seem like she knew exactly what was exactly going on. The Fate Qi of the maid didn't start filling the room but instead dove into little Ling's hands before being sucked inside her.
The process lasted only a few seconds and ended with the maid dropping lifelessly on the ground together with little Ling who fell on her butt. When the golden hue began disappearing from her body, her face turned pale.
"I… I didn't want to do it… She grabbed me… And I…" Little Ling tried to explain herself as she pushed herself against the wall before looking at her hands, scared and confused. "It's not my fault… She picked me…"
"Murderer!" Someone shouted from the end of the table, making little Ling panic, tears spilling out uncontrollably.
"No, no… I didn't do anything…" She continued to deny, showing her small hands who were incapable of killing anyone but then her gaze fell on the clearly dead maid, which made her cry even more, not understanding anything that happened.
"LING!"
Just when she was at the edge of mental breakdown, little Ling heard a familiar voice and her face turned to the side, seeing the worried face of her mother.
"Mom!" She didn't hesitate and immediately stood up, running towards her Ming who was also coming to pick her up. Though, her husband wasn't that happy with such a decision.
"Don't touch her!" He thought Ming will also die like that Maid but Ming didn't listen, grasping little Ling into her arms, not scared of anything.
"Mom… Sob… I didn't do anything…" Little Ling cried in her arms, hugging her tightly as she defended herself panicky, not knowing it was her new ability.
"It's okay baby… It's not your fault…" Ming could only calm her down, caressing her cheek with care. "It's okay… Mommy is here…"
Seeing that her wife didn't listen, the King of Fate Kingdom raised his voice.
"Ming!" He could always make another child but Ming was only one.
The worried mother had only one response which she connected with a stern glare and protective hug around Ling.
"She is my daughter!"
Chapter 402 - Live On Ling
Darkness swallowed their surroundings before Xuefeng and Ling once again returned to the previous bedroom. The moment little Ling entered into Ming's arms, the memory was cut as if she fell asleep.
"Ling… It's okay, it wasn't your fault. You were still little…" Xuefeng immediately rubbed Ling's back, trying to cheer her up. He didn't actually understand why was she so upset but she quickly dispelled his doubts.
"It's not about killing the maid… Me being here with you means that they killed me…" Ling whispered, still being buried in Xuefeng's chest.
"Didn't Mind leave the Fate Kingdom to find you? We will find out what happened together. There is no way we can change the past so why not focus on the future, your future with me?" Xuefeng asked as he pulled her away and caressed her cheeks with both hands.
Ling sniffed, feeling blessed that she chose Xuefeng as her Fate Holder and closed in to leave a love mark on his lips.
"Thank you…" She whispered afterwards as she hugged him once again. "I think I'm ready."
"Mhmm," Xuefeng nodded before suggesting. "Let's get over with it fast and talk to Ming. I think she will explain more to us than what we can see with your memories."
"Okay…"
———
When little Ling woke up, she found herself on the bed. It seemed like she was supposed to sleep for a while as she immediately heard an argument coming from another room.
Her father was screaming, sounding really mad.
"It's all your fault! I told you to stay with her but you insisted on taking part in the meeting. Now, look at what happened!"
"Yeah? What happened? Our daughter awakened an incredible ability. We should celebrate instead. He will be a great leader in the future." Ming didn't panic and instead countered with her own argument. Unfortunately, her husband didn't like it.
"What leader?! Everyone is scared of her! Those bastards already sent the news to everyone! I don't think you realise what her power means. Once she grows up and we use her correctly, we would be able to take full control over all Realms." Ling's father explained with his voice raised. "They want to kill her now to avoid disaster in the future. If they group against us now, we won't stand a chance."
Ming didn't wait to make her decision as she called out immediately.
"As if I care about those bastards. They are all talk, no action. If they even dare come close to my daughter, I will personally chop their little friends off!"
"Mummy…" Little Ling muttered to herself when she heard her mother's caring words.
Bang! Bang!
Just as she spoke, her body shuddered when two loud knocks resounded throughout their chambers. An instant thought appeared in her little mind, corrupted with what she overhead from her parents.
'They are coming for me…' Both Xuefeng and Ling could hear this thought as it was clearly phrased in her mind.
"Damn, they came so early… Go to Ling, I will go stop them." Her father called out and soon they saw Ming enter into little Ling's room.
"Mom…? What is going on…?" Little Ling started getting anxious after hearing all the shouts.
"Don't worry Ling. Nothing is happening. You are safe with me." Ming assured her as she ran up to the bed and pulled little Ling into her arms.
She knew something could happen so Ming pulled out a small bead and placed it gently on her hand. "Still, swallow this bead just in case. It will protect you from any danger."
Only when she made sure Ling swallowed it, did Ming relax and breathe calmly.
"The men from the meeting room are just curious about your ability. They should go once they understand it." Ming explained, knowing Ling was really smart for her age.
"But they called me a murderer… Did I really hurt that lady…?" Little Ling asked quietly as she hugged into her mom's belly.
