Chapter 261: Chapter 250: Moving Back To The Heavenly Empress

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Fang Shuan arrived right as I was about to digest the pills and be done with these two hellish weeks. I honestly missed the Heavenly Empress and the tiger girl back on the other island, so I was finally going to go meet them.

His aura felt much more powerful, overflowing out of his metallic, golden body like an endless sea of dark purple, red, black, and gold colors. His soul alone was the only thing that grew stronger from him, but that was enough to create a big difference compared to his former self.

“I am back, Young Lady Anna,” Fang Shuan greeted me by placing his left fist into his open right hand. “It has been an arduous trial, but I have surpassed it and come back even stronger.”

“Did you really have to do that, Fang Shuan?! You don’t know how worried I’ve been!” I started hitting his metallic body with his fists; his body was easily bending to my punches, yet he only smiled.

“I appreciate your concern; it is one of the few things that make you so great as a master, haha!” he laughed. “However, there’s nothing for you to worry about! I, Fang Shuan, would never fall to a mere trial to temper the soul! I have come back even stronger, all to serve you in your endeavors, my master.”

He quickly kneeled before me.

“You gave me a second chance to live for everyone that couldn’t,” he said. “And you even promised me you would help me avenge my family and my world. But I can’t simply let you do everything; I must work hard as well; sitting around doing nothing would simply not sit well with a former Emperor such as myself! I have an honor to uphold after all; in fact, I now carry the honor of my entire world with me.”

“Fang Shuan…” I sighed. “Oh well, whatever. You’re fine, so it’s good, alright. Cultivators, you simply can’t reason with them sometimes. All this talk about honor and whatnot. Unfortunately, I am not like that. I like to prioritize my life, so I won’t risk it if it's not worth the risk.”

“I completely understand if you think like that, young master Anna,” Fang Shuan laughed. “There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. It is, as you said, a thing of us cultivators, haha.”

“It is the way we live,” the Heavenly Demon interrumpted our conversation. “You might come from a world with a different culture, but ours is different than yours. There are only a few things that match; you’re rather incredible for being able to tolerate how different we are. Most people would simply not accept this.”

“Eh, I guess?” I nodded.

I didn’t really want to argue about that, so I decided to just analyze Fang Shuan’s growth.

[Your Familiar [Fang Shuan] has tempered and evolved their soul to a completely new level!]

[Their Soul has become so powerful that a Psyche has been formed.]

[Fang Shuan acquired the [Psyche]: [Golden Demon Emperor Psyche (Tier 3: Rank 1)]!]

[Their Soul has managed to produce their own Holy Nether Essence, which has been successfully crystalized into their physical body into a new Martial Core.]

[Fang Shuan acquired the [Martial Core]: [Holy Nether Sun Core (Tier 2: Rank 1)]!]

[All of your Familiar’s Fang Shuan Stats have increased greatly!]

[Fang Shuan has unlocked the Stat: [SOUL]!]

[Fang Shuan can now generate his own Holy Nether Essence, and also share it with you over time.]

[Fang Shuan’s Skill: [Martial Soul Legion (S): Lv6] has evolved into [Divine Myriad Martial Soul (SS): Lv7]!]

[Fang Shuan learned the following Skill: [Divine Martial Soul Materialization (S): Lv1], [Divine Martial Soul Weapon (S): Lv1], and [One Hundred Dokkaebi Souls Summon (S): Lv1]!]

[Fang Shuan acquired the Title: [Soul Ascendant]!]

Amazing! He got a Psyche! Not even my own Soul’s ready to get one, but he got one so easily?!

And he got so a Martial Core to produce Holy Nether Essence?! And he can share it with me!

He even unlocked a new Stat named Soul, got three powerful Skills, evolved his old soul skill, and even got the Soul Ascendant Title.

What in the world? It feels like he evolved, but his Level was still not max yet to do that…

He was a true powerhouse now, as if he wasn’t before with his ridiculously high stats and especially his super high Ki.

