Chapter 26 - 2-12 Archwizard K’s Journey In The Cultivation World

Case 2: White Lotus Sect.

gulp—!

Walking meekly behind the strange woman, Bai Qing could not help but gulp nervously.

Previously, she and her junior martial sister went out to complete a task from her sect and luckily found a Foundation Establishment Pill. On the way back, though, they were ambushed by the people of the Lightning Tiger Sect.

They were tailing them all along!

When all hope was lost, somehow this woman appeared and easily took care of those people, including an elder of that sect. She even healed the two.

Too strong!

'So this is the composure of a Fusion Stage cultivator...'

Bai Qing and the little martial sister looked at the woman's back in admiration. In reality, Kierra didn't even know what a cultivator was, she'd barely calmed the girls down after chasing that man away.

Kierra was thanked repeatedly, then got an offer to follow them so they could 'repay this debt'. Needless to say, Kierra agreed. She had nowhere to go anyway.

''So, what did that man do?''

Suddenly, Kierra spoke, her step never stopped.

''You mean...?'' Bai Qing asked.

''Literally, what spell did that man cast? I've never seen it before.''

''Eh? Erm...'' Bai Qing pondered. ''I think he just made a dragon out of his qi...?''

The three fell into a brief silence as Kierra was processing what in the hell was 'qi'.

''...Firstly.'' Kierra said. ''Calling that thing a dragon is an insult to real dragons. Got it?''

''Y-Yes...!''

''Secondly, explain to me what 'qi' is.''

(꒪⌓꒪) (꒪⌓꒪)

'Huh?'

The two girls were confused as hell. Was she trolling?

''So... qi is essentially the life force that exists in all things. It can be cultivated by people who are qualified and be used for many things...'' Bai Qing explained anyway.

''The energy inside your body right now is also qi?''

Kierra turned back and stared at them expressionlessly.

''Y-Yes. Um... are you testing us...?''

''No?''

They continued walking. Kierra decided not to ask anything further, mainly because she thought that the scope she was dealing with was much bigger than she'd expected. She wanted a whole session in a calm place.

'This is exciting.'

In any case, the fact that the people here got stronger by harnessing a completely different energy than mana piqued her interest. And it seemed like they couldn't feel mana as well. How peculiar.

Eventually, the three decided to up their speed by switching to flight. They quickly arrived at Qinling Peak—one of the four peaks belonging to the White Lotus Sect, of which Bai Qing was the first disciple.

When Kierra flew here, she'd noticed there was some kind of protective arrangement surrounding this whole peak range as well. She could easily break through it, but the structure of it was interesting nonetheless.

''Thank you so much for this, elder martial sister!''

''Don't worry about it; go back and try your best.''

The little martial sister left with the pill. Bai Qing was already in the middle of the Foundation Establishment Stage, so she didn't particularly need that pill.

''Now, now. Please follow me, dear benefactor.'' Bai Qing turned to Kierra.

''Alright.''

Kierra followed Bai Qing into a relatively big house on the peak. The architecture was certainly foreign for the archwizard, but she thought that this wasn't bad for a poor house.

Inside the house, Kierra could feel eight or nine more girls, some staying in their own rooms alone, some gathered in groups. And above all, a woman stronger than all of these girls, including Bai Qing, was in a large room.

And that was precisely where Bai Qing took her.

clack—!

''Master, I'm back.''

On the excessively large tatami floor, a woman is sitting serenely in a lotus position. She wore a bleach-white cultivation robe, which was in total contrast with her pitch-black hair that cascaded down her shoulder to the floor.

The woman slowly opened her eyes, revealing a pair of brilliant purple eyes—like amethysts. Those, combined with her exquisite facial and body features, created an unreasonable beauty.

''So you have.'' The woman spoke, her voice soft, almost like a whisper. ''Come inside; I'm sure you have something to tell me.'' She looked at Kierra.

Because Kierra was used to sitting on chairs, not on floors, she made a simple wooden chair and sat down. Besides, she liked looking at things from above.

'''' ... ''''

''...Let me introduce both sides first.'' Bai Qing cleared her throat before she spoke. ''This person here is Yu Chen—the martial master of Qinling Peak, also my master.''

Yu Chen nodded at Kierra, and Kierra nodded at Yu Chen.

''And this person is my benefactor, Kie-Kierr...''

''Kierra Scarlett Aspenova.'' The archwizard corrected Bai Qing, who seemed to be struggling to pronounce her name.

Kierra then nodded at Yu Chen, and Yu Chen nodded at Kierra.

''Yes, so what happened was—'

Bai Qing told the whole story to Yu Chen, who quietly listened, only frowning when the ambush was mentioned.

''...I see. So that was what happened...'' Yu Chen said quietly; glimpses of cold murderous intent could be seen in her eyes. ''Don't worry, Bai Qing; I will not tolerate this kind of behavior from them.''

''M-Master...!''

''I will make them pay the price. Let me use [Divine Sight] to look for them.''

Bai Qing watched intently, and admiration filled her eyes. [Divine Sight] was a skill almost exclusive to her master, allowing her to peer into far distances—an omniscient eye!

Yu Chen's eyes began to glow intensely.

''Hm... it seems as though they are back at their sect.'' Yu Chen said.

''They seem quite angry.''

''Exactly. And... Hm?''

The two people of Qinling looked blankly at Kierra, whose left eye now had a brilliant golden color.

(꒪⌓꒪) (꒪⌓꒪)

''What?'' Yu Chen tilted her head in confusion.

''What?'' Kierra asked back.

⌈Clairvoyance—7★⌋—a spell that Kierra frequently used. It allowed her to peer into far distances, which... was basically the same as Yu Chen's skill.

'''' ... ''''

'''' ... ''''

Silence filled the room.

Bai Qing was seriously thinking about the possibility of the woman in front of her being an Immortal! What bullshit is this?!

Yu Chen was equally stunned. She didn't at all imagine that there would be a day in her life when her skill would be used by somebody else.

The silence didn't last for much longer, though, as Yu Chen had finished looking for her enemies' positions.

''In any case, allow me to say thank you, Kierra.'' Yu Chen bows her head lightly toward the woman in the chair. ''My disciples are very precious to me; I don't know how to repay you enough...''

Bai Qing gasped. She had never seen her master bow her head before, not even to the sect leader! Who was Yu Chen? The genius of the millennia, the Phantom Sword of Yunluo, and the hope of the White Lotus Sect!

''If so.'' Kierra replied calmly. ''I need you to answer me a few questions.''

'Let the fun begin.'

Kierra was ready to learn everything about these 'cultivators'.

Case 3: A wizard and a cultivator.

'''' ... ''''

Sitting with Kierra alone in her room, Yu Chen was confused, and rightfully so. For saving her precious disciples' lives, she'd expected Kierra to demand some precious magic tools or pills, and she was ready to pay it, however...

'Tell me everything you know about cultivators.'

This person, whom Yu Chen thought was a hidden cultivator in her Fusion Stage, just asked her to recite the most elementary bits of knowledge... was this a new kind of insult?

But upon careful observation, Yu Chen thought there might be more than that. Although the strange woman's face was always devoid of emotion, Yu Chen had a feeling that she was genuinely curious.

She had lived for almost eight hundred years, and this was the first time she had met someone as peculiar as this.

''I see how it is.''

Eventually, Kierra spoke up.

She'd learned that the people of this world also seek strength, wealth, and fame, but above all, they seek immortality. By cultivating the energy called 'qi', they were able to extend their lifespans, get stronger, and eventually ascend to a higher realm and be an 'Immortal'.

In reality, this concept had somewhat existed back in Kierra's world as well. If you surpassed a certain level in harnessing mana, you could theoretically stop aging completely. Kierra herself had also lived for a good five hundred years before she got bored and tried to get here, and she was confident she could exist until the end of time.

In any case, through questioning, it seemed as though the people here didn't have a perception of mana. The question of why remained, and another question rose—why was she able to perceive qi, their energy?

''...Um.'' Yu Chen spoke, breaking Kierra's train of thought. ''Are you really not a cultivator...?''

''I am not.'' Kierra replied.

''Then, what are you... no, excuse me. My curiosity got the better of me.''

''I don't mind. I am a wizard,'' Kierra proudly proclaimed. ''I use a different kind of energy instead of qi; you just need to know that.''

''A wizard...'' Yu Chen muttered.

The room fell into silence once again. Both of them were people of few words, and they had a lot to think about in the first place.

''...Yu Chen, was it?''

''Yes?''

''I have a proposal for you.''

Kierra stood up from her chair and walked closer to the window, where she could see the beautiful afternoon plain in its entirety. Yu Chen's eyes followed the archwizard. She felt nervous for some reason.

After a brief pause, Kierra turned around and looked at Yu Chen; her eyes seemed to glow with excitement. No, amusement might be more correct.

''Would you like to join my Wizard Tower?''

Kierra wanted to erect another Crimson Tower. This time, it would be a 'magic x cultivation' type of tower. Kierra was excited.

''...Yes?''

''You can imagine it as a sect for wizards. You see, I used to own one before coming here, and I want to re-establish it again.''

