(Sol POV)
My eyes began to open as I found my body to feel much stronger than it felt before… I could almost feel the individual muscles, flexing and unflexing even within the solution. My eyes could clearly see.
I stretched out my hand in front of me and found the skin to be much healthier than I was before. I questioned how it was possible, but as I looked around, I saw the darkness surrounding me—all of the impure sludge from my physical distortions.
I reached my hands toward the top of the cauldron and climbed out. As I did so, the cauldron itself began to shrink until it was barely the size of a normal kitchen pot, and as it dumped the contents into the primordial Yin and Yang flames, the sludge disappeared as if it never existed…
As I stood up, I took in my form. My musculature had changed, becoming much more defined and robust, yet nothing too insane… I clenched my fist just to make sure that I wasn't seeing things. However, before I could even say a word, I felt that same fluffy sensation on my shoulder. Looking to my left, I found Haru smiling as she laid down against my neck.
Proceeding to lift my right arm and petting her, I found the sensation to be much more defined. I could feel the soft contours of my fluffy friend and simply enjoyed the sensation.
"Sorry if I kept you waiting… I imagine you must've been bored." Haru simply opened one eye before slightly shaking her head in denial. I smiled before finding a set of clothing for me laying on a nearby table.
"Who left this here?" The question was met by a slight growl from my foxy friend as she pointed toward the door at the back of the room. Realizing that she probably wanted me to go that way or whoever created it was that way, I realized I should thank them as the craftsmanship of this set of clothing was amazing.
I have seen sets of clothing that would inspire awe as flowing silk and inlaid jewels shined under the lab lighting. I remember sometimes wondering what it felt like to wear such nice clothing. For a moment, I even questioned if I wanted to put it on, as I felt I was unworthy to do so.
[I would recommend putting them on, master. The one who created it would see you not wearing it as the highest insult to her craft… The material is also very well-made and is both very comfortable and much more defensively secure than it seems.] Eve then let her opinion be known as I then slowly put the robes on.
The feeling of the material on my hands, feet, legs, and arms felt like I was wearing clouds, and when I completely put the outfit on, I felt no discomfort… it was as if the world had become a comfortable temperature. Looking towards the door at the back of the room, I began to make my way towards it.
Knocking on the door a few times, I hear a voice that lies deep within the cave… "Please do come in… I will be ready for you in a moment."
The voice was a combination of softness yet a stern undertone. It felt simultaneously as soft as the silk while as durable as that same material…
Turning the doorknob, I entered the cave and found myself in a much larger cave than I expected. The ceiling glowed with soft blue lights as the ground was reflected by a large river running through the center… The water somehow began and ended at the door I was entering from. Yet as I stepped on the water, I found myself not sinking. I didn't feel a dampness on my feet, nor did I feel a discomforting chill.
Walking deeper inside, I found what looked to be a small cottage, and upon opening the door, I found myself experiencing a multitude of different textile scents… A combination of cottons, silks, and other materials filled my nostrils, along with various scented candles lining the room.
"Welcome, my contractor. I apologize for the mess. I have been attempting to rebuild my workshop, however I do admit the process is a lot smoother when you don't have to worry about anyone trying to steal your silks." The woman wearing a long and flowing white dress turned towards me, and as I saw the rest of her, I found her physicality to definitely differ from mine. Her arms, instead of being normal flesh, looked to be armored, but thin at the same time.
Her face is pale as milk, yet black horns jutted out from her forehead. As she placed a bundle of silk onto a nearby table, she gestured for me to sit down, and I did so.
The smile on her face never leaves as she watches me sit down while she sits directly next to me… She stares into my eyes while I do the same with hers, noticing the lack of color within them… It was like staring into a void, but I didn't find the sight to be irregular.
"You know, one staring at my visage usually does so with a hint of disgust. I have rarely met those that could stare me directly in the eye for longer than a few moments before directing their sight elsewhere… and I do admit I do like what I see." She then attempts to reach towards my face. However, I place my hand in front of her own, to which she then retreats.
Her eyes slightly lower. "I apologize if my attempt there was too forward—"
"No, the fault is mine… I have never enjoyed those touching me… even now it is uncomfortable… Haru is a slight exception… I apologize if I have offended you." The woman then stares me in the eyes and smiles.
"It is all right. I am not immature enough to require physical contact to gain your measurements… However, your form is definitely one deserving of recognition… It seems that the tempering was a success." She then stands up while then bending down to look at me in the eyes.
But as quickly as she did so, she turns around and walks towards what I assume to be some type of threading station… "My name is Velvet. I am a celestial silkworm given to your service… I shall not ask for much from you. However, if you find any rare silks or other beautiful works of art, do feel free to bring them to me so that I may begin to reproduce them… Right now I am currently running off of the material that I myself can create… However, with time and your growing strength, I shall eventually be able to craft marvels."
