(??? POV)
An endless darkness, yet somehow filled with life was expanding in my view. For an unknown amount of time I sat in this space. The space felt infinitely empty, yet at the same time infinitely full. The emptiness always overtook the fullness, but at the same time what filled up the space only ever increased in volume. There was always a feeling of wonder though as I looked out into this void-like space.
Eventually, I woke up from a daze I didn't even know I was under to realize this. Soon, I realized what I might be going through. I had died and currently I was going through the cycle of reincarnation. I didn't realize for a while, but eventually I finally thought about my body or physical form. I looked all around just to realize that I didn't have one.
I tried everything I could with the state I was in, but nothing happened, at least it didn't feel like it did.
The only thing I could really do was go over my memories over and over again. It was the only thing I had left, if even this was taken from me then would I still be the same person?
My name is Yi Feng, I was a genius cultivator known throughout the world, and even parts of the other ones, for her fierce nature.
There were numerous men who looked at me for my hand in marriage, but I didn't want a husband who was weaker than me so I challenged each and every one of them.
The result? The men who ranged from those of noble backgrounds to poor mortals, those who were handsome and those who were average to below, each and every one of them lost to me.
I was content with my wandering life filled with battles and strength, but then I met a man who ultimately became my downfall without him even knowing it.
One day I met a man whose looks were so impeccable I almost wanted to forgo that one rule for my husband. After meeting him I had anticipation in my heart for when he would challenge me, I was fully prepared to pretend to lose so I could have him, but he never came to me. I soon realized that my ego might have taken over, it wasn't like I was the center of the world after all.
After making up my mind I followed after him one day and met him as he was walking through a forest alone. I called him out and immediately challenged him, but the end result was completely unexpected for me. I had checked his cultivation beforehand, but all that told me was the fact that he had cultivated before. He had beaten me without actually moving an inch with the ability to control a sword without actually touching it!
After he did so and I told him that I would marry whoever beat me, he actually rejected me! Saying that he wouldn't just marry some random woman he met and instead wanted to find love.
Hearing that word a new sense I had never felt before weld up inside of me. I had a new mission and determination, to make this man fall deeply in love with me.
What I didn't know at the time was that I wasn't alone in that thought and there were already several others trying to do the same at that moment.
What was truly my downfall was one of the competitors, this person appeared out of nowhere and instantly gained a spot in the man's heart, perhaps because of her peerless appearance. Slowly, but surely she began to drive us away in ways no other competitor could.
This woman seemed to have no moral compass and after 2 months of her appearance one of our fellow competitors had died quite a gruesome death. Though no one had any proof she was the one who did it, everyone knew she must have been the one to do it. It couldn't have been just some random bandits, because the one thing everyone of my competitors had in common was the fact that we were all supposed "Cultivation Geniuses."
The worst part was perhaps the man we all wished to become ours was captivated by her and the disappearance of one of the people who used to always be near him was simply able to be brushed off by that woman.
After the 2nd and 3rd death everyone became so scared that we finally decided to put aside our differences and group up to defend ourselves. Little did we know that her cultivation base was unfathomable to us. Once we were found by her none of us were even able to get close to her instead we were all instantly bound and dropped to our knees.
She coldly and calmly dug a massive hole and lined us along the top rim. Everyone was terrified at what had occurred. These people around me who some would call the "daughters of heaven" were all about to be killed and tossed into a mass grave never to be seen again.
People tried to escape their bindings only to receive what looked to be immense pain from the demon woman who floated above us.
Some cried, some wet themselves, and others sat quietly in despair. I looked up at our executioner who was quietly excavating our grave.
"Why?... Why do you have to go this far?"
Her cold cerulean colored eyes flashed hints of purple as she gazed down at me.
"You are all a nuisance, bothering darling, and getting in my way."
I didn't have much time to process what she said before the first of many heads were separated from their bodies. The first came from the woman who was crying the loudest and headed toward the right.
I watched helplessly as the heads were decapitated and a force pushed their bodies into the pit. Rapidly the trail was approaching me, then I was killed.
..
As I recalled these memories over and over, a bright light appeared. I had no control of what was happening, but the light was sucking me in. For some reason I even knew that I was the only one this was occurring to.
*Flash!*
The light engulfed my vision before it ultimately became dark once again. Believing that nothing had actually happened and that I was still in that infinite space I didn't try anything for a while.