''But I'm not a wizard...?''

''I can teach you to be one.'' A slight smile appeared on Kierra's face. ''Just in time, I am also interested in your 'cultivation'.''

Kierra walked calmly toward Yu Chen before putting her mouth right next to the woman's ear.

''I can help you get stronger, and you can help me get stronger. Great deal, isn't it?'' Kierra whispered, and a hint of coquettishness could be heard in her sweet voice.

''?!''

Yu Chen, who always prided herself on keeping composure in any situation, nearly jumped. Kierra's whisper tickled her brain like no other, making every single strand of hair on her body stand. Her steady heartbeat became irregular, thumping fast and loud.

''Well, think about it,'' Kierra whispered once more before retreating.

''...''

Looking at Kierra, who was now staring out the window again, Yu Chen could only think—

Too strong...!

That woman's temptations were like a demon's, sweet and alluring to no end. She'd barely resisted the urge to push her down...!

Meanwhile, Kierra was secretly smugging in her heart.

'Too easy.'

She'd learned in her long life that this was the optimal strategy to achieve what she wanted in a deal—pulling the opponent into a trance. She didn't even need to offer a single strand of hair to the opponent; most of the time, just her voice was enough to ensnare them.

In reality, there was only one woman whom Kierra was forced to use this tactic on. She could suppress just about any opponent with her magic anyway. Here, however, she had limited mana, and she wanted to keep an amicable relationship with these people, so she chose not to go the violent way.

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, Yu Chen finally spoke up.

''I am indeed interested in joining, but first, you need to clarify—''

THUD—!!

The door suddenly flung open, and a panicked Bai Qing broke in.

''Master, it's urgent!''

''Tell me what happened.'' Yu Chen immediately stood up, her eyebrows furrowed.

''The people of the Lightning Tiger Sect have come here for revenge...!"

''Shameless...!''

Intense qi escaped Yu Chen's body. She was enraged. Not only did they dare to ambush her disciples, but now they even had the gall to come here to get revenge after being beaten up?!

From the stand on the wall, a sword quickly flew into Yu Chen's hand.

''Lead me. I will confront them directly.''

''Y-Yes!'' Bai Qing replied nervously. It was exceptionally rare to see her master this mad.

So the two of them—no, the three of them—flew out of Qinling Peak toward the entrance of the White Lotus Sect. Kierra followed quietly; she was curious about how Yu Chen would fight.

Before long, they could see dozens of people standing right outside the protective array surrounding the sect. Kierra recognized the relatively handsome young man, the fierce-looking woman, and the middle-aged man, among others. They were confronting a few disciples of the White Lotus Sect.

''You shameless lot!''

Yu Chen landed right in front of the group and shouted; her voice rang loudly but somehow kept its original elegance.

''You dare to come here after hurting my disciples...!''

Yu Chen pulled out her sword and began to channel dark energy into it. The sheer amount of energy radiating from her was enough to make some weaker disciples of the Lightning Tiger Sect faint.

''Everyone, it's that woman!'' The handsome young man pointed directly at Kierra. ''That woman was the one who beat us!''

Immediately, all eyes were on Kierra.

'Hm, this is quite troublesome.'

In the crowd, Kierra could sense that four people were on a totally different level from the rest, including the middle-aged man with the fake dragon earlier. They were not quite as strong as Yu Chen, though.

''I see.'' An old man, who appeared to be their leader, spoke. ''Phantom Sword, hand over that woman. We have no business with you.''

''Do you think I would let you lot go?'' Yu Chen immediately shot back.

''You can't match all of us. The only hope you have is your bedridden sect leader. Isn't that right?'' He sneered.

Yu Chen bit her lips. She really wanted to shred these bastards into pieces...!

Meanwhile, Kierra was calculating.

'Is it worth my mana to take care of these guys...'

She wouldn't risk summoning August anymore; it would cost her too much mana. If she were to fight, she would have to finish it quickly with several restrictions, but in return, she could earn the White Lotus Sect's gratitude, or at least Yu Chen's, for taking care of her enemies.

'Well, these guys are not much anyway.'

So Kierra stepped up.

''Keep squirming, insects.''

Case 4: You wish for a revenge, you get a beating.

''Keep squirming, insects.''

Kierra's firm voice rang through the space.

Immediately, the disciples of both sects had their faces turned blue. Did she just call the elders of the Lightning Tiger Sect insects?!

It seemed as though they would see a woman being ripped to pieces here, and such a beautiful one, too.

Alas.

Needless to say, the elders, who were now 'insects', had veins popping on their foreheads, clearly enraged. They glared at Kierra; the pure qi radiating from their bodies made even more disciples faint.

'If you're going to make them faint like this, why bother bringing them?'

Kierra sighed in her heart. These people, she swore, all had anger management issues.

''Kierra, let me take care of them.''

Yu Chen put her hand on the archwizard's shoulder.

''You stand back.'' Kierra firmly said. ''They came here looking for me in the first place, and don't you want to see how amazing my magic is?''

''But...''

Yu Chen hated to admit it, but she didn't have the confidence to take care of those elders. She was only in the middle of the Soul Transformation Stage, and they had two people at the same level as her, plus two in the early tier of the same stage as well.

No matter how much Yu Chen was stronger than usual, she couldn't beat them one on four. It was also true that she wanted to see how Kierra would fight.

Eventually, Yu Chen spoke up meekly, biting her lips. ''Please...''

''Good.'' Kierra nodded contently.

''Done with your farewell?'' The old man said annoyedly, pacing back and forth a bit. ''Let us go to a suitable place, then we fight.''

''Sure.''

Kierra began to think that the overly righteous pretense of these people was not too bad now. Back in her world, useless babbling like this would only get you a fireball in the mouth.

Three minutes later, everyone had moved to the middle of the plain.

Kierra stood calmly and firmly, facing four elder cultivators—one middle-aged man, one old man, and two old women.

In her head, Kierra was going through the endless selection of spells she could use, although most of her favorite ones were now unavailable.

Finally, she decided to choose a non-lethal spell, by her standard, mostly because she didn't want to kill. She had something planned for these idiots anyway.

The wind blew.

On the other side, the old man Lu Shengzhong, who was the vice sect leader of the Lightning Tiger Sect, was secretly sweating.

'What the hell were you thinking, stupid sect leader...!'

He, as well as the two old female elders, were just fishing peacefully like normal when this idiot, useless piece of newly elected elder came and insisted they 'take revenge for the sect'.

Who the hell was going to fight a cultivator at Fusion Stage?! You poked them; you got beaten; you deserved it!

Unfortunately, the three couldn't refuse because the equally useless young master of the sect joined in, and the senile sect leader royally spoiled this young idiot, so the old people were basically forced by him to go kill themselves.

(╬￣皿￣)＝○

He really wanted to punch the hell out of this arrogant brat.

Alas.

They also had to survive. Although they looked old, they still had thousands of years ahead of them. Lu Shengzhong glanced at the two old women, and they quickly exchanged nods.

'Let's throw this match!'

Their final hope was to obediently get beaten and hope that the woman wouldn't kill them, then go back and make the sect leader fight her himself! Their reputation would be damaged, but it was much better than death.

''Right when this spirit stone hits the ground, we will begin.'' Lu Shengzhong held out an ordinary spirit stone.

As he flicked it into the air, millions of gears were turning in his mind palace. Okay, so he should go all-out for a bit, then pretend to have slipped up, letting the opponent to—

snap—!

'''' ?!? ''''

It happened too fast.

With a single snap from Kierra, hundreds—no, thousands—of magic circles instantly appeared in the air, surrounding the battlefield like a dome.

0.1 seconds.

That was the time needed for Kierra's magic circles to complete, delivering a rain of magical bullets.

⌈Bullet Hell—6★⌋

This spell, or rather, a cluster of spells, had pretty good power and didn't cost all that much mana, so it was a fine choice for Kierra.

On the other side, the four elders hurriedly defended by forming shields with their qi.

'Ridiculous...!'

Lu Shengzhong gritted his teeth. What incredible power!

By this point, the grass field had become barren from the rain of magic coming from Kierra. But it just kept going.

Kierra let out a slight yawn, covering her mouth with her palm elegantly. She didn't need any sleep, but boring fights always had her yawning like this.

The old man desperately thought of a way to retaliate, but there was virtually no chance he could survive if he just abandoned his guard for a second.

'Wait, wasn't we supposed to lose anyway...?'

His brain finally recovered.

''W-We lost! We lost!''

Lu Shengzhong's panicked voice sounded, prompting Kierra to cancel her magic.

''Well, that was underwhelming,'' Kierra said, glancing at the audience.

'As expected, they're mesmerized by my magic.'

Kierra giggled in her heart. With this, they were guaranteed to join her magic tower, yes.

''It's not over yet!'' Suddenly, the middle-aged elder shouted. ''For the honor of our sect—ACK?!''

Lu Shengzhong hurriedly slapped the heck out of this fool, instantly making him faint.

ε= (´ ο`*)

He almost died right there.

''I apologize, Lord... Erm...''

''Kierra Scarlett Aspenova.''