Just when I thought I was about to catch up to his Ki Stat, he suddenly jumps to over 60k now.

Woah, I really got an overpowered cultivator as my Holy Undead, huh? I was really lucky.

With him at my side and also my other Familiars, what is there to fear anymore?

And above all, I’ve also gotten stronger myself, and with these pills and other quest items, I’ll get even stronger.

“Anyways, I’ll use some items, and then we’ll get going, Fang Shuan, so be a bit patient. Oh, also, greet Ying Shen properly. I know you’ve already met him, but he’ll be accompanying us from now on, at least until we return home,” I explained.

“It will be an honor to serve young master Anna at your side, senior Fang Shuan,” Ying Shen greeted the golden emperor.

“Hmph! So you dare just decide you’ll become my young master’s servant now?” Fang Shuan got jealous of the position.

“I-I mean, she said it was okay for now, but… I’m sorry for not asking for your permission, senior!” Ying Shen placed his forehead over the floor in supplication.

“Yeah, you should be sorry.” sighed Fang Shuan. “And-”

“Hey, that’s enough,” I glared at him. “Now sit down in silence and let me do my thing; don’t bully Ying Shen. You’re an adult; act like one.”

“A-Ah… But I…” Fang Shuan looked devastated by my words. “Very well, I apologize.”

He sat down and then quickly fell into silence. Ying Shen was surprised at how easily he obeyed and quickly did the same too.

“You sure got a tight grip on those two already, haha. You’re a dangerous woman,” laughed the Heavenly Demon.

“Shut up, old man; I am also tired of seeing your face all the time.” I groaned. “Now…”

“Hahaha! This is how my disciple must act—so bold and unafraid of anything! Good!” laughed the Heavenly Demon.

He’s sure a masochist or something.

Anyway, let’s move on.

The items in question:

[Black Heaven Ki Pearl Fragment (S+++ Rank)] x7

[White Heaven Ki Pearl Fragment (S+++ Rank)] x7

[Ki Restoration Potion (S Rank)] x7

[Ki Enhancing Pill (S Rank)] x7

[Skill Level Elixir (S Rank)] x7

I can combine three pearl fragments to make one, so I got two more pearls of each and then seven of the other items. I’ll naturally save the restoration potion, but the pills and the skill level elixir are getting into my tummy.

About the pills, I’ll chug them down with the elixir, so it all gets absorbed quickly. The pearls too; I’ll get them down first. I’m about to get a lot of notifications, so let’s prepare.

“Gulp, gulp, gulp.”

It was a bit disgusting to eat so many damned pills, the pearls, and everything. I was definitely having some sweet snacks after this!

“Gueh, this is… Eugh…”

It wasn’t a good idea to drink everything.

But at this point, I was so strong I could digest things rapidly.

I resisted the slightly nauseous feeling and didn’t vomit.

Slowly, everything was absorbed nicely, and I felt much stronger.

A flaring, burning sensation across all my seals surged; they started growing stronger.

My Skills leveled up, becoming stronger. Their different effects enhance my body or my magical abilities.

My maximum Ki started increasing rapidly, and my Physique and Martial Core received a great boost as well, thanks to the Black and White Heaven Ki from the pearls.

Ding!

[You have consumed [Crimson Seal Pills (SSS Rank)] x12!]

[You have absorbed and assimilated a large quantity of highly refined and high-quality Negative Emotion Ki, which has directly enhanced your [Demonic Seven Cursed Seals Arts (5/7): Tier 2]!]

[Your Seals [First Seal: Hatred (Tier 2)], [Second Seal: Sorrow (Tier 2)], and [Third Seal: Frenzy (Tier 2)] have enhanced their growth across your body thanks to the Pills, increasing their Tier to Tier 3 of comprehension!]

[The Martial Arts: [Demonic Seven Cursed Seals Arts (5/7): Tier 2] Comprehension Progress has reached 100%! It has Ranked Up to Tier 3!]