"Yes." Ming didn't seem like she wanted to lie to her. "But it doesn't matter now. What I want to know is how you did it. What triggered your ability?"
Little Ling already knew that the Maid was most likely dead but she still felt sad when it was confirmed. She dove deeper into Ming's chest and answered honestly.
"I don't know exactly… When I broke through, I wanted to share the news with you that I forgot to test it… When the maid caught me, I really wanted her to let go… I was really upset…"
"So negative emotions trigger it…" Ming pondered out loud and was about to question more when the doors of the room opened wide. They saw Ling's Father enter inside with various men from the meeting.
Little Ling turned into a round ball on her mother's lap, trying to hide from the men gazes but there was no escape as they seemed to come for her.
"What's that supposed to mean? Did I let you come inside?!" Ming frowned and immediately scolded angrily like a tigress protecting her cub.
Unfortunately, the men were too determined so they didn't chicken out under her stern gaze but they still bowed.
"Pardon the intrusion, my Queen. Once we figure out what her ability is, we will leave."
"Now?! Are you out of your mind?! Just look at what state she is! Get the fuck out! There won't be any tests today!" Ming yelled as she shielded little Ling with her body. "Leave us alone! She needs to rest."
"We can't do that, my Queen. Her power is too strong and needs to be classified immediately." The blurred-face man replied as he glanced behind him and soon a prisoner in handcuffs was brought up to the room. "We already found a test subject."
"Mom… I don't want any of this…" Little Ling shook her head abruptly, no longer looking at the scene and closed her eyes.
Xuefeng and Ling saw only darkness but they could still hear what the others talked about.
"I already decided," Ming said sternly but the person who was supposed to support them, suddenly acted against his family.
"Let them test what they want. We have to do it anyway." Ling's father sided with their enemies, making little Ling really upset. They could feel all the dark emotions she felt at the moment.
Anger, confusion, fear.
It was because of all the negative emotions that little Ling blew up after her father caught his hand.
"Noooooo!" Her eyes and hand turned golden with the situation repeating itself, though ending different than before.
Just as her father realised what was going on, he chopped off his arm without hesitation, avoiding the same fate as the maid.
"She is too dangerous! We can't let her live!" The blurred-face man shouted and he immediately got support, despite their King not even spoking out a word or uttering a cry out of pain.
His hand was sucked dry of any Fate Qi before dropping to the ground as little Ling couldn't lift it.
Ming could see what was going on and suddenly took the hardest decision of her life. She pulled out a white cross with a blade on one edge and pierced it through little Ling's heart without hesitation.
Little Ling was still under the effect of her ability but she was returning back with her consciousness when she felt pain in her chest.
The last words they could hear before the darkness swallowed them again came from her mother.
"Live on Ling."
Chapter 403 - Mother-Daughter Reunion
Was this the only choice? Killing her own daughter with a holy artefact to allow her to live on forever? Certainly not. But was it the best one possible? Probably yes.
With Ming's husband already siding with others and men rushing to hurt her daughter, this was the only solution which allowed her to once again see her daughter's smile.
She could naturally fight them but it was for sure a lost battle and the risk was too high. They couldn't hurt her, knowing the future of their race depends on her, but they could definitely hurt her daughter.
She was the mother of Spirits but Ling was her only flesh and blood.
Just as Ming could understand what was the right decision, Ling could too and was actually thankful to her. If not for her, she would never meet Xuefeng and would probably be gone already.
"Ling, how are you feeling?" Xuefeng asked warmly, finally understanding what happened. It might have been selfish of him but he was glad of what happened.
Would he be in the same position if not for Ling? Definitely not. If he reincarnated as a simple cultivator, he would still be a baby and he would later struggle to cultivate. The explosive improvements he currently had would be a dream.
"Mhmm, I'm good. I don't blame my mom. She did what she had to do." Ling muttered, showing a slight smile to prove she was okay. The events were still overwhelming for her but she could manage now after looking at the big picture.
Xuefeng placed her on his lap, realising they returned back to Ling's palace she created from her scattered memories a while ago and looked at her with a cheering smile.
"We are back. Does that mean you successfully broke through?" Xuefeng asked to confirm.
"Yes. I think that's the case." Ling nodded, hugging Xuefeng's neck as a reward for herself. "Though, I still don't know what my ability does…"
Recalling all of her previous Fate Holders, she never reached far enough to use her second ability. The closest one was Ice Goddess yet she also hunted down before Ling broke through.
"Isn't it something like sucking Fate Qi out of the person you touch? We can test it in the future but I think that's the case. You can raise someone talent with your first ability but with your second one, you can take it back. Though, I still think it can only suck Fate Qi." Xuefeng pondered out loud, getting excited with his theories the deeper he delved.
"Wait…" Ling suddenly paused him. "I think there is a problem…"
"Huh?" Xuefeng didn't quite get what she meant.
"Each time my Fate Holder ascended to Heaven Realm, we were hunted down by multiple people. I only now realised the pattern…" She explained her worries. "I think I need to ask mom about it…"
Just as she mentioned it, they heard Ming's voice in their heads.