Her hands begin to move and thread various needles until in barely a minute she holds a very intricate scarf. It is white but with gold texturing. As she lays it on my neck, Haru looks up towards her in what seems to be annoyance for some reason.
"Consider these gifts as recognition of our new contract… Now I imagine that you would not wish to spend time here, as it is quite boring for most. Remember my requests and do feel free to visit." As she goes back to work, I give her a nod of recognition, which she seemed to take well as her smile becomes ever so brighter.
"I thank you again for your service, and I am honored that you wish to work with me… If I find anything worthy of your recognition, I will let you know… If you wish, we will be having dinner soon if you would wish to join us." The last question was met with a slight pause, and as I turn away and walk out of the cottage and into the cave, I look towards my foxy friend.
"I imagine you're not too much of a fan of her, given the glare you were giving…" Haru simply shrugs as I chuckle to myself, wondering why that was.
Exiting the cave, I returned to the alchemy lab and found the entire room the same as I left it… The shelves were empty, and as I looked towards a nearby window, I saw the gardens outside were empty as well.
[If you wish to fill the gardens, master, I recommend heading to other worlds. If you are able to find but one sample of any rare plant, you can send them here so that they may be tended to by Lilywood and her various nature spirits… The same can be said for any powerful beasts, as their body parts can be used for crafting and alchemy.] As soon as Eve says this, I pause, as I myself didn't even know I was allowed to leave. Where would I go?
[Given your lack of information, master, you shall be sent to a world that will serve as a starter area—something meant to aid in your journey. But remember, no one is forcing you here. If you wish, you could spend a month if not years just exploring this realm. However, I imagine that you would not wish to feel trapped.] Again I am left utterly baffled by the prospect. What else is there that exists?
[So much, master… This world at its current stage is barely the size of a small continent. Out there, there are worlds of grand beauty… artifacts of great power… and so much more. The location has already been set. You just need to open the portal.] For a moment, I consider doing so, but I realize that I am currently under-equipped for such a thing. However, before I can do anything else, a small bag appears in front of me.
Picking it up, I find a small note inside from Velvet… "This is a bag of holding. Feel free to steal anything you want inside… Enjoy your trip, contractor, and do remember our deal." I smile at the thought, and as I strap the bag to my back, I find it changing size to become perfectly measured to my body.
Also inside the bag was plenty of food and seemingly camping supplies… along with a tent. Walking out of the alchemy lab, I head to the dining area outside in the courtyard and see Lilywood seemingly sleeping under the sun.
As I lay down next to her, she smiles, and we just simply enjoy the moment… Haru yawns and begins sleeping on my chest, and I simply chuckle, wondering what I'm going to do in these new worlds.
"I imagine Eve has already let you know of the abilities of the portal?" Lilywood asks as she flips over and turns toward me.
"She did. Apparently there's a lot out there… so much that I don't know… but will I be able to come back?" Lilywood then places a hand on my head, which I do not retreat from, as I'm going to need to get used to it. These beings are not here to hurt me, so I'm going to need to learn to trust.
Lilywood then pauses as she retracts her hand. "You'll find a lot out there… some good, some bad, and some downright vile… But I want you to know that you will always be able to return here. This is your home. You will never be barred from this place… Nothing can take you away from us." Her eyes begin to glow with a green light as her tone becomes a bit more heavy while saying this.
Haru then stands on my chest and looks at Lilywood for a moment before the tree spirit smiles to herself and disappears into the ground… Taking a breath, I stand back up, feeling a bit more relieved, and begin to eat dinner.
And as I watch the sun beginning to set, I watch as the stars come back out into the sky—thousands of suns shining like glittering jewels that I feel like I could just reach out and hold in my hand… and soon enough, I'm going to have to do so… After everything I've been through and everything I have now, I have a duty to bring all I can back here… to plunder every single world… for their knowledge and resources… I ponder that thought for a moment and wonder where it came from….
Standing up from the table after finishing my meal, I reach in front of me and feel the space begin to warp. A shining blue portal opens in front of me. I look towards Haru and the fox simply jumps back onto my shoulder without a look of fear in her eyes.
"Thank you, my friend… well at least I hope you won't be bored with what we find… I also wonder what types of food we will be able to find…" Haru then looks extra motivated as we enter the portal and find ourselves in a new place…
[Beginning Spatial Transmat… locating optimal, beginning location… location found… Blue Pole Star… timeline alternate… conferring interdimensional data…. Finding timeline placement to match user goals….]
And in a split second, I find myself standing on top of a hill, looking down towards a small city…
(Floating Cloud City - A Day After Yun Che's Wedding)
But honestly, the first thing I noticed wasn't even the city below me. It was how alive the world felt around me… I could feel a current washing over me. I looked into the sky and found thousands of dazzling lights. Flowing yellow light everywhere.