''Yes, Lord Kierra.'' Lu Shengzhong's voice changed dramatically, on his face now was a capitalist smile. ''It seems as though we were too arrogant and committed a sin deserving death against you. If you could please spare us, we will deliver to you our heartfelt compensation as soon as possible.''

''You don't need to,'' Kierra responded, her face emotionless. ''Are you the leader of your sect?''

''N-No, not at all, Lord Kierra.''

''Then go back and tell your leader—I will take over your entire sect in two days.''

The wind blew.

'''' ... ''''

Everyone was speechless, dumbfounded, and very possibly bamboozled...!

Granted, the Lightning Tiger Sect wasn't a prestigious sect at all, but it was still a fine one. However, this woman wanted to take over the entire sect?!

''What are you dazing for? Go.'' Kierra put a bit more power into her voice, which instantly sent chills to the elders.

''Y-Yes!''

The elders grabbed their disciples, both conscious and unconscious, and quickly ran away.

Kierra calmly walked back to Yu Chen and Bai Qing.

''How was it? Interested in magic yet?'' She asked Yu Chen.

''D-Definitely...'' Yu Chen gulped nervously. ''Um, if I may...''

''Speak.''

''Could you take a look at our sect leader, perhaps...?''

''I'm no doctor.''

''I know. It's just... I don't want to abandon hope.''

Yu Chen's face turned bitter at that sentence.

The sect leader of White Lotus had been infected with a rare disease thirty years ago. It was tamed at first, but gradually, it ate away the sect leader's vitality, energy, mind, and everything. Now, she couldn't even stay up for more than two hours a day anymore.

Yu Chen desperately tried to find a way to cure it, but ultimately, nothing worked. So although extremely unlikely, she still wanted Kierra—a 'wizard' that used a completely foreign energy, to diagnose the sect leader.

''...''

Seeing the pleading eyes of Yu Chen, Kierra couldn't help but think about her first disciple. She was weak against these kinds of things.

''...Well, lead the way.''

Case 5: Sick master, horny disciple.

White Lotus Sect, main hall.

clack—! clack—! clack—!

Kierra and Yu Chen were walking in the hallway. The archwizard's heels clattered rather loudly, catching the attention of people.

''Hey, who's that woman...?''

''How the hell would I know? More importantly, why is she together with Master Yu Chen...?''

Yu Chen had a history of shutting herself inside her room to cultivate for long periods of time, so when people saw her walking around like this with a strange woman, no less, they would definitely have to gossip.

''Wait, Master Yu Chen. May I ask, what are you doing here?''

An old man appeared. He looked quite on guard, eyeing Kierra in particular.

''Elder Xing.'' Yu Chen replied. ''I am on my way to meet my master.''

''...And this woman is?''

''She is a powerful cultivator in the Fusion stage; I can verify it.''

''Fusion stage...!!''

With that excuse, they were able to get past the elder. Yu Chen led Kierra up to the highest floor of the building, where they had to go through another hallway.

At the end of it was a large and relatively luxurious-looking door. Yu Chen opened it carefully, revealing a spacious room with all kinds of high-quality things in it—bookshelves, worktables, a large balcony, a whole corner for bonsai, and many more.

What caught Kierra's eye the most, though, was a simple white bed in the middle of the room. The design of it was fine, but it didn't exactly match the 'grandness' of everything else.

Lying on the bed unconscious was a beautiful but visibly sick woman—a sickly beauty. She had bleach-white long hair and exquisite facial features that shone through the cover of sickness.

Kierra frowned slightly.

''Please.''

Yu Chen placed two chairs beside the bed, looking at Kierra nervously.

'Did I do something wrong...?'

Kierra, on the other hand, was surprised. This woman in front of her... had mana sickness.

'Interesting, extremely interesting.'

The long-gone fire of passion in the archwizard's heart began to ignite once again. She finally found something that she was curious about after hundreds of years! How did this woman gain the perception of mana? How come only she did? How come she didn't realize that she was storing mana in her body? How come—

''Ahem.''

In any case, Kierra was determined to learn all about this.

''Yu Chen. Tell me all about the 'disease' that this woman has.''

''...Her name is Tian Yun.''

''Yes, Tian Yun. Now, tell me.''

''Well... for starters, this disease is called the 'ghost' disease, mainly due to its symptoms being similar to how a ghost would slowly haunt you and take away your vitality, your mind, and eventually your life.''

This matched exactly what Kierra knew. Mana sickness was a relatively common disease among wizards, especially novice ones, who had to constantly deal with mana. It could be explained briefly as mana getting clogged in certain blood vessels due to lack of management, leading to lost functionalities of the body and eventually death if not treated.

''Continue.''

''The people who were known to have this disease are extremely rare, and unfortunately, no one survived. No one had been able to cure or even slow down its progress remotely.'' Yu Chen bit her lips lightly.

''Hm, I see.''

Kierra nodded calmly in response.

'So there were others.'

Well, that was all Kierra wanted to know. There was nothing particularly more to gain. So she stood up and took off her hat, placing it on the bed.

''Fortunately for you, I know the cure for this,'' She said, taking off her outer robe.

''Really?!'' Yu Chen exclaimed; she was beyond bewildered and excited right now.

''Yes,'' Kierra replied calmly, unbuttoning her shirt. ''I will treat her now, so strip her naked for me.''

'''' ... ''''

(꒪⌓꒪)

''...Excuse me?'' Yu Chen was dumbfounded.

''You can leave her underwear on.'' Kierra looked calmly at Yu Chen, who was now on fire after realizing that she had been staring at the archwizard's almost naked body. ''Hurry up. I don't like exposing my skin like this.''

Hearing Kierra's somewhat irritated voice, Yu Chen snapped out. ''Y-Yes...!''

She quickly used qi to sit Tian Yun up and take off her outerwear while repeatedly apologizing in her heart.

Then, Kierra, in her mature black underwear and thigh-highs, climbed onto the bed and sat right in front of Tian Yun.

gulp—!

Yu Chen gulped nervously as Kierra put her hands on Tian Yun's waist and closed the distance.

To fix this problem, Kierra just needed to unclog the blood vessels inside Tian Yun's body and then create a mana circle for her to stabilize the mana.

Touching flesh like this was the optimal method—fast and effective—but in the eyes of the inexperienced Yu Chen, it seemed quite different.

'T-Their chests are pressing against each other...!'

The room was hot.

Nevertheless, Kierra touched her forehead with Tian Yun's and began to take control of the mana inside the woman's body. Slowly, she unclogged the spots one by one, using her divine control of mana. Both her and Tian Yun's bodies shone a dim blue.

After only two minutes, everything was clean. Even Yu Chen, who was 'studying' this treatment intently, couldn't help but notice that Tian Yun's face seemed much better.

Now was the time to make a mana circle. The first circle was easy to make, but when you reached the tenth one—the highest known to mankind, as Kierra did—everything was different.

In any case, Kierra used her own mana to construct a simple circle around Tian Yun's heart, then began to link it to the beating organ, making sure that the circle was connected with all the blood vessels.

She had also noticed a core filled with dense qi located near Tian Yun's womb. This was the first time she'd had a chance to look at a core, or, as the people here said, dantian, closely.

''...Done.''

Kierra pulled away after double-checking Tian Yun's state. She quickly got off the bed and put on her shirt, leaving the rest on the bed.

''T-That fast?'' Yu Chen stared blankly at Kierra.

''Yes. She should wake up fine in a day or so.'' Kierra replied.

''I see...''

Yu Chen was skeptical. But it was also undeniable that Tian Yun looked much better now.

''Now, what is your answer?'' Kierra sat down on the chair again, this time facing Yu Chen.

Yu Chen immediately knew what Kierra was talking about. She began to think of what the woman in front of her did in just less than a day.

She saved Yu Chen's disciples.

She beat Yu Chen's enemies.

She cured Yu Chen's master.

''...I want to join your wizard tower.'' Yu Chen answered with a determined face.

Kierra had done so much for her; if she dared to let her down here, would she be able to call herself a woman of integrity?

Absolutely not!

Even if Kierra made her go through torture, she would still want to join, just to repay this woman!

Yu Chen's determination rose to the sky and pierced through heaven. At this moment, even the perfectly shaped and milky pair of thighs in front of her could not be a distraction.

''Good.'' Kierra nodded contently; her blood-red lips rarely curled up.

Yu Chen was momentarily surprised by this change. ''...Now, please tell me what I need to do first.''

''To be qualified as a member of the wizard tower, you first need to be a wizard,'' Kierra replied. ''So I will help you form a mana circle. It is first step to becoming a wizard.''

''A mana circle?''

''It is similar to your dantian in nature. I just made one for your sect leader.''

''You mean... you will do the same for me, including the touching...?''

''Yes.''

This was the most excited Yu Chen had ever been in her life.

Case 6: Flesh to flesh.

''Mhm...''

Inside Tian Yun's room, Kierra and Yu Chen were nearly hugging each other, standing. This was the first time Yu Chen had hugged anyone other than her parents eight hundred years ago, not to mention in her underwear.

