Chapter 68 - Cultivation

Unaware of the happenings of the outside world, Fenrir spent most of her time cooped up within the stone cavern where Geng Chao had resided. Previously, it had been a relatively spartan abode with very few furnishings since it was common for the surroundings to be affected while cultivating. Now, however, the cavern had become suffused with a dense Yin Elemental energy while every surface was covered in bluish-white ice. At the very center, hovering within the air in a seated lotus position, Fenrir could be seen with closed eyes, dense strands of devouring energy rising off her body like steam.

Strangely, even when she completely shrouded herself with devouring energy, Fenrir noticed that the clothing she had produced with magic wasn't affected. If she ended up becoming naked while using the shroud, Fenrir would 'have' to kill everyone that saw her body. Now, while trying to comprehend the Sacred Heart of the Divine Phoenix, Fenrir was also trying to get an understanding of how to use this terrifying energy to her advantage.

Fenrir knew it was possible for her to completely forgo cultivation, increasing her power without any upper limit, but this would put a heavy strain on her mentality. If her soul could not develop at the same rate as her strength, her mind would be affected until she became a crazed beast that knew nothing outside of devouring 'literally' everything. This wasn't the route Fenrir wanted to walk, even though it would be much easier since she wouldn't have to 'think' and feel lonely anymore...

In order to make her Master proud, Fenrir was determined to increase the strength of her soul through cultivation, relying on her devouring energy only when the situation called for it. She was already very strong and, by mastering the Sacred Heart of the Divine Phoenix, which gave the user mastery over Ice and Yin Elemental energy, Fenrir knew she would become much stronger. However, recorded int he cultivation manual, there were also various warnings about mastering such a skill, even though the potential boons were immense...

The Sacred Heart of the Divine Phoenix could only be cultivated by those with powerful Yin-type constitutions. As a result of this energy, the body and soul would become refined, even allowing a person to create a 'Phoenix Soul' within their Dantian, the place where Qi was supposed to be stored. Though Fenrir didn't have a Dantian, the vortex in her stomach served a similar purpose and, if she adapted the Sacred Heart of the Divine Phoenix properly, it shouldn't be impossible to develop her own Phoenix Soul. This would allow her to have both a physical and spiritual form which would allow her body to reform if it was destroyed...

This wasn't without any downsides, however, even though the downsides could also be considered a boon under specific circumstances. Those that cultivated Yin, Ice, and Water Elementals Laws, having their bodies refined under these 'female' energies, would become inordinately beautiful as a result. It wasn't just on the surface either, as even their bones would come to possess a jade-like quality with a pseudo-transparent appearance like pristine ice crystals. Their skin would become fair like snow while even the hair on their bodies would become glossy, gaining a silky quality that would put the actual fabric to shame...

As a result of these physical changes, those that cultivated techniques like the Sacred Heart of the Divine Phoenix would obviously draw a lot of attention to themselves. If they did not posses the strength to protect themselves, or lacked an environment that allowed them to grow without interference, the outcome of such individuals was usually terrible. This was because every male cultivator, especially those specializing in Yang Elemental techniques, would seek out females with such a constitution to receive the benefits from dual-cultivating with them. In the worst case scenario, instead of using methods like dual-cultivation, the females would be treated as a 'furnace', having their own strength sacrificed for the growth of those that used Yang Elemental cultivation techniques...

Upon learning this information, Fenrir came to understand why so many of the girly men had been eying her with possessive and disgusting eyes. They wanted to use her as a furnace to increase their own strength, playing with her body as they pleased until she was no longer useful. This revelation caused Fenrir's heart and mind to become even colder as the resolve to kill anyone that harbored such intentions towards her was firmly rooted in both. Now, when she rose to prominence and became strong enough to force change in the world, Fenrir had an idea about the first thing that she would change. She knew it wasn't 'necessary' for such malicious and evil techniques to be used in order to increase a person's strength so she would completely destroy any Sect that made use of such techniques until even the memory of such techniques fades from history...

(Fenrir's Commentary: 'Disgusting...!')