'Damn! I was getting my hopes up too! *Sigh* I guess I shouldn't have expected anything.'
*Crackle*
'Huh? Was that a sound?'
At that moment I tried to do something. I waved my arms around and they hit something solid.
'I'm back! But does this darkness mean I'm blind in this life?!'
I panicked for a few moments before realizing that my eyes were just closed.
'Oh… he..he…'
Finally I got a look at my surroundings. I was in an enclosed space illuminated by a warm light. A torch on the wall was the reason I heard that crackle earlier. To my right was a grisly discovery, there just a few steps away was a large pile of bodies. Female bodies which all wore the same color robes, a pure white, but they were all tattered to the point of simply only being strips of cloth on their bodies. Their private coves and mounds were exposed to the world.
As I sat myself up I realized I too was wearing one of those very same robes, luckily the robe I wore wasn't as tattered as those of my "sisters" piled up next to me. There were still large portions missing, but at least I would have a resemblance of clothing.
As I tried to push myself off the ground I noticed a scar along the back of my left hand which ran from the base of my pinky to the halfway mark of my hand. After that I started to notice the numerous scars that ran along my body through my tattered clothing. There was also something else that I noticed about this body.
'I-I have breasts! This body is way more feminine compared to my original one! Ugh, and I could feel their weight too! Ok, enough of that I have to find out my current situation.'
After picking myself up I looked at the pile of my fellow sisters to see if there was anything I could use. Upon closer inspection a number of them had a cloudy liquid covering parts of them and they also had scars across their bodies. Most of that liquid came out from their mouths and after a bit more time of inspecting I noticed it came from their hidden coves as well.
'It's.. it's…'
As soon as I realized what that liquid was I frantically checked my own body, but luckily I didn't find a single drop of it on nor in me.
*Phew*
After another quick survey of the room I was in I noticed a table and a mirror. On the table was a small pile of hair pins and needles. One of the needles stuck out to me as it looked sharp enough to be used as a piercing weapon.
After picking it up I finally looked up to peer at the woman who I had now become. There was only one problem, I only had memories of my past life and none of the memories of the woman I suppose I took over.
In the mirror was a woman whose charms were evident with the scars that now marred her. On my left eye a very visible scar ran through my eyebrow and eye to my cheek. The presence of it added a sense of danger to the woman in the mirror.
The woman's hair was a gradient black which cascaded down into a scarlet red. A red which complimented my crimson colored eyes. Simply standing there and looking at myself gave me a sense of aloofness in this body's temperament.
It seems that's the only similarity between this body and my old one, the numerous scars which covered our bodies. But even then, this body has far fewer scars and has a much more feminine figure which I could never attain in the past.
As I stared in both shock and marvel at my new appearance I started to hear heavy footsteps approaching the room from its only pathway.
Reacting as soon as I could I leaned against the side of the doorway with the large hairpin I found clutched in my hands.
I minimized my presence as much as I could and lied in wait for the door to swing open. As I did so I could help, but notice the cultivation realm of the body I occupied. It was only in the 4th realm of cultivation, Foundation Establishment, and only the second level of the realm at that!
Back at my peak I could even fight around 3 other 9th realm cultivators at the same time.
At my current stage I could barely start to wander the world alone. This was considered the very first step to true cultivation!
I couldn't even use any of my techniques since this body wasn't used to any of them. If I tried without any precautions there's a good chance I might cripple myself.
Instead I used only the most basic ones I could, that involved only basic breathing forms and gathering of Qi.
*Eeehhhhh*
The door creaked open and after a moment a ruff voice sounded out.
"What! Where did she go?! Damn and here I was trying to save the best for last! Tch! One of those other bastards took her didn't they? Once I find out who did it, they are fucking dead!"
As he rambled on I started to calculate the target's height from where his voice was being projected. I had to make sure I got it right and the moment I made that swing I would immediately kill him or incapacitate him.
Deciding on the safe side I swung towards where I believed his throat would be. His jugulars would be near and even if I couldn't get that I might have been able to damage his voice.
*Swwechc*
But luckily for me it seems that I overthought a bit. He grasped onto his pierced throat and took a few steps back before he fell over dead. If there's anything that demon of a woman taught me, it's that I should start to think about things a bit more.
Seeing the sword strapped to his waist I quickly took it for myself.