Kierra's body was extremely soft to the touch, refreshingly cold, and had an intoxicating scent that could captivate just about any soul in this realm. Worse, their heights were similar, so Yu Chen was able to admire Kierra's divine face in close proximity.

Needless to say, the martial master of Qinling Peak was beyond flustered.

''Stop moving.''

Kierra, on the other hand, couldn't properly focus on making a mana circle because of how much Yu Chen was wiggling her body. It didn't help that the woman didn't have an ounce of mana, so Kierra had to slowly and carefully introduce the foreign energy into her body.

gulp—!

Yu Chen gulped nervously and began to calm herself down. This was just a trial, yes. A trial to become a wizard...

''...''

''...''

Silence filled the room.

Kierra closed her eyes to focus. It turns out that doing this was much harder than she'd expected, but it was definitely possible—everything was—for the best wizard in the universe.

The archwizard's mana began to sip into Yu Chen's body. Slowly, from the skin to the blood vessels, filling her entire body.

Yu Chen herself also felt this. She quickly snapped out of her trance and started to embrace the energy spreading inside her body. It felt as though she was having a cold bath—a refreshing one.

'So this is mana... incredible.'

They spent five more minutes like that before Kierra decided that it was enough. Now was the real deal—making a mana circle.

''Endure it for a bit.''

Kierra announced simply and went on to fully hug Yu Chen, touching her forehead with the other's while the rest of their bodies squished against each other.

''!!''

Before Yu Chen could be flustered and become even hornier, a scorching sensation hit her chest. More precisely, something extremely hot was surrounding her thumping heart. The identity of it was, of course, the mana circle.

Yu Chen steadied her breath once more, trying her best to keep her body, especially her qi, stabilized so as not to hinder Kierra in any way.

Fortunately, both were masters at controlling their respective types of energy, so there was no hiccup. It didn't take long for Kierra to complete the mana circle.

''Well, there you go.'' Kierra pulled away.

Yu Chen looked blankly at her hands. She could now control both energies at the same time, although she was significantly less proficient in doing so for one than the other. There was just one problem.

''...Kierra.'' Yu Chen called. ''How... how do I use mana?''

'I feel like meeting those idiot disciples again.'

Kierra sighed in her heart. It wasn't a bad feeling, though.

''Be honored.'' She said. ''This divine body—the strongest and most supreme archwizard in existence—will personally teach you magic.''

Yu Chen was momentarily shocked by the sudden display of pride. ''Y-Yes.''

''Put your clothes on,'' Kierra replied.

As Kierra was going to Tian Yun's bed to take her clothes, Yu Chen hurriedly stopped her. ''Wait, Kierra.''

''What?''

''L-Let us learn in this state.'' Yu Chen said. ''Later, I will help refine your qi as well. Then, you would have to take off your clothes again, which surely would be an inconvenience?''

'Why a question?'

Kierra smelled something suspicious, but she was ultimately convinced by the idea of starting her cultivation journey.

''Fine.'' Kierra walked closer to Yu Chen again. ''Put out your hand.''

''Alright.''

Kierra grabbed Yu Chen's outstretched hand; this was mostly for safeguarding purposes. ''Now, gather mana into your palm.''

''Mhm...''

''Good, now is the real part. Imagine a ball of fire appearing on top of your palm.''

PUFF—!

''...!''

Yu Chen stared in shock as a small fireball suddenly willed itself into existence, burning magically in the air. This felt a bit similar to using qi, but also different; it was much more 'free'. Not to mention the fact that she had only been able to use the dark element until now.

''Amazing, isn't it?'' Kierra's blood-red lips curled up a bit after seeing Yu Chen's sparking eyes.

''...Please teach me more.'' Yu Chen immediately replied after realizing the potential of mana.

At this moment, Yu Chen thought for the first time in her life—

'I could reach the top with this!'

''Phew...''

A little bit over an hour later, Yu Chen was sitting on the chair, exhausted. But on her face was a satisfied smile.

It had been so long since she was so enthusiastic about learning something. Yes, ever since her master, Tian Yun, caught the disease...

Yu Chen's smile grew wider as she stared at her master lying on the bed. She could finally see her healthy tomorrow.

''Rest a bit.'' Kierra sat on the chair near Yu Chen and calmly pulled out a book from her storage space to read.

''...Alright.''

Silence fell.

As there was nothing to do, Yu Chen's eyes couldn't help but dart to Kierra, who still only had her underwear and thigh highs on. Her brain couldn't help but want to admire that body more and more.

Yu Chen couldn't help it!

In the first place, while everyone else got a Tao companion, she stubbornly refused any and all advances from everyone for eight hundred years, focusing solely on cultivation.

Now? She was kind of frustrated, even though she hated to admit it. It didn't help that Kierra was just too charming.

In an effort to divert the 'excitement' away, Yu Chen spoke up. ''Kierra, may I ask, what book are you reading?''

''...An advance book on ancient magical formulas,'' Kierra replied after a brief pause.

''...I see.''

In reality, it was just a comedy-fiction book. Kierra loved these kinds of stories; they helped her relax.

''...''

''...''

Shortly after, Yu Chen recovered from the mana exhaustion.

''Kierra, I am ready.'' She stood up.

''Alright.'' Kierra replied.

Yu Chen led Kierra to the middle of the room and made her sit in a lotus position.

''I will begin now.''

Yu Chen said with the utmost serious face before wrapping her arms around Kierra's slender waist, pulling in closer and closer until it became a back hug.

(つ,,>﹏<,,)つ

Feeling Yu Chen's hot breaths at the back of her head, Kierra spoke up. ''...Is this absolutely necessary?''

''...Yes.''

Yu Chen lied as she breathed. In fact, she was also bullshitting when she said that they needed to remove their clothes for this.

In reality, Yu Chen just needed to put her hands on Kierra's back to help refine her qi; clothed or not, it didn't matter.

'This is not good.'

Yu Chen was panicking in her heart. She didn't know why she even did this in the first place. Was she too lonely...?

Nevertheless, what she needed to do now was clear.

While feeling Kierra's body to her heart's content, Yu Chen began to deliver her own qi into the archwizard's body, just as she did for her.

The process was, more or less, the same. Kierra could faintly feel qi before this, so things went a little bit smoother than earlier, however.

With Yu Chen's help and Kierra's unparalleled talent in controlling energies, the archwizard's body was able to easily absorb qi from the surroundings and the woman hugging her.

''You certainly have talent in cultivation, Kierra.'' Yu Chen spoke up.

It wasn't a lie.

In just a few moments, Kierra was able to open several meridians in her arms and legs, jumping straight from a 'mortal' to a novice cultivator in the middle of the Qi Refinement stage.

There was just one problem.

'Isn't this too fast...?'

At this rate, Kierra would reach the next stage in no time.

Cultivation could not be rushed. One needed time to let the body adjust to its newfound power, so they would eventually have to stop when Kierra reached the Foundation Establishment stage, which meant...

'We won't be able to stay like this...!'

Worse, if Kierra got the hang of this, no, she definitely would, and then Yu Chen wouldn't be able to hug her in the name of helping anymore!

At this moment, Yu Chen only had one wish—for Kierra to slow down!

Case 7: Kierra, the novice cultivator.

''Phew...''

Kierra breathed out lightly. Letting qi enter her body was easy enough, but making room for it by further organizing her over-the-top tidy mana flows was certainly a task. She succeeded anyway.

Now, she guessed that she needed to refine the energy further and make her body more comfortable with it before doing anything else—the same with cultivating mana.

She wanted to experiment with this newfound strength as soon as possible.

At this moment, Kierra was happy. The same could not be said for the other person, though.

''...Congratulations, Kierra.'' Yu Chen bit her lips lightly and pulled away. ''You have broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage.''

Yu Chen was happy for Kierra, of course, but she didn't want this to end in just fifteen minutes...!

''Good job. I appreciate it.'' Kierra's face relaxed a little bit as she stood up. ''Do you still have the energy to show me some moves?''

''...Yes, of course.'' Yu Chen stared blankly at Kierra, who had walked to the bed and was putting on her clothes.

Ծ‸Ծ

'Wait, I need to get dressed too.'

A few minutes later, they were ready to practice again.

''Based on my observation over my short life, combat in this realm heavily relies on martial arts mixed with magical abilities, usually in the form of special moves that are unique to the caster.'' Yu Chen began.

''Hm. There is a problem. '' Kierra replied. ''I don't know martial arts.''

''Martial arts is not a requirement. It is merely popular.''

''I see. Continue.''

''As of right now, I can only show you some examples of what I usually use. For a cultivator to learn such special moves, they will have to reach a certain threshold of qi control, qi volume, qi refinement, and so on.''

''Fair enough.''

This was not true for wizards, Kierra thought. Even novice wizards could do serious moves if they were smart enough.

Another possibility was that these cultivators were just too dumb to consider strategizing.

'Well, let's observe for now.'

Kierra and Yu Chen only came out of the room an hour after that.

The martial master of Qinling Peak ordered someone to watch Tian Yun closely and report to her immediately if she ever woke up.

The two then quickly headed back to Qinling Peak via flying, where they met Bai Qing at the front of the house.

