As Xi Meiying never heard of anything such as the alter, much less what it represented, she was clueless as to what had happened. Had she died?
"Don't worry, your not dead."
Xi Meiying woke out of her thoughts, looking up at the crimson beauty.
"What you are right now is merely your soul, in the inner world of my alter."
The Goddess of Blood neared her, putting her hand on Xi Meiying intangible face. Xi Meiying tried to slap away her hand, but her hand passed through hers.
"I see you have learned very well to control your emotions these pasts few years, even with my influence."
Xi Meiying seemed to realize something.
"What do you mean?"
The Goddess of Blood retracted her hand, again gaining distance between them.
"You know, Xi Meiying, I can read your thoughts, your just avoiding it."
Xi Meiying has always attributed her violent demeanor when under Azures Frost to its side effect, or mutation from the original version, even the Grand Patriarch thought as well. Even though she had a fury indescribable towards him, and urge to skin him alive, she had to admit he was an intelligent being. Sometimes she couldn't control the 'influence' of Azures Frost and had to leave the Clan to slaughter beasts and the such, allowing her to release her bloodlust. She never would've guessed this being in front of her was the cause of it all. Xi Meiying narrowed her eyes.
"Who are you?"
"You mean… you don't know?"
The Goddess of Blood put on a face of confusion. She twirled around her blood red dress, causing her dark red hairr to flutter.
"How can anyone not know me?"
She made a sad expression with tears forming under her eyes appearing extremely pitiful and heartbroken. Xi Meiying was losing her patience.
"Be serious."
Looking at the Goddess of Bloods 'soul', she appeared very young. Assuming she was also a 'soul' she seemed to have died really young, maybe around the age of 18 based just off of her appearance.
"Ahhh~, not even open to have some fun?"
She laughed as she waved her hand, a screen appearing behind it. Within the screen, three figures could be seen searching, as if trying to find something. Xi Meiying noticed this as she exclaimed in surprise.
"Are they-"
"Yes, they are who you think they are."
Xi Meiying turned to look at her with suspicion.
"What do you want?"
The Goddess of Blood turned her head away from the screen, her playful smile disappearing. For some reason, Xi Meiying felt extreme fright. Her whole body froze, so much so that she couldn't even shallow. She had no idea where this factor of fear originated from, but she could feel herself losing consciousness.
The Goddess of Blood walked closer.
"I've been within the Alter for millions of years."
She brought her hand up to Xi Meiyings face as she caressed it.
"I wanted to find a suitable heir… a daughter."
She lifted Xi Meiyings chin up, allowing her blurring vision to see the beautiful face once more.
"As you have noticed already, I am a mere image. Though I am alive, I have no body, and without a body, I am forever stuck here."
She lifted her hand, an image of place so familiar to her appeared.
"I discovered your presence when you were born… Azures Frost, even in the Realm of Gods, such a constitution is incredibly rare…"
Though even now, Xi Meiyings parents were a blur to her. The Goddess of Blood sensed the Azures Frost in Xi Meiying and watched her be born, but for some reason, her memories of Xi Meiyings parents were unrecognizable.
In the screen above the Goddesses hand, the place Xi Heji's mother rescued her appeared in the screen. The destroyed city was seen clouded in dust, ruins as far as the eye could see, and she, hungry and filthy as she lay against a pile of rubble. Her eyes looking at the approaching women with watery eyes. That women was Xi Heji's mother.
"The Phoenix of Two, the strongest being in the history of the Realm of Gods to use the element of Ice. Birthed from the legendary Blue Dragon and Ice Phoenix, her name was Azure. Her nickname came from the two distinctive gods from which she she came from."
The image changed to the Xi Clan, when she first arrived. It showed her surrounded by Xi Heji's family, all welcoming her with wide arms.
"Such a constitution in this desolate world… a wasted potential. Even though you will in the future reign over all that resides here, this would only be your limit."
She then lowered her hand, raising her other hand, a dark red blood drop appeared.
"Even with Azures Frost, you can only awaken it so much with the bare resources at your fingertips, that's why I tested you."
The image changed to her awakening her Azures Frost at 13.
"I never learned to control my emotions, I allowed my thoughts and feelings to dominate me, and I could never fully use and understand my power."
The image the changed to the first time she lost control of Azures Frost. She was fighting with the Grand Patriarch in a spar, but he kept defending every move she threw at him. Her face showed her frustration, as ice covered the floor and her eyes suddenly change to complete indifference.
"While it is true that Azures Frost affects your mental state, it's emotional changes are almost nonexistent. Even though I fueled you with so much negative emotions, you somehow adapted, something even I never could do. As the years went on in the beginning of my life, my power only grew stronger. When I finally realized what my power actually was, it was too late. It had grown so powerful it completely changed me, I was no longer able to control it."
The image then showed the recent tournament, Xi Meiying using her 'Azures Dream' to kill Xi Lingyun.
"But you were able to master it."
The Goddess of Blood waved her hand, the images disappearing.
"That's why I, The Goddess of Blood, offer to you my single essence blood, to help me escape this world to return to mine, for I have many ends that are still loose."
Xi Meiying felt the pressure fade, as her strained muscles relaxed. Xi Meiying gained her focus. Even with a God inheritance of some blood god, she didn't bat an eye.
"I don't need your handouts. If you as a god have fallen so low down upon this 'desolate' world, you were fated to die."