"Ling, congratulations on your breakthrough."
"Mom!" Ling called out, jumping out of Xuefeng's embrace right when a figure of Ming appeared in the room. She immediately rushed into Ming's chest, hugging the blond beauty tightly.
The difference in the attitude was like heaven and earth. Naturally, Ling wouldn't be mad at Ming anymore, knowing she was actually her mother who loved her so much.
"I'm glad you finally remember me…" Ming responded in a similar way, rubbing her back with care. Xuefeng simply watched, not disturbing the mother and daughter meeting.
"Mom… Am I being hunted?" Ling asked what bothered them right away, raising her head to look into Ming's eyes. She didn't want to endanger Xuefeng because of her own past.
Ming turned serious, losing her cheerful smile and replied with a nod.
"Yes. Because I turned you into Fate Spirit, you can no longer die. You will be reborn over and over no matter how many times they kill you… But, they are still trying. They know you are one of their mortal enemies." She explained with a frown. "This was also one of the reasons I left to find you. I wanted to protect you."
"Mortal enemy to whom?" Xuefeng joined the conversation as he walked up to them. "Are you talking about those geezers that wanted to kill her? I saw Ling's memories with her."
"Mhmm, that's right. Each and every one of them controls at least one of the realms. Earth Realm is the only one which is out of their control as it's managed by my uncle." Ming glanced at Xuefeng. "She is safe here but once you ascend, they will quickly locate you."
"I'm not scared. They can come at me as they wish. Don't I have Drakos and now Ling to counter their powers? We shouldn't hide just cause there are many of them." Xuefeng expressed himself confidently as he walked up to Ling and hugged her from behind.
"It's not all about Fate Holders. Normal Cultivators will hunt you down too. This is why we have to prepare before you ascend. Once you do, I can bet a huge prize will be placed on your head." Ming informed and was quite surprised that Xuefeng wasn't even a bit worried.
It was all because Xuefeng already decided how to proceed with all the facts.
"If it's just working hard, I'm down, but we are not going to hide like rats. We will face all the troubles directly, together with everyone." His eyes looked like nothing could change his opinion and it seemed like Ling shared the same opinion as she cuddled into his arms.
"Alright. If that's what you two want, I won't stop you." Ming sighed, not stepping in anymore. "I already tried once and it backfired on me. Maybe we are just meant to face it directly."
Ming thought they deserve an explanation about her previous questionable actions.
"When I tried to separate the two of you, I wanted to find a way to safe Ling and hide her. I never planned to separate the two of you. Unfortunately, you two wouldn't believe me even if I told you so I had to act like a bad guy, knowing she would understand later." Ming said as she took Ling's hands into her own.
"It's okay… I believe you now." Ling replied with a soft smile.
Acting as if she recalled something, Ming turned to Xuefeng and informed him.
"Talking about working hard. It seems like your woman is creating a nice mess outside. Don't you think you need to take a look at it?" There was a slight grin on her face as if she found it funny.
"Damn, is it Nuwa?" Xuefeng immediately cursed and kissed Ling on the cheek. "I will leave the two of you for a moment. I need to check it."
He didn't hesitate and recalled his consciousness, appearing back in his room. Just as he expected, Nuwa was nowhere to be seen.
"Nuwa, I swear to god, if you create trouble again I will smack your butt!" He called out loud before breaking the barriers surrounding him.
"Xuefeng! You are finally awake!" Yiren heard the noise and quickly welcomed him happily. Xuefeng would be more than willing to cuddle with her but he had a bad feeling that Nuwa wasn't a good girl right now.
"Yiren, where is Nuwa?" He grabbed Yiren's hands and asked without dilly-dallying.
Chapter 404 - Not Fair!
Yiren, being a good girl, didn't hide anything from Xuefeng and quickly admitted.
"Mom went outside with uncle Xiaobei. It seems like we were blocked by someone when we tried to cross the barrier." She replied softly as she rubbed the top of his hands. "At least that's what uncle said when he came to pick you up. You were still breaking through so Mom came out on your stead."
"Ah, I knew leaving her alone would be a bad idea…" Xuefeng lamented, expecting the worst to happen before hurriedly kissing Yiren as he went out of bed. "I will go bring her back or at least make sure she doesn't kill anyone. Make sure to take care of your sisters."
"Okay~" Yiren naturally agreed, knowing she was the only one left.
Just as Xuefeng rushed out of the Warship, he spotted his father standing on the edge of the deck who glanced at him as well. The greetings were unnecessary as the two had a good understanding of each other.
Before Xuefeng could say anything, Liu Xiaobei called out while pointing downwards.
"You can find Nuwa in the City bellow." He didn't plan to stop Xuefeng, planning to let him handle Nuwa himself. Liu Xiaobei knew his words didn't have much value to her.
Xuefeng nodded in reply and spread the Golden Wings from his back before jumping head down off the Warship. He smoothly passed through the barrier as it didn't stop anything from the inside and only began breaking with his wings when he was getting closer to the city.
