Zhang Lian stood on top of a flying sword, she could feel the warm, golden light of the setting sun.
Her silver hair flowed freely behind her. Her good looking face. Her blue eyes were fixed on the sky above, where clouds moved.
The desire to become a cultivator grew stronger in her heart with each moment, whenever she saw cultivator's doing something amazing.
Her cat, set comfortably on the sword beside her, could only stay within 1 meter of her at all times. It looked up with wide, curious eyes and meows softly, "Nya, look over there! There's a huge hole in the ground. It looks like a big battle happened."
Zhang Lian nodded, her gaze shifting from the sky to the massive hole below. The remnants of a fierce battle was shocking to her.
She couldn't help but be amazed at the differences between her past and present lives. Back then, the idea of a person single-handedly destroying a city was impossible by one person alone.
Now, she was in a world where that kind of power was not only possible but also within reach. It filled her with strange feelings of awe and fear.
"How can human beings do this with just their bodies?" she wondered silently, glancing up at the sky where cultivators flew on their swords, their figures barely visible against the clouds. "In my past life, such power was only possible with advanced technology, with missiles and bombs. But here... here it's different. The individual can do this alone without the need of missiles.
But it also made her realize just how vulnerable she currently was, still far from achieving the strength needed to survive in this world let alone enjoy.
As she turned to look at Li Fend, her uncle. He stood nearby, his robes flying gently in the wind, his gaze also locked on the scene below.
"Uncle," she called softly, a hint of sadness in her voice as she reached out to touch his sleeve, her fingers delicate hand. Her hair, caught in the breeze, moves against her face..
"Did the Jade Serpent Sect manage to kill the Demonic Cultivator and left the hole behind while battling them ?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
Li Fend looked down at her, his expression was not good. The lines on his face deepened as he considered her question.
Seeing his niece's sad face, who had lost her parents and relatives due to Demonic Cultivator, filled him with deep anger.
Li Fend, looking uneasy, hesitated before shaking his head, his expression serious. "No, this hole wasn't caused by the Jade Serpent Sect. It was left behind by Demonic Cultivators fighting among themselves."
Zhang Lian in confusion, "Why would they fight among themselves?"
"They were creating a demonic pill, one that requires the sacrifice of countless lives. But perhaps the pill wasn't enough to divide among themselves, so they fought each other."
Li Fend continued, his voice steady but heavy with the weight of experience. "In cultivation, you must fight for resources if you want to continue on your journey.
The path of cultivation is restless. For Demonic Cultivators, the journey is even more brutal; they don't hesitate to kill their fellow cultivators if it means they can advance.
The cat sitting comfortably on the flying sword, said "you see, nya", with sarcasm, "having babies is much easier compared to the following fighting for resources. Everyone would be jealous of you, if they knew how easy I have you but instead, you just keep beating me!"
With a dramatic sigh, the cat stretched its paws in m, clearly mocking Zhnag Lian .
As Zhang Lian listened to the cat's, she couldn't help but feel annoyed. The cat had been non stop complaining about how having babies can let you become bla,bla, bla. Zhang Lian, her patience worn thin, gave the cat a kick, which made it fall from the flying sword.
But due to the magical bond it has with Zhang Lian, it couldn't drift more than a meter away from her. It quickly started flying in air by itself around Zhnag Lian so it can doge attacks anytime.
As they continued their conversation, the two finally arrived at a small house. It has towering trees in front, the structure simple with wooden doors and a roof, clearly built for peace rather than luxury.
The windows were small, and the. A small garden with various flowers and plants surrounded the house. The house originally belonged to someone else, but since the previous owners are no longer alive, the houses like this have been claimed by a cultivator as a temporary residence, till they return back to sect after completing their city rebuilding task.
Li Fend descended from the flying sword first, his feet touching the ground with an ease, and turned to assist Zhang Lian.
She stepped off with a little difficulty.
The sword beneath her went into Li Fend's storage bag. She took a moment to steady herself, her eyes scanning the surroundings.
As they stood before the entrance, Zhang Lian's mind was still processing everything, but her stomach growl Roo-roo-roo
-_-
Zhang Lian touched her stomach and sighed softly. "I haven't eaten for hours," she said, a hint of regret in her voice. "I even gave my bag of food to the villagers.".
Li Fend looked at Zhang Lian with a smile, said you might be hungry.