''Welcome back, master, Kierra.'' She bowed. ''If I may ask, how did it go...?''

''The sect leader will wake up after a day.'' Yu Chen happily replied.

''What good news...!''

Bai Qing hurriedly excused herself to go in and tell her junior martial sisters this piece of information. The two looked at Bai Qing's back warmly.

''It just occurred to me.'' Yu Chen suddenly spoke up. ''Where do you live, Kierra?''

''Another universe.'' Kierra replied.

She looked up at the sky, reminiscing about her old world. A sentimental hue fell on her face.

'Oh, well. I can probably go back after I recover my mana anyway.'

She decided that it was, in fact, not a big deal after three seconds.

Yu Chen, on the other hand, was confused. ''...Excuse me?''

''...Just know that I currently don't have a place to live in this world.'' Kierra cleared her throat. ''But I will have you know, I still have my own realm.''

''That is indeed incredible.'' Yu Chen was genuinely impressed.

Not many people in this world had the ability to create realms for themselves, but still... Yu Chen wanted Kierra to have a 'home.' She didn't want anyone to live on the streets as she and her parents did eight hundred years ago.

So Yu Chen spoke up again. ''For your effort, I still want to offer you a room in our mansion.''

Seeing Yu Chen's earnest eyes, Kierra couldn't help but nod. She didn't particularly need a room as she had made her own paradise, a pocket dimension with space magic back in the old world. It was one of the numerous dimensions that she'd made in proud collaboration with her partner... wait.

Realization.

Kierra hurriedly closed her eyes and tried to reach out to her pocket dimensions, where all of her magic tools, scrolls, weapons, elixirs, etc., were. And...

'...I can't reach most of them.'

Because the majority of the pocket dimensions were heavily linked to her partner, and as of right now, Kierra couldn't get in contact with it, the things inside the dimensions were as good as gone.

'Tch.'

Kierra cursed in her heart.

She only had access to the 'My Room' dimension and the junk dimension right now. The latter one contained mostly defective items, low-grade potions, and such.

One of the reasons why Kierra remained so confident until now was that she had a mountain of overpowered items she'd collected over the years that included thousands of mana potions, which she could instantly consume and regain some of her strength.

'I need to get in touch with it soon.'

The mana potions weren't a big deal; they could only recover a fraction of her mana reserve anyway, but the items were a certain problem.

It seemed like she had to do some stargazing tonight.

At this point, it was already sunset, so she just needed to wait for a few more hours.

''Yu Chen.''

''Yes?''

''Mind showing me around this sect of yours?''

If Kierra wanted to convert these people into proud members of the brand-new Crimson Tower, she needed to know what they were like first.

Yu Chen quickly agreed.

She led Kierra around Qinlin Peak first—from the mansion, the medicine garden, and the hot spring to the isolated training area.

Kierra liked this place. She couldn't properly describe the feeling, but she wanted to at least try living here for a while.

Next, Yu Chen guided Kierra around the sects. They went to greet the people of the remaining peaks, the elders, the deacons. Through the halls, the arenas, the small town below the mountains. They went to every single place that they could.

Now standing on the tallest mountain that enabled them to overlook the entire sect, Yu Chen had a warm expression on her face.

''...It's a humble place.'' She said softly.

''It is.'' Kierra replied.

It had turned night. The people of the White Lotus Sect naturally had their street and house lights on, revealing a beautiful sight of a lotus burning in the dark background.

''I see what you guys did with the buildings,'' Kierra commented.

She liked the idea of shaping the town like this. It was cheesy, but she could feel the love they put into it.

''It was master's idea.'' Yu Chen smiled, her purple eyes sparkling as they reflected the light coming from below. ''...Kierra, I really can't thank you enough for saving her life.''

Yu Chen was always the top candidate for inheriting the sect leader position. She was the current sect leader's disciple; she was strong, beautiful, and had a good personality. She took pride in it—until thirty years ago.

When Tian Yun caught the disease, people pushed her even more. They were so sure that Tian Yun would die, so they flooded to Yu Chen. This made her uncomfortable. She wanted to live and receive her master's teachings for thousands of years to come, yet...

But that ended now.

Yu Chen, holding her utmost gratitude, bowed deeply toward Kierra. She was fighting not to cry at this moment for fear that it might seem unsightly.

''...Yu Chen.''

Kierra looked at the woman in front of her calmly.

''Won't you stargaze with me?''

Case 8: Cosmos, the Spawn of The Universe.

White Lotus Sect, on a mountain near Qinling Peak.

Yu Chen and Kierra were sitting on the wooden chairs that the archwizard made a bit earlier. The sky was cloudless, the moon was bright, and the stars were shining brilliantly.

Yu Chen sat there blankly, admiring the beautiful sight. She'd been buried in cultivation these years, so taking a breather like this was not bad, she thought.

Kierra, on the other hand, was trying her best to read the stars.

To begin with, her journey as a wizard started with a summoned creature, then accompanied and supported by summoned creatures. One such being that Kierra met was a total surprise for her.

In fact, she was so impressed by this creature that she decided not to bind it by any contract, instead treating it like a simple friend, and this was when she'd already become the world's best.

The Spawn of The Universe - Cosmos.

No one knew what it looked like, when it was born, how strong it was, and what its purposes were truly—except for Kierra.

It and Kierra had a lot of similarities. They were both unimaginably strong and equally bored. That was why they collaborated to stir the universe up for some simple fun, and they eventually reached this point where Kierra was in a whole different universe.

How did Kierra know that it was another universe?

'The star formations here are nothing like ours.'

To call upon the ancient being, Kierra needed to grasp the general star structures of wherever she was so she could accurately create an appropriate summon circle. After all, wherever there were stars, Cosmos would always be present; that was what the creature itself promised her.

Memorizing millions of visible stars in the sky was virtually impossible, but with a brain like Kierra's combined with some other techniques, it was not just a pipe dream.

Merely ten minutes later, Kierra was ready.

She stood up and pulled out a can of magical paint, the type that was usually used for summoning. Using simple telekinesis, she began to draw an intricate magical formula on the ground.

Yu Chen, who was engrossed in watching the stars, got lifted away together with her chair by Kierra because the archwizard needed to paint on the part she was sitting on.

''??''

'Evicted' from the giant formula, Yu Chen could only stare blankly at the concentrating Kierra.

Eventually, it was completed.

Standing in the middle, Kierra poured a little bit of mana into the formula and began to chant.

''Born from the sea and the waves, from a cosmic array,''

''Shaped by galaxies,''

''Veiled by nebulas,''

''Fueled by molten rivers of plasma,''

''At this moment, I call upon you—the Creature of Stars!''

As soon as Kierra finished chanting, a burst of brilliant cosmic mana surrounded her. The energy seemed to be recreating the universe itself, swirling around intensely with the archwizard as its singularity.

''...!''

Yu Chen, who could now perceive mana faintly, marveled. It was easily the most incredible thing she had ever seen or felt.

The cluster of cosmic mana gradually began to shrink itself, gathering in a spot before Kierra. The light cut off completely, and what remained there was a small sun-like white sphere. It radiated a gentle aura, spinning lazily in the air.

''Cosmos.'' Kierra smiled.

[Kierra]

A neutral voice sounded from the sphere.

''Nice to see you again.'' Kierra continued. ''Let us discuss what happened under the stars.''

[Gladly]

So Kierra went over and sat beside Yu Chen again. After a brief introduction of both sides, Kierra began to recount her story. Cosmos, who was floating beside Kierra's head, listened in silence.

''Cosmos, can you access our pocket dimensions now?''

[I am afraid not—this universe is foreign to me, so my power is limited]

''As expected.''

Kierra noticed her partner's strength had significantly shrunk since she summoned it, but she asked just to be sure.

''Do you need any help recovering your power?''

[It would be much appreciated]

''Alright.'' Kierra nodded. ''Yu Chen, guide me to the library later.''

''...I understand.''

Cosmos was an entity closely related to the origin of the universe. And in the universe, one thing was constant—time.

The reason why it grew to become strong enough to devour planets was because it existed for a mind-bogglingly long time. But time itself was not necessarily Cosmos's primary source of power, but the things gained from time were.

Knowledge.

Cosmos thrived on knowledge. The more it knew about the world around it, the more it became stronger. It seemed to Kierra that this universe had a totally different set of principals compared to her old one; that was probably why Cosmos got weakened.

So, to recover Cosmos's strength in this world, feeding it as much information as possible was needed, and the library was the perfect place.

After relaxing on the mountaintop for a little more, Yu Chen guided Kierra to the sect's library. It was a relatively large and tall building with a total of seven floors.

''Books here are categorized by how rare or valuable the information they contain is.'' Yu Chen explained. ''The higher the floor is, the more precious books you will find.''

''Any restrictions?'' Kierra asked.

''I, as the martial master of the Qinling Peak, don't have any, but the lower disciples have.''

''I see.''

'It's similar to our tower's library.'

''In any case, I can get you permission to access our entire library. I assume the books are important to your friend, am I correct?'' Yu Chen smiled lightly at Kierra.

''They are. I appreciate your help.'' Kierra smiled back.

''It's natural. I still have lots to repay.''