It was naturally much bigger than what Xuefeng expected, expanding till horizon which gave him some troubles. Nuwa was somewhere in the sea of buildings and he needed to find her.
"Hmm, the people who angered Nuwa had to be high ranked… It's Royal Family that controls the barrier… Royal Family lives in palaces…" He pondered out loud as he hovered above the city skyline and looked around, searching for the biggest and most grand palace in the city.
There were three which matched his conjecture so he picked one with the biggest territory and the most buildings surrounding it. Hearing the explosions from the distance as he neared it made him smile.
"I was right!" He called out, seeing destroyed structures and many flying ships cut in half or burning on the ground. He immediately knew that Nuwa was pissed off.
'So far I don't see any bodies so maybe she still didn't start killing?' Xuefeng thought to himself when he only saw destruction but no lives lost. It could only mean that Nuwa was still restraining herself.
There were many cultivators rushing towards the main palace while the others focused on extinguishing the fire. The Royal Palace in front of him no longer resembled a typical complex of buildings made from elegantly cut stone but instead some ruins of the long lost castle.
He didn't feel bad as they deserved it, knowing they stopped their journey. Xuefeng could only follow after everyone as Nuwa was most likely in the centre of all disasters.
There was no need to fly for too long to finally notice a slim figure in the distance and feel the powerful energy which she was emitting. She was hovering in the middle of the Palace Garden while being attacked from all sides yet she held her position like an unmovable mountain, deflecting and countering all projectiles.
Nuwa could naturally feel Xuefeng coming to help her as the whole place was under her control but before he could, she acted as if she was waiting for him to come and finally stopped defending.
"I gave you many chances to surrender and apologize! Does Royal Family think you can bully us?! The raising Liu Clan from the Central Region?! Let me show you the power of Liu Clan!" Her voice resounded throughout the city as she opened her mouth, making sure everyone knows Royal Family offended them and began her counter-attack.
"Damn." Xuefeng cursed under his breath, seeing the situation would soon get out of control yet his insides were telling him to not stop her.
It was a perfect opportunity for the Liu Clan to create a buzz around their name. They tried to bully them yet they got bullied themselves. Xuefeng wasn't scared of the Royal Family or even the Ruler of the Realm. They were just stepping stones for him.
As Xuefeng pondered over the issue, Nuwa didn't stop down and suddenly six elemental Qi starved spinning around her, shocking any of the enemy cultivators. Xuefeng knew he had to move at that moment before its too late.
He flew towards Nuwa while pulling out his Black Flames Slayer before pumping his Fire and Fate Qi into it without hesitation. The black flame gained two more colours and its size increased diametrically, swallowing both him and the sword in a flash while extending it to almost ten meters.
"WHO DARED TO OFFEND LIU CLAN!" Xuefeng bellowed right after, showing he was on Nuwa's side and swung his monstrous sword as a demonstration before glaring at the enemy Royal Family Cultivators. His face and body were covered in the triple-coloured flame which added to his mysteriousness as well as multiplied the fear factor.
The Royal Family Cultivators already had a hard time fighting against Monarch Stage Nuwa yet now another monster appeared in the form of Xuefeng, making everyone think twice before they attack again.
"Six elements, Monarch Stage yet still so young…" The only Monarch stage cultivator acting as Royal Family Protector in the city muttered with difficulty, knowing how hard it was to master Elements.
The old got pretty dejected, knowing he was already old yet he only mastered one. Nuwa was still young yet she had six elements ready to use. The difference in power was too much. It meant that she had three times more Qi than he had.
"Who are they… I never heard of Liu Clan…" The old man thought out loud before calling out to his underlings with a clear understanding of the power difference. "We surrender! Cease fire!"
Even though he cried out, no one was attacking anyway, afraid they would be targeted first. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to stop Nuwa and Xuefeng anymore.
They exchanged gazes as if they were exchanging war plans and without even saying anything, they figured out what to do. Their mutual understanding was on another level.
"Hahahahaha!" Both Nuwa and Xuefeng laughed out loud as if they heard the best joke ever and Xuefeng took control of the talking. "You think you can just bully us and then surrender as if nothing happened? You had your chance! Now its too late! No one can bully my Liu Clan!"
Nuwa grinned as Xuefeng just pulled the exact words from her mouth that she wanted to say. He didn't stop her so she could continue her fun. Though, Nuwa still remembered that Xuefeng disliked killing innocents, preferring to aim at the big fishes instead so she only planned to make them suffer.
'Ling! Provide me with Air Qi! I'm about to use it all!' Xuefeng cried out in his mind as he decided to test his improvements. The scale in which he wanted to fight was beyond his dantain capacity which required Ling's help.
Nuwa wanted to throw herself into a whirlpool of battle when she suddenly stopped, sensing a foreign Air Qi filling the space surrounding her. When she realised what Xuefeng was doing, her face immediately welcomed a grimace and she pouted unhappily.
"Hey! It's not fair! Don't huddle everyone for yourself!" Unfortunately, Xuefeng didn't hear her as he was focused on creating his biggest domain ever.