"We cultivators don't need to eat food regularly, but we do have quick alternatives," he said as he reached into his storage bag and pulled out a small, jade-colored bottle.
He opened it with a practiced flick of his wrist and carefully tipped a small pill into his hand.
The pill was about the size of a pea, brown color. It was a Fasting Pill, designed to suppress hunger and provide a certain amount of energy and nutrients.
He handed the pill to Zhang Lian. "Here, you can take this for now."It will keep you from feeling hungry, but I must advise you not to rely on it too much. "It doesn't provide the proper nutrients to support mortal bodies."
Zhang Lian took the pill from Li Fend's hand, holding it between her fingers. The pill felt cool to the touch. She looked at it more amazed with the cultivation world, nodding and said thank you uncle.
Zhang Lian slowly took a fasting pill. She opened her mouth, revealing her pink tongue, and placed the pill on it. She swallowed it with a swift gulp.
Almost instantly, she felt her stomach grow comfortably full and the excess energy she had been expanding seemed to come out of her pores leaving her feeling surprisingly refreshed.
With that, Li Fend opened the door and entered the house, Zhang Lian followed his lead as they walked through the simple house.
The walls were filled with simple scrolls, paintings of landscapes, likely chosen for their calming effect rather than any value.
You can rest in this room as he opened the door to a small room at the end of the hall, stepping aside to let her enter.
The room was furnished but comfortable. A low bed with neatly folded blankets sat against one wall, and a small table with an oil lamp in the corner but it was off. There was also a window that allowed moonlight to enter, casting a glow in the room.
Zhang Lian stepped inside, feeling the warm. She turned back to Li Fend and bowed in lady like way, said thank you uncle.
With a final nod, Zhang Lian closed the door gently behind her, leaning against it for a moment as she gathered her thoughts.
As Zhang Lian moved to sit on the bed, the cat looked up at her with its bright, mischievous eyes while flying. "Host, have you ever considered...you know, "having a baby with your uncle? He has Good spiritual root, and you could produce some high-level spiritual roots babies!"
Zhang Lian's eyes widened in anger. She slapped her palm against her forehead, "You shameless little furball!" she whispered fiercely, trying to keep her voice down. The cat, however, seemed entirely unaffected.
"Just think about it," it nya, stretching out comfortably on the bed as if it had said nothing out of the ordinary. "It's a perfectly logical idea from a cultivation standpoint!"
Zhang Lian looked down at the cat, her expression thoughtful as she walked slowly toward the bed. She sat on it, put her hands on the soft fabric of the blanket as she spoke.
"No, I don't want someone stronger than me to be a father of my children. Think about it—if I were to get pregnant with his child, he might not allow me to have relationships with other men or women. Worse, he might take me to the sect, and I wouldn't be able to cultivate, because I've already told the outside world that I have no talent for it. It's too suspicious."
She sighed, standing up briefly to fluff the pillows before crawling into the bed. She laid down on her back, gazing at the ceiling as if deep in thought.
"I'll ask him to make some arrangements for me here. In 20 or 30 years, I'll declare myself dead, then quietly enter the cultivation world with a strong realm. It's the safest path."
The cat jumped onto the bed, curling up next to her. "But host, that's too slow!" it protested, its voice filled with concern.
Zhang Lian turned onto her side, tucking one arm under her head and closing her eyes, a faint smile on her lips. "Don't worry. Slow and steady wins the race. Someone in my past life once said that."
Cat then asked, host don't you want to avenge your parents?
Zhang Lian, with a calm expression , looked down at her hands as she spoke. Her voice was calm, but there was a sign of the emotions she carefully kept in check.
"No, I don't want to rush into avenging my parents. Not until I'm strong enough to make a big difference. They died, and I can't bring them back. There's no point in getting frustrated or dwelling on it. When I died... I felt nothing at that moment.
The only problem was living inside the womb. It was tight, dark, and lonely... no one to talk to, nothing to do. It was scary in its own way. But that's over now. I just need to focus on the present."
She sighed deeply, her shoulders relaxing as she continued, "You said the one who attacked us might have already died, although there are chances he might have survived or others who are part of this are alive.
We'll deal with that when I'm ready. For now, I need to think about it. The city is being rebuilt, and that might be the opportunity I need."
….
After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Lian turned to the cat and asked, "I've never really asked you—why did you bind yourself to me? Who created you? What was life like between the boundaries of different dimensions? And how do you have access to so many resources?" "Are there other systems like yours?'