After some talking with the person in charge of the library, the three entered the building.

''Cosmos, feast to your heart's content.''

Kierra petted the small sphere lightly.

[Gladly]

Just like that, they began their journey in the library. While waiting for Cosmos to absorb the information in the books, Kierra went on to read some of the more interesting ones according to Yu Chen's recommendations.

She was mainly interested in the history of this world, as well as the general powers existing currently. As they ascended the floors one by one, books about combat techniques and cultivation methods began to appear more frequently.

On the seventh floor, only one bookshelf was available.

''These are our sect's most valuable books, Kierra.''

Kierra nodded. The protection array was indeed more potent here.

While thinking that, it seemed Cosmos had already gone to 'eat' the books. She noticed her partner was somewhat more enthusiastic than usual.

''Hm... are they all cultivation methods?''

''Yes. Each sect will have their own unique methods that they have developed throughout the years.''

''Unique, you say...'' Kierra pondered. ''Cosmos, are these very good?''

[Very much so—I can recover very quickly if there were more of them]

''As expected...''

Kierra scratched her chin; her eyebrows narrowed a bit.

''...Kierra, don't tell me you're going to invade other sects as well...?'' Yu Chen asked nervously.

''I don't see why not.'' Kierra shrugged. ''In fact, I changed my mind.''

Kierra checked her mana reserve.

'Roughly fifteen percent.'

Based on Yu Chen's descriptions of the Lightning Tiger Sect, she should be able to take care of them easily.

''Let us capture the Lightning Tiger sect right now.''

Case 9: Heavenly tiger? More like house cat!

''...You mean right now? In the middle of the night??''

Yu Chen was flabbergasted. She didn't think Kierra would break her own promise like this!

Ծ‸Ծ

''It won't matter,'' Kierra replied. ''Whether I capture them now or later, do you think they can retaliate?''

Yu Chen pondered for a moment. ''...No.''

If she were to be honest, Yu Chen thought that Kierra's strength might be even more significant than the Lightning Tiger Sect's leader. And with how confident Kierra was, she couldn't have been bluffing.

''See, I am actually destressing them,'' Kierra said. ''They know they will succumb to me and are anxious about it, so by doing this earlier, I will shave away some of their stressing time.''

''That... makes sense.''

''Good. Now I'm going.''

''W-Wait! At least let me go with you!''

''Fine.''

The two flew out the window.

Lightning Tiger Sect, main hall.

''...''

''...''

A heavy silence filled the room.

''...Are you telling me all of you got beaten by a single woman?''

A fierce-looking old man spoke up. With thick, long white hair and a pair of golden eyes, he was the sect leader of the Lightning Tiger Sect and 'The Tiger' - Kang Jiang.

Sitting on the other side were the four elders. One of them was still unconscious due to a mysterious reason, but it didn't really matter. The remaining three nodded at each other before the old man spoke up.

''We did.'' Lu Shengzhong said. ''We were completely overwhelmed. And before you ask, we won't fight her anymore.''

''...''

In response to the elder's rather sassy remark, Kang Jiang let out a soft sigh that was completely unfit with his image. He looked over to the side, where his son and his daughter-in-law were trembling. They appeared to be traumatized by this mysterious woman that they had met.

In the first place, where did such a strong person come from? The only explanation was that the woman was an elder of a reputable sect, but then, why would she come to such a tiny place? There was no answer.

Alas.

'Is this the punishment for indulging my kids too much...?'

But his daughter turned out pretty well; only his son was...

''...In any case.'' Kang Jiang spoke up. ''If she really came, then she would have to face me first!''

He himself was also at the Fusion stage; there was nothing to be scared of!

''We won't ever give up on our sect!''

Kang Jiang suddenly felt a bit motivated.

''You won't?''

Suddenly, a dignified and rather unfamiliar female voice sounded. When everybody turned their gazes toward the window, where the sound came from, they stumbled upon a strange woman—her clothes were unconventional, and they could only see the lower half of her face due to the large hat that she was wearing. This fact was probably why her deep red lipstick was so notable.

'''' !!! ''''

Not to mention the young couple, who directly fainted as though they saw a ghost; the others were dumbfounded.

乂(ﾟДﾟ三ﾟДﾟ)乂

How did she get past the protection array?!

''Lightning Tiger Sect, was it?'' The woman—Kierra continued. ''Although a bit early, I have come to exercise my promise.''

''Y-You said it would be two days later!'' Lu Shengzhong exclaimed.

''Does it matter?'' Kierra lightly jumped off the window into the room. ''We will fight anyway.''

Kierra lifted her head, her blood-red eyes staring at the people, sending them chills down to the bones.

''Tch!''

Kang Jiang immediately got into his stand; dense white qi surrounded his body, making his hair and clothes flutter.

''I request a duel!'' He shouted.

''I don't mind if all of you join in,'' Kierra replied casually.

''I don't need them to defeat you!''

Kang Kiang rushed forward with his fist.

BOOM—!!

He threw a heavy punch at Kierra, to which the archwizard responded by deploying a simple mana shield. Kierra had already noticed that this man wanted to exclude the others for fear that they might get hurt, evident by his worried glances toward the elders earlier.

'This might be salvageable.'

A faint smile bloomed on Kierra's face. She willingly let Kang Jiang push herself out the window, creating a free environment for fighting.

Now, in the sky, Kierra began to decide what she would use for this fight. As much as she wanted to summon a familiar to defeat this guy leisurely, she also wanted to 'exercise' a little bit.

⌈Reflective Counter—5★⌋

''Ugh...!''

Kang Jiang, receiving a part of his own attack, was blown back considerably. He tried to comprehend what just happened, but then—

''!!''

Seeing the myriads of colorful spells behind Kierra, Kang Jiang hurriedly crossed his arms in an 'X' shape and made a qi shield. He gritted his teeth, enduring the relentless attacks of his opponent.

''Phew...''

He took a deep breath and began to channel even more qi. Thich and sharp claws made from the white energy spurted out of his hands.

''Special move—Heavenly Claws!''

From that same 'X' position, his arms slashed downward with terrifying momentum, shooting out giant slashes of deadly Qi blades. They traveled through the air briefly before reaching Kierra.

'Hm, so this is a special move.'

Kierra was unimpressed. Well, she wasn't looking for a good opponent anyway.

She used the same ⌈Reflective Counter—5★⌋ spell earlier to bounce back some of the blades, causing the sect leader to dodge them around hastily.

''Kuh...!'' Kang Jiang grunted.

This opponent was even stronger than the sect leader thought. If Heavenly Claws didn't work, then the other ordinary move wouldn't. He needed to go all out here.

''You got my respect, unknown cultivator!'' He shouted. ''I shall reveal my full strength from now on!''

BOOM—!!

A giant wave of white qi burst out from his body, enveloping a large area of the sect. People from below, awoken by the energy wave, flocked outside to look at the sky.

''It's the sect leader!''

''Is there an enemy?!''

''What happened to the protection array??''

''Who knows? Let's hurry up and help him!''

When the disciples of the sect formed a group to help their sect leader, they were suddenly stopped by a single figure. A serene beauty holding a slender sword was standing in front of them.

''Phantom Sword...!!''

''So it's the White Lotus Sect?!''

''Did their sect leader wake up?!''

Yu Chen slowly pulled her sword out, and her purple eyes flashed gently.

On the sky.

Kierra was waiting patiently for the sect leader to transform.

yawn~

She really didn't like these kinds of things. They made her yawn, which would break her usual image!

After what seemed like an eternity, it was finally finished. Floating before Kierra now was a giant white tiger with golden eyes, looking extremely fearsome.

GRAHHH—!!!

The tiger let out a deafening roar, extending its dominant aura to the whole town.

''I see.''

Kierra nodded. This was indeed something. Regular spells wouldn't cut it anymore; she needed something with actual force and something she could properly exercise her body with. So Kierra aimed her hand to the sky and began to will her mana.

Vast patches of dark clouds suddenly appeared in the cloudless sky. They were then pulled into a bright spot right above Kierra.

'It's quite convenient fighting these guys. I can even do dumb shows like this.'

The people marveled. Controlling the weather wasn't easy in this world. They held their breaths, and then—

'''' !!! ''''

A gigantic spear thrust through the dark clouds, rapidly descending; its figure looked like a heavenly punishment!

Kierra lightly pointed her finger at the tiger, and the spear immediately changed its trajectory.

One heavenly tiger and one heavenly spear.

The people wanted to see their legendary confrontation!

The heavenly tiger, meanwhile:

'I'm fucking dead...!'

Case 10: Novice cultivator Kierra, captured a sect.

'Fusion stage, my ass...!'

Although Kang Jiang couldn't properly feel the energy behind this heavenly spear, he was sure that this woman in front of him was miles stronger than a mere Fusion stage cultivator. The raw power, the aloofness, the composure. Everything about her screamed, 'I am the law!'.

Finished.

'You touched someone you shouldn't, stupid son!'

Kang Jiang's only wish right now was to somehow prevent the spear from destroying the sect below him.

Wishes become a reality if only one could bend the will of heaven. And who was he? A proud cultivator! Heaven's will or what, he would fold it all!