Chapter 405 - Hurricane
Anyone who was strong enough could feel the foreign Qi filling their surroundings but there was nothing they could do about it. Air Qi was one of those Elements that was pretty hard to dispel as it was mixing with the air which was everywhere in the atmosphere.
They could only separate themselves from it with a barrier but they were still surrounded by it.
"Huh?" The old man quickly noticed the wave of Qi rushing towards him and his eyes immediately opened wide. The sheer amount of it was even more than the maximum capacity of his dantain yet Xuefeng was capable of putting out even more.
He didn't hesitate and escaped from the zone, not willing to face anything that the younger was cooking for them.
"Retreat! We can't beat them!" He cried out to his subordinates as he distanced himself but unfortunately, he acted too late. When the Royal Family cultivators understood they were in danger, they quickly turned around, dashing away from Xuefeng yet they realised they didn't move much. They were suspended in the same position as if something was controlling the space around them.
"You can no longer escape…" Xuefeng muttered in a devilish voice as the whole palace area with hundreds of cultivators were locked is his domain. They were no longer the owners of their lives.
"Hehe," Nuwa laughed to herself, not even bothered by the pressure Xuefeng's Wind Domain created. "I will play around with the old guy and leave the rest to you!"
She didn't wait for Xuefeng's confirmation before rushing out of his Domain.
With Nuwa no longer inside, Xuefeng finally started his assault. He didn't plan to start killing, he wanted to make the Royal Family suffer. They already challenged him a few times and it was time for payback.
The calm breeze from before began gaining momentum before turning into a hurricane, sucking the cultivators inside of it. Anyone under Sage Stage was like a doll which flew in the sky against their will. Xuefeng had full control of his Wind Domain and with Ling help who could keep his Domain active, he could move to defeat the stronger pieces which still kept their ground.
'Mhmm, I wonder if I can connect my Wind Domain with Shan's Ice Domain and create a hailstorm or snowstorm…' Xuefeng thought as he neared to the first group of Sages.
They knew he was coming yet they couldn't run away from him, focused on resisting the storm. That was the main advantage of having a domain. Disturbing your enemies while giving yourself a favourable environment.
"Don't think you can defeat us this easily!" One of the strongest Royal Family Cultivators attacked him with words, trying to buy time for his skill preparation but Xuefeng was not having it.
"Too late!" He called out with a grin as he swung with his Black Flame Sword even though he was a few meters off. His enemies thought he would miss so they sent their own skills to aim at his swing window where he would be open to strike.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Out of nowhere, three explosions resounded before being followed by another three cries of pain when the fire engulfed their bodies. They dropped down to the ground like broken kites without the wind supporting them.
Who would have thought that a sudden blast of air would push them forward, right into the range of the strike?
Being able to control any space within his domain was an amazing feeling and Xuefeng definitely planned to abuse this strategy.
"Huh?" Just as he thought about it, he sensed Fire Qi joining the hurricane of wind in the form of sparks coming out of his sword and his previous strike. "Can I maybe add Fire Qi into the mix?"
He only thought about it but the idea was too strong to resist. They already used a lot of Fate Stones but he didn't care about it, knowing he could test something that could improve his understanding of domains.
He quickly left the scared cultivators, knowing they were not leaving even if they wanted to and let the wind take him free so he could enter the centre of the hurricane.
"Let's test out this theory!" He called out to himself before sending flame strikes aimlessly.
Meanwhile, outside the domain Xuefeng created Nuwa was wreaking havoc, blasting the remains of Royal Family territory, supposedly by accident as she chased after the Old Man.
After all, who in the right mind would willingly fight her. She had six elements and his skills couldn't even touch, disappearing before even getting close to her.
"Sigh, you are no fun. Only running away… I thought you would be somewhat skilled but you are just a fake Monarch." Nuwa commented, realising that her opponent was nothing special, not even willing to put up a fight.
She extended her hand with a grimace and the Old Man suddenly stopped, halting his movements midair. His body was shivering as if he was fighting the power that was holding him down.
"Don't bother, you can't fight me back. If only you cultivated naturally instead of inflating your cultivation base with pills, you would maybe stand a chance." Nuwa commented as she effortlessly suppressed any revolts.
There were naturally some rare pills that could let people breakthrough even though their talent was lacking but those people would never ascend the Earth Realm and their power would be limited. They would still be stronger than Sage Stage cultivators but the gap wouldn't be too big.
Glancing back at the Wind Domain that was still raging strong with an additional black and red colours filling it, before turning at the Old Man, Nuwa decided to change her approach.
"If I let you live, your so-called Ruler wouldn't even feel the loss. The palace can be rebuilt and talents can be nourished. Monarch cultivators are hard to come by, even the fake ones. This will teach him a nice lesson." She called out loud as he pulled him closer to her.
The Old Man's eyes showed terrified expression but there was nothing he could do.
Bang!
A dull explosion reached Nuwa's ears, coming from the Old Man's abdomen and a bunch of artefacts started flying out. Those were the most precious treasures he had but Nuwa didn't even look at them, keeping them all in the Old Man's ring after taking it off from his fingers.
