Second Time

Chapter 34 - Hu'er

"There are ten months until the domain opens," Shao Yue said, sitting down next to Cai Fei in the latter's room. "How's your progress?"

"I've prepared some array plates, but they're only grade three," Cai Fei reported. "I should be able to create some grade four by the time it opens. For body tempering, I can now reach the seventeenth move of the Dragon Turtle Body Technique. I've also mastered the light body technique and three movement techniques. As for my Spirit, I have four abilities from it, and my cultivation is almost at Core Formation Sixth Stage."

Shao Yue nodded. "Good, your progress is commendable. Then, I want you to learn these two techniques."

She handed over two books. Cai Fei took them and quickly skimmed through the pages. "These are offensive techniques?"

"Indeed. If you have the chance, I want you to try to kill some people inside the domain. Running and hiding is a good skill to practise, but life and death situations will temper you the most."

Cai Fei frowned slightly. "Won't everyone be high Nascent Soul cultivators at minimum? Can I really kill them?"

"I was able to kill three by catching them off-guard when I was in the Second Stage of Core Formation, shortly before we met," Shao Yue replied with a smirk. "You have far better quality techniques than anyone from small or medium sects could possibly have access to. You specialize in stealth and arrays. Even if your attack fails, do you think you lack the ability to escape?"

"I'm not sure, I've never fought a Nascent Soul cultivator."

"How do your games of tag with Hu'er go?"

Cai Fei shook her head. "I can't keep up with her yet. Even if I use all my abilities, the distance slowly grows."

Shao Yue smiled. "Do you know how strong Hu'er is?"

"Uh, not really."

"She's equivalent to a human in Peak Spiritual Manifestation Realm."

Cai Fei's eyes widened. "Wait, are you saying my speed is comparable to a high Spiritual Manifestation Realm cultivator? That's a two realm difference!"

"Well, Spiritual Manifestation Realm cultivators could maintain that speed for far far longer than you can," Shao Yue said, shrugging. "But yes, over short time periods, you can match them. In a prolonged chase, you'd have no chance."

"That does make me feel better."

"Try to wait until the final days so they have a harvest to steal. Also, just in case, take this." Shao Yue gave Cai Fei a jade bottle. "It's a Soul Ascension Elixir. If you encounter something fortuitous inside the domain that raises your cultivation, you can take this to ascend to the Nascent Soul Realm."

Cai Fei briefly recalled how much the pills had gone for in the auction. "I'll keep it in mind. Can I keep the possessions of the people I kill?"

Shao Yue chuckled. "Sure."

With Cai Fei's motivations established, the two separated and turned their attention to their own things.

Shao Yue sat in her room and pulled out one of the grade seven Beast Cores that Cai Fei had won in the auction. The red crystal was large enough to pose a choking hazard. She wondered how she would manage to eat them as they grew even larger in the future.

As she raised the Core to her mouth, Jinwu's voice echoed in her head. "You shouldn't eat that."

Shao Yue paused. "Am I not strong enough?"

"You are, but it will advance you to grade seven, the equivalent of your Heavenly Realm. Not only will you trigger a tribulation, the domain may reject you."