GRAHHH—!!!

Kang Jiang, in the form of a majestic tiger, let out a dominant roar. He willed everything he had—all the techniques he learned, all the qi he gathered, all the courage he mustered—thousands of years of grueling cultivation into one single attack.

Against the heavenly spear, the tiger wielded its claws.

—————!!!

Accompanied by a blinding light that engulfed the whole sect, a deafening noise was heard throughout the space.

People from the Lightning Tiger Sect, as well as others nearby, all felt the incredible wave of energy generated from this collision. It was only a little more than a minute later that they could see again. As they held their breaths and looked up to the sky—

''The Tiger was defeated!!''

''Sect leader!!''

The proud spear was still floating lazily in the sky, but the heavenly tiger was nowhere to be seen.

''...You really did it, Kierra.''

Yu Chen muttered; surrounding the renowned Phantom Sword were numerous unconscious disciples.

She calmly looked at the woman with a big hat under the moon with a new appreciation for her prowess.

Meanwhile, the woman in question was scratching her chin.

''Hm...''

The man she had just fought was not half-bad. He 'forced' Kierra to bring out a somewhat potent spell to defeat him, which, by the archwizard's standard, was rather impressive. He could easily enter the ranks of Master back in her old world.

Well, good thing she didn't kill him. He was now stuck to the ground and bleeding quite badly, though.

So Kierra waved her hand to cancel the spear. She then flew down and cast a simple healing spell on the man before dragging him leisurely across the street, heading to the main hall of the sect.

She calmly passed through the horrified disciples with light steps as though she was simply on a walk.

Soon, Yu Chen joined her.

''Kierra.'' She called. ''What will you do about the management of the sect after this?''

''Well, I kept this one alive.'' Kierra pointed to the unconscious Kang Jiang. ''The sect will mostly be the same, just under my ownership.''

''I see...''

''And I will leave the punishment for that young man to you.''

''...I appreciate it.''

Kierra sighed in her heart. Young people nowadays, tch, tch. From the looks alone, she was quite sure the guy had not even reached a hundred years of age. But wait, looks could be deceiving. Now that she thought about it, she didn't know these people's age.

''Yu Chen.'' She spoke up. ''How old are you?''

''Me? I'm quite young compared to others.'' Yu Chen replied shyly. ''I'm only slightly past eight hundred.''

Kierra nearly froze.

''...''

''Kierra must be well over two thousand, right?'' Yu Chen asked casually. ''From your demeanor to your composure, your strength... I can't think of you being younger than me.''

Yu Chen smoothly excluded the fact that Kierra's underwear was the main factor, giving her the impression of a 'mature' person.

Kierra hesitated a bit but decided to tell the truth. It wasn't a big deal, anyway.

''I am just over five hundred.'' She said.

''...Eh?''

Yu Chen froze.

'''' ... ''''

Just like that, the two kept walking in silence for another few minutes before they reached the main hall. Kierra now just needed to wake this man up and force him to sign a contract; then, the whole sect would be hers.

So Kierra confidently flung the main door open, revealing a large working space with dozens of people panicking around, including the conscious three elders.

THUD—!

Kierra threw the sect leader onto a chair, then used telekinesis to bring over a table and two more chairs for her and Yu Chen. The people stared anxiously as the two settled in, and then Kierra slowly raised her hand—

'''' !!! ''''

After a loud slap to the face of their sect leader, he woke up, and it was time for negotiation.

White Lotus Sect, main hall.

A woman was awoken by the bright sunlight pouring in from the balcony.

She slowly opened her eyes, revealing an exquisite pair of golden pupils. If Kang Jiang was as fierce as a tiger, then she seemed as fair as though a beautiful white lotus was a person—even though they both had the same hair and eye colors.

Tian Yun stared blankly at the ceiling. Her vision was blurry. Her body felt a bit heavy. Her throat was dry.

But... why could she feel all of that...?

''!!''

Tian Yun shot up in one swoop. She focused her senses to look into her body and—

''...It's gone.''

The disease that had haunted her for decades was gone!

Not only that, she could now sense another type of energy flowing through her body, concentrating around her heart.

'Is this... is this an enlightenment...?'

o(≧∀≦)o

Tian Yun was overjoyed.

She lightly jumped off the bed and walked to the balcony with light steps, humming gleefully.

''Ah, today is a good day!''

She opened her arms to welcome the warm sun.

Thank you, heavenly Dao!

With this life that the world had given her, she swore to keep the fire of the White Lotus Sect burning forever!

So Tian Yun walked back in and cleaned herself before changing into a nice robe, and now, it was time to announce to the world that she was back!

''Hm?''

Before she could fling the door open, a sudden cheer could be heard outside. Curious, Tian Yun poked her head out of the balcony to look down at the town. A large crowd was formed at the plaza, and because there were too many people shouting at the same time, Tian Yun couldn't hear exactly what was going on.

Words like 'Lighting Tiger Sect,' 'captured,' or 'our' entered Tian Yun's ears.

'Wait, was that damn sect bullying us again?!'

Right when Tian Yun was about to puff out her chest and go fight the Lightning Tiger Sect, her eyes landed on the two figures standing on the plaza stage. One of them was Yu Chen, her dear disciple, and the other one was a complete stranger to her.

''...!''

The strange woman with a big hat suddenly glanced in her direction. Their eyes met.

Exactly 0.1 seconds later, Tian Yun found the woman earlier disappearing from the spot.

Another 0.1 seconds passed, and now, the woman was sitting cross-legged on the railing right in front of her. The woman was otherworldly beautiful, and Tian Yun could feel a seductive aura hidden behind her oppressive emanation.

She looked at Tian Yun calmly, her eyes as red as her lips, which were now slightly curled up.

''Finally awaken, my disciple?''

Case 11: The Crimson Tower V2.0.

( ;ↀ⌓ↀ)

'W-Who is this rude woman...?!'

Tian Yun was beyond confused.

Before she could say anything, the strange woman had already jumped down from the railing, now strolling toward her.

''?!''

Tian Yun's cheek was stroked by the woman's slender hand. She wanted to dodge, but her instinct somehow prevented her from moving away; it was as if she didn't want to displease the person in front of her.

''Hm... you seem fine. That's good.''

''Who are you??''

''The person who cured your disease and your new master—Kierra Scarlett Aspenova,'' Kierra said. ''Be honored. I don't take disciples often.''

The latter half naturally went over Tian Yun's head. ''Y-You cured my disease?''

''Yes.''

Tian Yun was skeptical. The cultivation base that she could feel from this Kierra woman was only at the beginning of the Foundation Establishment stage. However, that would be impossible since no amateur cultivator could make Tian Yun lose track of them like earlier.

''I—''

''Master!''

Before Tian Yun could voice her doubt, she was immediately hugged to the ground.

''Master! You finally woke up!'' Yu Chen exclaimed, arms wrapping around Tian Yun's slender body tightly. ''How do you feel, master?!''

Seeing her disciple like this, Tian Yun couldn't help but hug Yu Chen back.

''I'm good, I'm totally good, Yu Chen.'' She said, smiling softly. ''Rather, I still see you every day, aren't I?''

''You couldn't even talk like this!''

''I suppose... I'm back, Yu Chen. Truly.''

'I see why they call this the White Lotus Sect now if the sect leader looked like this.'

Kierra turned around to look at the scenery outside while waiting for the two to have their reunion.

After forcing the Lightning Tiger Sect to sign a magical contract, which basically could be boiled down to giving Kierra the highest power in the sect, the archwizard let Cosmos explore the library of that sect freely until around half an hour ago.

It certainly took quite a while because the library was significantly more extensive than the White Lotus Sect's. When they finished the library, it was already morning, so they decided to come back here. Cosmos went back to its place to properly digest all the 'delicious' information, as it stated.

Kierra and Yu Chen announced to the people that they had successfully captured the Lightning Tiger Sect, which was proven by presenting the sect leader Kang Jiang's seal. Since Kierra decided to establish her new Crimson Tower with the White Lotus Sect selected as her HQ according to Yu Chen's request, it didn't matter if the people thought the White Lotus Sect captured the other one.

''Kierra, is the new 'tower' that you plan to establish just a metaphor?''

''No. It will be a real tower.''

''Where would you put it, then?''

''Wherever is fine. I can build it in seconds.''

''Then... can I ask you one thing?''

''Speak.''

''I want you to take all of us as your tower's members. I believe in the potentials of mana, I believe... it will bring us to a new height.''

''Fufu. You are certainly correct about the latter half.''

''With that, I also want you to make us the second in order after you.''

''That you lot will have to prove yourselves.''

''Of course, if we can receive teachings from you.''

'What ambitious disciple I have here.'

Kierra was amused. Back in the old world, her disciples weren't bad, but none showed as much enthusiasm as this woman. Maybe it was the difference in the mindset of the two worlds' inhibitors.

In any case, Kierra had now achieved her temporary goal of being somewhat 'settled' in this world. Now, she wanted to take a quick break to recover her mana, as well as do some leisure work like building a new tower, which should be around a hundred floors in total, and make a device that could awaken mana perception for her new disciples. She certainly didn't want to hug people like how she did to Yu Chen and Tian Yun.