Crack.
She didn't let him think of what was happening as his head suddenly twisted in an unnatural position, causing a small crack before his body lifelessly fell down from the sky on its own.
"Hmm, that Old Man was poor… And here I thought I can give Xuefeng a present…" She scanned her loot after breaking the seal inside but was left disappointed. "Wait, every Royal Family has a treasury somewhere… I might get more from them…"
Just as she thought about it, her Spirit Awareness scanned the area. Searching all buildings before diving underground.
"Hehe," She giggled when she found an underground space protected by many arrays. "I found you."
She folded her wings and dove like an angel. Before she hit the ground, the earth parted to the sides, creating a tunnel for her.
If she later couldn't appease his anger with her cuteness, she could at least gift his father some goods to buy herself the goodwill of his parents.
Chapter 406 - Cuteness Overload
Sometimes when we think of an idea, we imagine it happen and it sounds really cool. We want to try it and later it does turn out as we wanted yet the complications which resulted cause of the action were not expected.
Xuefeng was exactly in such situation. When he added fire element to his domain, it looked spectacular, with a small fire hurricane devastating the land together with various tornadoes that he created in different areas. He found it cool until he recalled there are actually other cultivators inside his domain.
"Well… Shit." He cursed but it was too late already.
"Aaargh! Mercy!" The Royal Family cultivators cried out on top of their lungs but that only hurt them more as the flames entered their lungs, burning them from the inside.
Xuefeng already tested his theory so he didn't hesitate to cancel his domain.
Clap!
He smashed his hands together and everything halted. The wind stopped blowing and the tornadoes ceased spinning. It wasn't a perfect solution as every cultivator suddenly dropped down from the sky without anything supporting them.
Xuefeng could only hear taps of bodies creating holes in the earth.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
Whistle~
As if nothing happened, Xuefeng started whistling and filled his dantain with the remains of the Qi before disbanding the rest before flying away at a casual pace and his hand behind his back.
Looking forward, he then looked down at the destruction and opened his eyes wide from surprise.
"Dear heavens, what a tragedy! Who did Royal Family offend to suffer such a catastrophe. Sigh, life is really unfair." Xuefeng sighed in the end while shaking his head before flying above the rumbles of the palace.
Anyone who was still holding in and could hear him immediately felt even worse and some even spurted blood from anger. Though, as a passive bystander who just happened to fly by, Xuefeng didn't notice it.
Xuefeng was actually impressed that the sculpture with the Ruler of the Realm face that he saw before survived both winds and fire. Naturally, it couldn't be the case so Xuefeng casually flew past it, noticing something wrong with it.
"Wait, it seems like this sculpture got damaged in the hurricane. They are lucky that I came by, the legendary sculptor. Let me give them a service for free because I'm such a good person." Xuefeng called out loud as if he was talking to himself and pulled out his Black Flames Slayer.
He grinned and smashed his sword against the sculpture, cutting the black stone with ease. He used his bloodline ability to hold down the two parts before slashing and cutting a few more times, turning the whole piece into thousands of small fragments.
In the end, he blew everything up with a fireball causing the stone to spread everywhere across the rumble.
"Hehe," He giggled seeing his job. "I knew I was the Legendary Sculptor. Now the sculpture matches the surroundings perfectly. It's blending so nicely."
He verbally patted himself on the back for a good job before flying away with the hands behind his back, acting as he did them a huge favour.
'I wonder where Nuwa is…' He asked himself as he looked around, checking the area with his Spirit Awareness. He didn't finish his investigation when a familiar female voice called out his name and then a lady appeared in his arms, hugging into his chest.
"Xuefeng!"
He didn't notice anyone coming towards him but he quickly got an answer when he looked down at the lady.
"Ling? What are you doing here?" He asked as he embraced Ling who appeared in her Spirit Body.
"Some time ago, you told me that after I breakthrough, I will be able to go out whenever I want to see you. I wanted to see you now so I came." She explained as she hugged him tightly.
"Oh," He did not recall such words but it was definitely something he would say so he accepted it. "Well, let's find Nuwa together then."
"Mhmm~" Ling nodded in agreement with cute purr. She was extremely light so he didn't have problems carrying her.
She looked exactly like a human person so Xuefeng became curious.
"Is your body that of a human right now? You won't be discovered?" They flew high above the city so he felt safe to talk casually with her.
"Yup~" She confirmed, acting really cute and cuddly. "The cost of me supporting this body is minimal so I can stay like this forever."
She finally lifted her face to glance at his face.
"Are you happy?" She asked with puppy eyes, expecting only one reply.
Xuefeng just couldn't resist such cute expression and gave her a juicy kiss, not knowing how much longer she would act like this.
"Of course I'm happy. You can stay with me for how much you wish. The girls will for sure love to meet you." Xuefeng didn't think there would be any problems. Though, just as he said so, a chilly gaze locked on them from afar, to the point he could feel it.