The Goddess of Bloods face didn't change at all, almost expecting this answer.
"Even with your talent, you'll never reach the Realm of Gods, things you would've never thought possible exist there."
Xi Meiying replied indifferently.
"I have no interests in such attainments, you should know this as you can read my every thought."
The Goddess of Blood laughed. A laugh so melodious it made her shake in surprise.
"Of course Xi Meiying~ I know who you care about~"
She finally stopped laughing.
"In the Realm of Gods, reviving mortal beings is as simple as killing them, I'm sure your Heji would be so delighted if he could see his parents again."
Xi Meiying shuddered, remembering the face full of grief Xi Heji wore the day he received news his parents died. The smiling face of his mother, no, her mother, when she found her appeared in her mind. Xi Meiyings lost control of her emotions completely for the first in years. Her eyes, even though a soul couldn't shed tears, showed a look of intense grief that even The Goddess of Blood was surprised at.
'Why does she love that boy so much?'
Even after watching her grow up, knowing her every thought and action, she could never understand the love she had for that boy. Maybe because her power didn't allow it, as even when she killed the mother she 'loved' so much, she didn't shed a tear.
"My power will allow you to reach the level of a god, though it is your decision in the end."
Xi Meiying calmed herself down. Taking deep imagery breaths as her eyes regained their clarity.
"What do you want in return?"
Seeing Xi Meiying finally hooked in, she smiled.
"I wish for you to bring me back to the Realm of Gods, ascend from this world, because it is only in the realm of gods could I reconstruct my body."
Xi Meiying looked at the 3 figures that were searching through a building, unmasked fury flooded her face.
"Why did you choose me?"
The Goddess of Blood smiled.
"It is because your compatibility with my power supersedes anyone of this mortal world for the past million years. Only you in this entire world could inherit my blood essence and be able to use and adapt to it."
Xi Meiying thought for a moment.
"Could Xi Heji inherit your powers?"
The Goddess shook her head.
"That's not possible, Meiying. Else I would've already chosen him. Should he inherit my power, he would explode where he stands."
Xi Meiying ignored the Goddess familiar form of address. It was like she already knew she was going to accept.
"Nothing will happen to me?"
"What happens to you depends on whether or not you could control my power. I'll guide you, as I'll have to reside in your mind should you decide to join me."
Xi Meiying thought for a moment. It turns out the attraction to the alter came from her, and the uncontrollable emotions came from her too. Although she appeared dead in the real world, she was in reality just knocked out, or else the Goddess wouldn't be asking a 'favor' from a dead girl. Even if she could get strong enough, she has never heard of the Realm of Gods, and walking in blindly to a world full of Gods wouldn't be the best idea. And even if she could naturally ascend, what would happen to Xi Heji? The time it could take her to ascend could be years or even decades, as Xi Heji hasn't cultivated, he has the lifespan of a normal human. She couldn't bare see him die. So she could bet the Goddess of Blood in front of her would definitely have a method to extending his lifespan if she could easily revive people as she claimed. Considering all this, she answered.
"I accept"
The Goddess smiled. Appearing to have expected this outcome.
"Come closer. Along with my blood essence, my memories will be imparted to you, you will know all of me as I know all of you."
Xi Meiying came closer. She watched as the Goddess raised her snowy hand to her forehead, at the rope of her pointer finger, a drop of the most beautiful red in the world.
Even the drop excluded a majestical presence, it's color filled Xi Meiyings pupils, reflecting its fiery red. The goddess slowly place her hand on Xi Meiyings forehead, the blood assimilating with her body. Memories, so unknown yet familiar, rushed into her mind. She grabbed her head, though this type of pain was different than with a physical body, as this type of pain was to the soul. Xi Meiying felt so much pain she couldn't scream. Her mind was collapsing and reconstructing to hold the millions of years of memories the Goddess had, her soul, changing and evolving.
***
This process went on hours, though in the real world only 45 minutes had past. This was because the time in the Alters Soul Plane created by the Goddess of Blood flowed differently, allowing for this outcome.
Back at the platform, the pool of blood that poured out of Xi Meiyings orifrices started to crawl back to her. Wrapping around her arms, legs, chest, then head, it made her appear like a blood mummy. Suddenly, Qi pressure exploded from Xi Meiyings body. The surroundings shook, causing the aged platform to crack and shake.
Xi Meiying stood up.
Though she seemed almost unrecognizable.
Her eyes shone a deep red, millions for years of experience could be seen so clearly through those eyes. Bloody dark hair flowed behind her as they draped on her back. Her lips the darkest shade of red hid her pearl white teeth. Her body was naked, clothes eaten away by the blood revealed her voluptuous body, skin so white she looked like she was deprived of blood itself.
She waved her hand and created clothes of blood that hugged her body, expressing the alluring curves she possessed. It was almost as she had done it billions of times, she showed no surprise or unfamiliarity with the power that she just now attained.
'I created the building where the 'treasures' were said to be as a slaughter house. That building is created on another plane, merely connected by illusion. In there, you can do whatever you want and no qi fluctuations or environmental changes could be seen or sensed by anyone in this world."
A devilish voice sounded in Xi Meiyings ear.
"Release yourself~"
Xi Meiyings eyes shone an eerie red as she smiled.
"They will all die today"
Xi Meiying chuckled to herself as she walked towards the building.