The next second pressure, comparable to the giants' weight descended onto both forms. Luo Si looked at her soul with deathly eyes, willing it to shrink, but the soul was unwilling to falter even under the enormous pressure.
"The mind drives the soul. But at this stage, it does not amend my intend due to its limited awareness." Luo Si knew this was a problem. The soul could fight and move like the real body. However, it did not possess the development to commit to its hosts every word.
Seeing her soul unable to follow ends meet, she looked around at the answer of her direness. For there was something else that possessed consciousness just like her.
"Surrounding pieces of my glorious past. You are but fragments, unable to be aided anymore. So, heed my last call and become this new supreme soul's soil foundation."
The scraps, as if having listened, reacted to her speech. Yet, they did not follow her will in helping their replacement. Sucking out the soul's essence even faster made their standpoint clear.
The soul became paler with every second and Luo Si as its connected host felt herself weakening as well. In anger she balled her fist, talking in a reverberating voice. "You dare? In front of this one's existence. Do you dare go against the command of your previous master, 'The Raging Wind Empress'?"
The shards froze, hearing the name of origin, stopping the process.
"I know you feel betrayed. But know that sacrificing yourself is not your end. For I am your creator, your will is mine. The hatred you carry is mine and will forever be. Therefore, aid this one a last time and fulfill your duty... for vengeance."
The fragments, having stayed silent for a long time finally acted in accordance, reversing the flow to deem their end. Closing in on the new soul cracks appeared allover them, the smallest already falling apart. The soul regained its color and so did the ghost.
Coming in contact with the replacement they split and covered it piece by piece, quenching it with their remaining might.
The leakages closing in union. With the decreasing body-size, the density increased exponentially, sealing the soul essence inside. This wasn't the sole change.
With every inch the shadow became smaller, the outline became more distinct. A plate, connected to her head was detached from her back and feminine traces became visible.
The plate split apart, more and more into thin threads of hair. The stiff golem hands were refined into puppet like fingers.
By the end, her soul and the mirror image overlapped like one and the same figure. The hollowly blank face aside there was no difference between the two. Even the deathly aura was alike the other.
If one compared hers and the examiners soul, they would realize that one was a clearly a soul, while the other no different from a female's 3-dimensional shadow. "My martial knowledge has not progressed much since the time I have lost it."
She traced along the outline of her opposite on the display. "But don't worry, I will nurture you well."
There was also the invisible difference in density. While Jun Din was like flimsy glass, Luo Si was like cold steel. Not willing to bend until broken.
The distinguishable features expanded to an ice-cold aura, complimentary to the expression and something like a connected star map. Both vanished inside the newly forged soul at her will.
"Don't want anyone to see that." With that said the ghost left.
The shadow, left alone in darkness, unviewed by anyone. Something happened to the last tiniest soul fragment as it did not shatter. Sinking into the shadow's center it vanished.
Pop*
***
Back in control of her body, Luo Si started training.
"Come on, just a bit more."
'HAH' Rumble*
The cave shook. But not from the snake.
The cause was a normal looking girl, bathing in the moonlight. Well, as long as a peerless smooth skin and 2 white hair strains could be called normal. As if to dry up, white cold vapor drifted off. The water didn't freeze though, as it dropped down from the ice crystal stalactites.
"I've finally entered the Martial Artist Realm and it only took me 3 days. This should be considered a record, I guess. And the vein has also recovered some of its aggressiveness." Hong Luo Si walked out of the dimming pool. Pleased with her vein stepping from intermediate to advanced.
"The effect seems to have also lessened after my breakthrough. Oh well, doesn't matter." Water dropped down and left cold markings on the floor. Not only had she broken through to the 4th stage, but also reached the major achievement in cultivating the 'Frozen glacier Body.' Nearly reaching the end of the incomplete book.
Thanks to the immortal-like healing, transforming her bones after polishing her skin had become less stressful.
To her reluctance, besides getting stronger, with the Ice vein body, the first Han Sen strike did not have anything new to offer.
'Hah!'
Bam*
A deep imprint was left on the stone wall. "This physique alone should be on par with 5th martial artists. Since I trained the body technique and corrected configured my soul, I should be able to stay my ground even to those at the end of it."
The basic power level would double with every breakthrough after the quenching phase. This meant that the base power of her body, the 'Frozen Glazier Body' left out, was half a ton.
She put on her clothes and went to the battle scene inside the cage. The corpses had already started rotting.
Flexing a bit, she made herself ready for a third round of catch. "Can't lose any more time. Hopefully it's not too late."
After taking in a sprinter position, Luo Si darted out of the cave.
Sha!
The snake had already smelled her presence and whipped its tail at the entrance.
Bang*
Luo Si gracefully dodged.
Crumble*
Not looking back, she knew the cavity had collapsed, but did not halt after passing the snake. "Now you have done it. Regardless of the scout. I will return and rip out every scale on you. One by one!"
Shah*
Just like its prey, the snake wasted no time and chased right after.
Zing* Zing* Zing* WRUR* Crack*
Trees fell behind and only a deep trench was left behind as mouse and snake rushed through green. The distance between the two was widening as Hong Luo Si used every thinkable trick possible.
She used the popped-out tree roots as ramps, speeding up by using the gravitational force. There were no other competitors on the way, since the '7 color turtle snakes'' oppressive aura made all others fled beforehand.
Only some birds could be heard screaming up in the trees.
…
At the gates of the Min village.
"Elder Hu I am very sad that you have to leave us so early with only a dozen of people." Min Song said while pushing out the carriage himself.
The selected fighters followed behind him. All brightly smiling, from passing the examination. There were even some players in between. The evaluation had been put a bit lower for them since the sects were greatly interested on this new specimen.
"Ho-ho, your actions say something else. It must be pretty hard for a father to depart from his son. You said he even won the junior competition without a scratch. Truly impressive." The chief had lied about his son winning the tournament and it nearly slipped up when his son stopped for a second when it came up.
Nobody else had spoken up thou. Either because they were afraid of the chief or had hatred towards the real winner. Even the big-mouthing John Cage, who was one of the three selected, kept his mouth shut. The other 2 were Chinese brothers. Ping and Lan of the Lian household. Both black belts in Kung Fu and Wing Chun, while John Cage excelled in Krav Mangan and had won Olympic gold with it.
The two Chinese didn't speak up for Hong Luo Si as well. So much for nationalism. They had a higher level of understanding with the American as all three shared the awakening a fire vein.
Elder Hu was about to enter the carriage, seeing that everything they came for was done, when a sudden howl came out of the forest.