"Who is she?" Nuwa called out coldly the moment she flew out of the hole in the ground. She immediately appeared in front of them and scanned the new female creature that happened to hug onto her lover.
Xuefeng was not actually surprised as that was Nuwa natural reaction and he introduced Ling before anything happened.
"This is Ling, my Spirit I told you girls about. She usually lives inside me but after breakthrough, she is able to create her own body. It's her first time leaving like that. Hope you can get along with her. She was the one who has been helping me since I came to this world." Xuefeng emphasised the word 'helping', knowing it would leave a positive feeling in Nuwa evaluation.
Xuefeng was glad he was right as Nuwa smiled right after, dropping her initial guard.
"Oh, Xuefeng did mention you before. Welcome to our wor—" Nuwa tried to welcome her when Ling disturbed her words when she pulled away from Xuefeng's arms and hugged Nuwa instead.
"Big sis~ I thought you are scary before but you are really nice. I like you~" Ling confessed honestly. "Can we become sisters?"
She looked at Nuwa with the same puppy eyes she did to Xuefeng, making Nuwa unable to reject her. "Sure… I don't mind. You were the first who appeared around Xuefeng so I should be the one asking. You are more senior to me."
"Hehe, its okay sis~" Ling replied cutely before pulling away from her and returning to Xuefeng, embracing him like a monkey once again.
"I swear she wasn't this cuddly yesterday," Xuefeng commented to Nuwa but then Ling pouted.
"You don't like it…?" She was naturally different from before as she gained a lot of memories from the past. As she basically died when she was still a child, some of her childish behaviours sipped into her new character.
She was still a mature lady but her mature self was mixed with her young self, basically turning her back into her teens.
"No, of course not. Don't change. I prefer it more compared to when you were colder to me." Xuefeng quickly denied which caused the smile to return to her face.
"I'm glad…" Ling replied and gave him a peck, before returning to hugging him. Xuefeng wasn't lying. Sometimes some cuteness to brighten your day was perfect for the good mindset.
"Nuwa, how was your fight?" Xuefeng changed the subject as he turned to Nuwa but only saw her shrug.
"He was so weak that I accidentally killed him." She admitted honestly, knowing that Xuefeng was in a good mood.
"Oh well, I'm not perfect either. Let's return then." Xuefeng smiled bitterly, expecting such an answer and flew upwards, planning on continuing their journey.
As Nuwa followed after him, she got a feeling that she forgot about something. Only when they reached the Warship and she saw Liu Xiaobei's face did she slap her forehead, recalling her original goal.
"Damn, I forgot about the golden token for the barrier." It was actually the main reason she followed after the Royal Family members yet she forgot about it.
Ling was the one who saved her.
"Isn't that just a Fate Qi barrier?" She asked Xuefeng rhetorically. "You can ask Drakos to such some of it away and create a hole for us to pass through."
"Oh? Its Fate Qi? How come I can't feel it?" Xuefeng replied confused, finding it much different. Thankfully, two heads are better than one and in this case, four heads were even better.
"It's cause its not exactly Fate Qi. Its the combination of nine elements. That's why it's giving off a golden hue, being a step away from combining into Fate Qi. After all, Fate Qi is just the combination of all elements." Ming explained as she suddenly appeared next to them.
It was Drakos who finished in Xuefeng's mind.
'I guess we can figure something out if we work together. We can turn that nine elements into Fate Qi with the help of Ming and Ling and then I can gladly absorb it, hehe.' He giggled, always happy to have a little snack.
"Alright, let's do it. If that can benefit us, I'm always down." Xuefeng quickly decided only to hear Liu Xiaobei words that made everyone laugh.
"I don't know what are you all talking about but I'm down."
Chapter 407 - Ming?
As the Central Region wasn't as big as the rest of the Regions, focused on concentrating all Spirit Qi in a small space. It gave the cultivators living inside a natural resource that they couldn't get anywhere else.
Unfortunately, because the size was small, the news of anything happening inside spread really fast, especially if it involved the Royal Family.
Inside the Royal Palace in the capital, the Ruler of the Realm was raging the moment he heard the news of Xuefeng destroying Royal Family territory which was akin to disrespecting him. What's more, he announced it was Liu Clan who did it which was even worse.
"Damn it!" The middle-aged man with the deep frown on his forehead cursed under his breath. "He can't just stay low-key and go ascend in peace like a normal human."
His son, who was listening on the side didn't actually get where was the problem.
"Dad, can't we just send someone to assassinate him from the shadows? This way the fate lady won't know it's us." His son proposed as he flipped his shoulder-length brown hair to the side in a fancy fashion, exposing his pearl-like eyes. If someone looked at him from behind they would definitely think it was a female.
He was the only one who knew the truth about Xuefeng being untouchable by them but that wasn't stopping him. Too bad that his father didn't share the same views on this matter as him.
"Say one more word and I will cut your hair and burn it." The Ruler of the Realm glared at his son which instantly caused an outcry in his son's heart.