While Kierra was lost in her thoughts, Yu Chen finished explaining things to her master—from how she met Kierra to how they captured the Lightning Tiger Sect in its entirety.

( ;ↀ⌓ↀ)

Tian Yun was speechless.

As much as she wanted to take her time processing what Yu Chen just said, it was the truth that Kierra had cured her disease. So she got up and walked in front of the archwizard.

''As the sect leader of the White Lotus, I sincerely thank you.'' She bowed. ''Without you, I afraid I had to leave my precious disciples alone.''

''No problem.'' Kierra responded simply.

At that moment, Yu Chen came up behind Kierra; her face looked noticeably happier than usual.

''Master, you haven't seen the wonder of magic.'' She said. ''If it's not too much to ask, can you demonstrate for her, Kierra?''

''Hm... alright,'' Kierra replied. ''Come with me.''

Kierra thought it was a good opportunity to raise the new Crimson Tower.

So the three took off to the sky, flying straight to Qinling Peak, where Kierra agreed to put the tower nearby according to Yu Chen's wishes.

While flying, Tian Yun couldn't help but smile excitedly. It has been so long since she could soar to the sky so freely like this. And it was all thanks to this strange woman...

A deep respect for Kierra bloomed inside the sect leader.

Eventually, the three reached the foot of the Qinling Peak. They took a good half an hour to survey the area before Kierra decided on a specific piece of land. The quality of the land, etc., didn't really matter. For Kierra, the most important thing was the scenery.

Ever since she was a child, she had always had a profound appreciation for beautiful sceneries, and this world was undoubtedly pretty in her eyes. She especially liked the White Lotus Sect at night.

Nevertheless, after calculating for a while, Kierra began to channel her mana. The element she would be utilizing this time is earth, more precisely, advanced earth magic with accurate mana control.

As Kierra aimed her hand forward, a sophisticated golden-brown aura escaped her body. Her robe, hair, and hat fluttered as the result of strong mana swirling around her position.

⌈Earth Rise—5★⌋

VROOM—!!

With a gentle snap of the archwizard's finger, the earth itself rumbled.

''W-What?!'' Tian Yun exclaimed.

She vaguely senses Kierra moving her energy, but this...

From the ground, a pitch-black tower spurted upward rapidly, sending shockwaves out to the surroundings. In no time, it had pierced the clouds, standing proud like its owner herself.

''So this is the Crimson Tower...'' Yu Chen marveled.

''Isn't this black...?'' Tian Yun interjected.

''Well...''

''A pure red tower would look ugly,'' Kierra answered instead.

'Besides, there are still some red touches if one looks closely enough.'

Kierra nodded. It wasn't half-bad. Tian Yun seemed impressed, too.

With this, she could now officially start operating this tower. Kierra was excited. It had indeed been a while since she had taught students from the ground up.

Case 12: All hail master Kierra!

The Crimson Tower had been long known as the best in the world.

With the most extensive collection of magic-related books and documentaries, coupled with the best wizard in the world as the tower master, it was a dream for every aspiring wizard to join this place.

As the tower master, Kierra had always maintained a certain level of attention to teaching talents. She would personally inspect the teaching qualities, the infrastructure, the curriculums, etc. To make sure that her disciples always had the best... or at least everyone thought so.

In reality, she was just bored. But this gave Kierra a general idea of how to teach students efficiently.

White Lotus Sect, Crimson Tower V2.0.

It had been a few days since Kierra captured the Lightning Tiger Sect. During those days, she primarily worked on the device that could awaken mana perception for her new disciples, and she cultivated on the side as well.

''Hm... this should do it.''

Kierra got bored quickly, so she spent way more time on this one than she needed, but now, it was finally completed. The device came in the shape of a circular pad that would allow mana to flow from an integrated battery to the user's body, allowing them to gain mana sight slowly. It was barebone at best, but it worked, and that was all that mattered.

Now, it was time to call in her disciples.

''Sylph, go get them.''

[Kyu!]

The blob of wind flew out the window, delivering the calling order from Kierra.

The archwizard's mana reserve had now reached a comfortable forty percent after a few days of rest, and she felt like she could properly use magic again.

Kierra looked out the window, reminiscing.

Back then, she didn't even think about becoming a wizard. She was just a plain commoner girl with an ordinary dream of spending her life leisurely. Now, she found herself on top of everything. If it wasn't for that woman who discovered her talent...

''...Tch.''

Thinking about that woman gave Kierra a headache.

'Why do I feel like she's going to chase me even here...'

Kierra had a bad premonition. But now wasn't the time for that. Just in time, her disciples had arrived.

''It's late.'' Kierra turned around.

''Hah... hah... why is it so heavy...?!''

An exhausted Tian Yun was there. Together with her, around a dozen more people could be seen trailing behind. Yu Chen and Bai Qing were among them.

''Hm...'' Kierra pondered. ''This should be good enough for warmup from now on.''

The archwizard was lazy. That also meant she was surprisingly efficient. She had set up gravity magic all over the tower's stairs so that everyone climbing it would have a significantly harder time. And this was floor one hundred.

With this, she didn't need to bother warming them up anymore. Kierra felt proud of her own wit.

Meanwhile, everyone else:

╭(°A°)╮ ╭(°A°)╮ ╭(°A°)╮

They had to do this every time?!?!

Before they could complain, Kierra had already sat down on her chair. The sunlight pouring in from the large window fell onto her backside, making her face seem dimmer, accentuating her vivid red eyes.

''First of all, sit down.''

The already tired disciples of Kierra didn't feel like complaining anymore. They obediently sat down on the ground.

''As per the agreement, I will personally teach you lot magic from now on.'' Kierra began. ''Be honored.''

It didn't take long for Yu Chen to convince Tian Yun to follow her plan, especially with the seal of the Lightning Tiger sect leader's seal in hand. So, the whole sect joined under Kierra's magic tower.

This first batch of the archwizard's disciples were the ones perceived by Kierra to have the most talent in magic. The most notable one should be the white lotus herself—Tian Yun. Kierra looked forward to seeing her grow.

''Now.'' Kierra continued. ''Excluding Yu Chen and Tian Yun, everybody takes turns standing on this pad.''

The disciples nodded like chickens. Kierra found this to be quite unsettling. Back in her world, every single wizard was in some way eccentric; the ones with common sense were actually rare.

'Well, I guess they have good discipline.'

Just like that, the lesson from the archwizard began. Kierra first guided Tian Yun and Yu Chen through some basic spells before moving on to monitor the other disciples. The pad worked as intended. The ten or so girls were amazed at what they felt after getting a basic mana circle.

''Hm?''

Kierra suddenly had a question in her mind.

''Why are there not a lot of men in this sect?''

''Erm... the cultivation methods of our sect are generally more suited for women.'' Tian Yun replied.

''...I see.''

The lesson continued.

After around an hour, every disciple was able to chant at least one elementary spell of their element. In the space of wizards, how many elements one could wield entirely depended on their talent.

Tian Yun was able to wield ice, wind, and lightning on top of her light roots, while Yu Chen was capable of fire and darkness on top of her dark roots. The rest were all one-element holders.

''Well done, disciples.'' Kierra sat back on her wooden chair. ''Now, let me ask you a question.''

Everyone waited with bated breaths.

''Tian Yun. Tell me how you would start a fight.''

''Well, I would first release my qi...''

Tian Yun trailed off, mostly because she saw Kierra's eyes change. A hint of anger could be seen in the archwizard's calm pupils.

''This is the problem,'' Kierra spoke up after a brief silence. ''You lot think you have spare energy to waste.''

No one dared to speak. There was a certain tone in Kierra's steady voice that made them infinitely nervous.

Kierra continued. ''Here is a tip to consider. Efficiency is top when it comes to controlling energies.''

The disciples nodded like chickens.

''Good. Rest time is over. Let us continue.''

The disciples:

(｢ ⊙Д⊙)｢ (｢ ⊙Д⊙)｢ (｢ ⊙Д⊙)｢

That was a break?!?!

Roughly ninety minutes later, everyone came out of the Crimson Tower absolutely fried. Kierra looked out the window once again, admiring the sunset and her incredible teaching capabilities.

''Why are you still here?''

When Kierra turned around, she saw a young girl with black hair and black eyes. It was Bai Qing, the eldest martial sister of Qinling Peak.

''Master Kierra, I have something to ask you.''

''Speak.''

''...Could you train me more?''

''Reason?''

''There is a tournament for disciples of various sects coming up shortly. I want to ace it.''

Looking at Bai Qing's determined eyes, Kierra was moved. But she also couldn't outright agree to it; she needed to maintain her image!

So Kierra replied. ''You don't think you can endure my training for longer, do you?''

''I can! This I swear with my honor!'' Bai Qing lowered her head. ''Please teach me, master Kierra!''

''Hm...'' Kierra pretended to think for a moment. ''Good. Let us see how you hold up.''

Kierra was determined to make Bai Qing the champion of this tournament. Flexing her skills through her disciples was always a refined hobby of the archwizard.