[All Existing Seals have become stronger, with greater effects.]

Nice! Tier 3, finally!

I am still missing two more Seals, but I think I can get those later anyway.

[You have consumed [Ki Enhancing Pill (S Rank)] x7!]

[A Large Quantity of Ki has been refined into your Physique and Inner Martial Core.]

[You gained +1.750 Ki Stat!]

[You have consumed [Skill Level Elixir (S Rank)] x7!]

[You gained a Bonus of 70.000 Random Skill Experience!]

[The Random Skill Experience has been distributed across your Skills randomly!]

[Several Skills have Leveled Up!]

Nice, not bad; some hard to level up skills as well, so this is pretty alright.

[You have consumed the [Black Heaven Ki Pearl (SSS Rank)] x2 and the [White Heaven Ki Pearl (SSS Rank)] x2!]

[You gained a large quantity of both Black and White Heavenly Ki.]

[The Amount of Ki you can refine from it will decrease over time the more you absorb.]

[Your Maximum Ki Stat has increased by 15.000.]

[Your [Physique] cannot Rank Up anymore; please use available materials to evolve it into a Tier 4 Physique.]

[Your [Martial Core]: [Umbral Black Star Core (Tier 2: Rank 4)] has Ranked Up to Tier 2: Rank 6!]

[Your Maximum Ki Stat has increased by 1.000!]

[Your Maximum Cosmic Energy Stat has increased by 400!]

[The Skill: [Umbral Star (B): Lv3] has Leveled Up!]

[Your Comprehension over your own {Dao Foundation} has improved slightly.]

[Your Traits have been reinforced and enhanced.]

[You can now Unseal one of the Sealed Traits you possess.]

[Please choose which Trait do you wish to Unseal]:

[Sealed Traits]: [Devouring Gaze (Mythic Grade)] [Cunning Viper (Mythic Grade)]

Oh?! I suddenly got an awesome new option.

I did have more Traits, I took three whole Traits out of Uroboros after I defeated and ate his Cosmic Soul Fragments, which came accompanied by his torn-apart “Story”, the foundation of every Constellation.

It is through forging a Story that your Dao Foundation can further improve; this isn’t just about Ki after all; this means that my story has progressed a lot; all the achievements I’ve done, and even meeting and becoming the heavenly demon’s disciple—it’s all connected.

My Story is being forged at this very moment, growing stronger… I can even feel my Cosmic Heart Core glowing stronger.

I might be able to actually Rank it up even without being a Constellation yet!

But let’s think about that later: which Trait should I unseal?

My other Traits are:

[Traits]: [Reader (??? Grade)] [Princess (Epic Grade)] [Tail-Eating Snake (Epic Grade)]

This’ll be the first time I get a Mythical Grade Trait, so it’s a big thing!

It’s the two strongest Traits that Uroboros, a monstrously strong Archdemon possessed.

I am bound to get an insane boost to all my power once I choose either of the two.

Both Traits sound interesting; although Devouring Gaze sounds more appealing, Cunning Viper has to do something too if it’s as high as Mythic, right?

Ahh, this is hard to decide.

I’ll leave it for later, not now; I have to get going anyway.

“I think I’m ready,” I nodded. “Master, it was… horrible, not fun at all. I’ll see you in a couple of days. My second visit might also be my last.”

“Very well…” The Heavenly Demon nodded. “There are still many things I must teach you, and your seal is incomplete as well. Also, there are things I must talk about with you later too. But such things will be left when it is truly necessary. Now go, my disciple.”

FLUOSH!

A portal leading to the outside world finally opened. The fresh and salty wind of the sea quickly hit my face; it felt nice.

“Alright, let’s go, everyone.”

With my Familiars and friends, we moved into the vast, drowned world of Bestia.

The three giant mechanical trees looming in the background.

Soon, I’ll get rid of all of them.

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