"Noooooo! Not my fabulous hair!" The teen caught his hair before placing them on one of his shoulders while protecting them with care. "Father, you are cruel!"
Pouting, he stood up from his chair and rushed out of the throne room without saying anything else. The Ruler of the Realm only smacked his face before looking down.
"Why… Couldn't I get a playboy like everyone else…? Damn it!" He lamented, cursing in the end before returning with his mind to the current problem he had.
But was there a solution? All he could do is wait for Xuefeng to ascend before he can even do anything. Having background from the Heaven Realm was enough to make him think twice before doing anything.
Just one order to hinder them a bit before entering the Central Region caused him to lose a Monarch Stage Cultivator. At this point, he only wanted to wait it out.
———
Touching the barrier, Ling closed her eyes and analyzed it as he Fate Qi wrapped around the golden wall. Xuefeng also extended his hand to allow Drakos to check it out through his body.
"I think we can make it. The elements inside are already connected well. They just need the catalyst to finish the last process." Ling explained right after her eyes opened before turning to her mother. "Mom, will you help me?"
Her eyes kept glittering as the corners of her lips lifted into a warm smile. There was no more resentment but only love in her expression.
"I will be honoured." Ming naturally agreed and approached her daughter as her glance landed on Xuefeng. "Come here. We will let Drakos absorb the excess Fate Qi as we will be busy converting it."
Now that Xuefeng looked at the two ladies, he realised their eyes looked somewhat similar. He naturally didn't mind his job and smoothly embraced the two by their slim waists.
Ming's back was exposed as her red dress only covered her front and bottom, leaving the whole back open for caressing. It was only connected with a few strings to keep the dress together but she didn't mind Xuefeng's touch at all.
"Keep us firmly." She commanded, feeling how reserved he was with her and immediately felt his squeeze as he pressed them both against his broad chest while sliding his hands under her dress.
"Better?" He asked with a grin and as a response, Ming casually held onto his shoulder as if she wanted some support. Her breasts that matched that of Ling had only a thin layer of material separating them.
"Better," Ming confirmed, pressing harder against him and stopped hiving his attention, focusing on her daughter instead. "Let's start."
Ling nodded excitedly and placed her hand on top of Ming's slender fingers before they both closed their eyes, entering into sync.
It turned out it wasn't that easy as they took their time. Xuefeng was holding onto them with for a moment and his thumbs couldn't help but circle in a round motion from boredom, rubbing their softs skins as he usually does.
He stopped himself after realising what he was doing when the similar set of movements appeared in his shoulder when Ming began rubbing his own in exchange.
Before he could do anything with that discovery, the barrier began glimmering at the spot around girls' hands, distracting him from Ming's touches.
Bzzzzzz…
The golden barrier buzzed and finally showed the signs of breaking. The moment the hole started appearing on the of their hands, growing larger and larger, they were hit with a fresh wave of Spirit Qi. Xuefeng breathed in, feeling refreshed. At the same time, Fate Qi began flowing into his body uncontrollably, getting sucked away right away by Drakos.
'Hell yeah!' Drakos exclaimed, stealing all Fate Qi greedily while waiting for more to come. The whole was getting bigger and bigger when suddenly its growth slowed down massively as if it was fighting back and regenerating.
"I think it will be hard to create a hole big enough to fit the Warship inside of it. The barrier has a big source of energy somewhere which constantly regenerates it. Without help, we can stay here all day." Ming commented as she opened her eyes. "You should probably call for Xiao Wen."
Just as she gave that suggestion, their Spirit Awareness tingled when Xiao Wen flew out of the Warship, entering into their radars.
"Did someone call me?" She asked with a grin, looking at the hole in the barrier with interest. Xiao Wen glanced at both Ling and Ming, smiling at them as if she already knew the situation.
She didn't need to say anything when her Lang came out on his own and immediately bowed.
"Queen, Princess… I apologize for my late arrival. I'm at your service." His tone was respectful, sounding like he was talking to someone superior to him.
"It's okay. Come to help us." Ming ordered calmly and Lang immediately responded by rushing towards them. Xuefeng who was blocking the way moved to the side without letting go of the girls, so Lang could gain access to help them.
Ming only glanced at Xuefeng's face and smiled curiously before returning to fighting the barrier. With Lang's help, the story was different this time. The conversion increased diametrically. When the hole was big enough, Nuwa gave Liu Xiaobei the signal and they finally continued their journey.
"Finally done." Xuefeng commented, watching the last part of the Warship pass through the hole. "What are we going to do with the hole? Will it seal up on its own?"
The Warship wasn't that small so the hole in the barrier would take some time to close. If left unattended, some rouge cultivators from the city could enter inside without any verification. After all, their actions were not a secret anymore.
Half of the city was awakened by the hurricane and all the explosions so many were watching them from afar.
"It's going to close in a minute. Don't worry." Ming assured him as she squeezed his cheek and entered back inside of his body. 'I will rest now. I am tired.'
Before Xuefeng could reply, he was disturbed by Drakos who cried out when the supply was cut.
'Aaaah! I want more! Why are we leaving…'