{Eve… What am I looking at here?} The answer was immediately shown as almost an electronic display appeared in front of my eyes.
[That, master, is the flow of what is referred to as profound energy in this universe… is the remnant energy of the ancestral goddess… it is a lower form of energy, almost an offshoot of the primordial energy used by said goddess… but given your unique artifacts and body, reaching such a level would be entirely possible… However, I would recommend heading this way as my sensors are picking up two amazingly powerful artifacts..]
{Got it, thanks, Eve…} My thanks is met with an almost small sound of goodness that is barely perceptible to even myself…
Walking through the forest, I find that same energy flowing through everything. The grass, the trees, the very sky is alight with the energy… Even without realizing it, I am beginning to take in the energy within my veins, and it feels like a comforting embrace.
Barely registering the passing time, I made my way to an area outside the city, a large plain of grass in the middle of the forest… However, as I get closer, I begin to hear sobs of anguish…
Making my way through the tree line, I see a woman with a green robe and black hair kneeling before a freshly dug grave…
Before I can do anything though, the woman turns around, and as she sees me, her eyes widen in surprise before she takes out a small knife. "Identify yourself now!"
Raising my hand slightly in the air, I answer, "Just a passerby. I heard someone crying so I came to investigate. I apologize if this is something you don't wish for others to see. My name is Sol… may I ask for your name?"
The woman, whose eyes were bloodshot yet I could see the profound sadness in her eyes, lowers the knife, and as I come closer, I look at the grave. "I imagine he was someone close to you… what was his name?" In between the stifled sobs, the woman responded.
"His name was Xiao Che… he was my nephew… I don't even know what happened. One moment he was eating some porridge and the next he was dead…" Looking closer, I began to feel a burning in my eyes. Before realizing it, my eyes had changed color from yellow to green, and as I looked, I could see the body and within it, I could clearly see signs that he was poisoned…
I knelt down next to the grave alongside the woman before placing my hand on the body. The woman looked almost shocked that I was doing so before I answered, "He was poisoned… something he ingested. It tore his insides apart… I imagine it was something that he must've drank."
The woman then looks down as if contemplating something before her fist clenched in pure rage. "Damn you!… damn you, Xiao Yulong…" Another member of her family, I imagine. I wonder why he killed him.
"Who is Xiao Yulong?" My question is met by silence for a few moments…
"He's the son of the leader of our clan… he always despised my little nephew… especially after what happened… it's my fault… I should've known." Taking my hand off the body, I place it on her shoulder.
"I imagine he was the one that gave you the poison… you mentioned how he ate porridge before he died. I imagine whatever poison he used was inside… Given the fact that it isn't giving off a scent that would help to identify it, it's almost impossible for most people to even recognize. Do not blame yourself, you couldn't have known." The woman then simply went silent with tears streaming down her eyes.
I do admit, I am a bit jealous of this Xiao Che. I imagine having someone like this in your life was a blessing… However, the more I looked at the body, the more I realized that something was off…
[You would be correct, master. This boy was a reincarnated, however I imagine that instead of reincarnating before he drank the poison, he had already done so…] Yes, that seems about right… By the way, why isn't this woman looking at Haru?
Looking towards the small fox on my shoulder, I noticed that she had a small veil-like energy around her, so I imagine she must be hiding from this girl's perception…
Before I could stand up and begin to leave, the woman grabbed my arm. "Would you mind staying with me? I don't want his passing to be with just me alone. Little Che deserves more than that." Taking a seat, the woman places her head into my chest. And while I do feel slightly uncomfortable, I realize that I'm going to need to do this.
For the next hour, we just sit in silence, and while the woman stares at the body, I stare up towards the sky, which seemed almost as clear as glass… I also observed the flow of profound energy. While doing so, I directed some of it inside me… I feel it flow into my veins, and I could feel a ceiling of some kind, like a tank beginning to overfill.
[That would be your realm, master. Currently you are about to enter elementary profound, the first stage among the mortal realms…] Again, Eve with the necessary exposition.
{Do I need to worry about this woman noticing or blowing up?} I could almost hear a small giggle from Eve as she responds.
[No, master. I am currently cloaking your cultivation. It would take someone of a much higher level than this woman to even notice that you're taking in profound energy. You also don't need to worry about entering elementary profound, as since it is the beginning of cultivation, it isn't very noticeable. However, I would recommend entering it at a later date..] Taking her advice, I stop just before the ceiling seems about to collapse between myself and elementary profound.
For another hour, I just sit in silence and wonder why Eve directed me here… until the woman responded in a small tone of voice.
"Xiao Lingxi… my name is Xiao Lingxi… I took care of him when no one else would… we grew up together… He would always tease me though… I wanted to see him grow up… maybe we could've been more than just what we were… but then the marriage was announced, and just like that my little nephew garnered the attention of every single bastard in this city. Damn you, Xia Quinyue… didn't even have the decency to stay." I imagine that was who he was going to marry, although why would someone kill him over it?
[Jealousy… master. Most people in this world are profoundly emotional to an almost hideous degree. Cultivation doesn't only increase one's strength. It also brings out what is deepest within someone…. To cultivate is to truly understand yourself, and sadly most are just barbaric animals.] I feel like that can also reference myself, Eve…
[There is nothing against feeling emotion, master, but it is letting that emotion overtake your reason that sets most apart from the animals…] Before I could think anything else, Lingxi continued.
"If it wasn't for that woman, he would still be alive… why did it have to be my little nephew? Why?" Her sadness rolled out in waves, and I simply remained silent, allowing her a shoulder to cry on.
Between the sobs, she would tell small stories, and to be honest, the more she talked, the more I wondered if they were more than just family to each other… until eventually, she fell asleep.
As her breathing slowed, I asked to Eve, {I imagine whatever artifact you were referring to are with this boy?}
[You would be correct, master… This child holds two heavenly artifacts… you should take them.] Isn't that a bit immoral? It's always best to respect the dead, after all.
[You are correct, master. It is always good to have a fundamental respect for those that have passed, at least to those who deserve it… But they themselves cannot use what they have left. Let us make use of those things they left behind.] As I am coming around to the idea, Eve then mentioned something that makes my decision a definite yes.
[If it helps, master, this man has killed over 5 million people and in the future would go on to rape someone entirely unwilling…]
{…What do I have to do?} I then feel a pull within myself as the triple sword tattoo on my arm begins to glow in a red light.
And as a small handle appears on my arm, I grasp it with my right hand and pull it out… in front of me is a large spiral-looking sword… it glows in a red light with veins flowing up and down the sword, looking more similar to a nail than an actual blade.
[This, master, is the Seven Star Body Breaking Nail… it allows you to take physiques, bloodlines, and connected artifacts from those it stabs… Given your lacking power, it can only be used once before it needs to recharge… stab it into his chest. I would also recommend taking off his robes in order for the wound to not appear obvious.] Following her instructions, I take off the robes on his chest, and as I hold the blade above him, I do not hesitate and stab it into his stomach.
In that moment, I feel a strange sensation overcome me until I'm able to see three lights begin to float out of the body… One looked like a necklace with a mirror, the second looked eerily similar to the Eternal Sky Bead… the last, however, looked formless, like red ooze…
[The first two, master, are the heavenly artifacts. The first is the Mirror of Samsara, a heavenly artifact that allows one's luck to be increased as well as the ability to reincarnate… The second, however, is more useful, as the Heavenly Poison Pearl holds an infinite storage space along with the ability to refine ingredients to their maximum purity… If combined with the Eternal Sky Bead, it would become an even more powerful artifact. However, this one is still missing half of its functions… The last is the boy's bloodline—the Profound Handle. Through using it, you can use your profound energy to manipulate objects around you as well as disconnect various objects from people… Shall I begin the integration?] Immediately accepting, the two artifacts then flow into my chest, and while I feel the Mirror of Samsara be integrated with whatever entered my throat when I opened the chest, the Sky Poison Pearl integrated with the Eternal Sky Bead… The process itself felt like it lasted a few minutes, but it truly happened in a couple of seconds.
The Profound Handle then locked itself away within inside my soul as I needed to be stronger to use it… I almost laughed, as that seems to be a common thing for me right now… As soon as the process completed, the Seven Star Body Breaking Nail receded into my body while I began to clean off the small amount of blood and place the robes back onto the body… Thankfully, my bag of holding had a few cloths that allowed me to clean off the blood.
As I sat back down, I summoned the new and improved Eternal Sky Bead and saw that it had gained a more jade-like green coloring, and I could almost feel it buzzing with happiness at gaining more functions… I felt an urge to begin pondering in front of the orb before I dismissed it…
"You probably cannot hear me but thank you for your contribution… I'll be using your Sky Poison Pearl…" After that, I just waited for the sun to rise and smiled while feeling oddly pleased with myself. Maybe this is the pull of treasure hunting. Although in the future, I hope there's a lot less grave robbing.
(Another chapter done and dusted from this point on he begins his journey in against the gods if any of you were confused this is a slightly alternate timeline, where Yun Che failed to reincarnate back into his third life or more specifically, the poison killed his body before the sky poison pearl could purge it from his system and next chapter, there's going to be some ramifications.. to say the least.. depending on when you guys are reading this, I wish you a good morning, good afternoon, and good night.)