Previous chapters:
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Heretic%20Cultivator%20Quest MC info Pastebin:
https://pastebin.com/x5rCdZpq Sect/ disciple info Doc:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A0Yghkqs4WxALnnlVJ2uPpphQk9NQ4ME32DzC1qWp7Q/edit?usp=sharing Folklore:
https://pastebin.com/AnbsrDcd _
After the bloody first contest of the Core Formation Stage of The Palace of Natural Laws sect's (宫殿的野生彝宪, Gōngdiàndīyěshēngyíxiàn) first tournament, the victor who overcame the most terrifying and vicious stellar monsters you could capture, Xie'e Mowangzi (Evil Devil Prince, 邪恶 魔王子) lays before you, recovering from his wounds and waiting to hear what virtuous deeds you expect him to perform to be allowed to enter through the gates of your shrine and join your heretical yet oft kindly sect.
As the reborn demons behavior and acts would reflect not only upon the Palace of Natural laws, but also its master, (欢流血, Happy Bloodshed/ Happy to Shed Blood), your very own illustrious self, and you don't want to welcome a heartless devil into your sect and give them free reign to terrorize the lands and people under your protection and rule, you need to give him a test that'll prove that he is capable of doing good and acting respectfully and won't meander off one day to slaughter and refine a village or go hunting his fellow daoists for sport without a good reason or excuse. Fortunately, you know exactly how to see if he is capable of acting right mindedly or not. A variation of the journey Magical beasts under go to attain their human for, except to see if the reincarnated demon is able to show empathy, mercy or any other quality deemed a virtue by wider society.
"Charity won't prove your heart is capable of containing something besides malice and bloodthrist" You sweetly tell him, wearing an imperious, domineering expression that is completely opposite to your ginger and silken voice "Even a miser can do charity work, if they think it'll make them wealthy, and demons I know can pretend to love someone until they've matured and fattened enough to their tastes"
"Aren't you friends with a spider demon?" He asks plainly, frowning and stroking his chin in thought
"One who is more human natured than demonic" You cackle "And I have nothing against demons living as they desire, until they piss me off, bother me or try to eat me. But, lets not get sidetracked. You need to prove your heart is, if not human, than not corroded by and controlled solely by malice. That you're a devil with at least a little nobility, enough to coexist with my subjects and other students"
"And how should I prove that I am not the most vicious of devils?" He asked, sounding genuinely curious
Cont
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Sat 21 Jun 2025 22:11:36 No. 6262879 Report >>6262878 "Simple. Leave, travel Chuan Kingdom and make a difference. Or at least try to. It is a test of your sense of morality, or your ability to care. Go out and do good deeds in my name. What that means, is for you to show to me that you understand the assignment I'm giving you" You tell him, tittering as he wrinkles his brow, deeply contemplating his mission
"I shall depart as soon as I've recovered. I won't disappoint. I may be a demon, but I understand more than you know about the common sense and views of mortals!' He declares, and you nod, not fully believing him or trusting his confidence as you leave him to heal and plod away to speak with your fellow sect heads
Su Zhe'xínglǚ [哲' 行旅, Wise Vagabond), Xia Jīnsè-shāyú (金色 -鲨鱼, Golden Shark) and Lian Tianhua (莲 天花, Lotus Heavenly flower) are the first grandmasters you meet, a privledge they have as the fellow heads of the Tomb, The Mountain, The Sea and The Garden Alliance.
"Unfortunately, we'll have to skip the random team battles" You say and all three of them nod sagely, understanding immediately why that contest couldn't be part of the Core Formation Stage, but you explain anyways "Though about including Ghosts, but I realized that that much potent ghostly and deathly Yin Qi would negatively effect the contestants in many ways and cause other problems, so it just wouldn't be worth it in the long run"
"A wise choice, then the tournament will proceed to the one on one fights?" Lord Xia asks, sipping at his rice wine
"Of course, we'll need to inform the other sects first" You answer with a nod and flutter of your eyelashes as you lean across the table and snatch a rice cake from Tianhua;s fingers "And explain my reasoning, since they might not understand it at first"
"It doesn't concern the Thousand Lotus Hall if a martial contest is skipped, to us gentle gardeners, it'd make no difference if all of them were" Tianhua titters, and grabs a spoon filled with honey and takes another rice cake, amused by your food theft more than anything
"Yes, but some Daoists are blinded by greed and ambition, more so since Huanliuxue has shown them just how vast the world truly is" Master Su chuckles and fills the cups across the table with white tea, and from the aroma you can tell it is the sweet, honey tasting leaf that you enjoy "They may take offense or raise a fuss"
"I think the commoners and nobles who aren't part of the world of cultivation would complain louder" Xia hummed
"They literally worship me" You snort and roll your eyes
"And even if they don't, most of the mortals of Chuan adore Huan, for reasons that should be obvious" Tianhua agrees "They might grumble, but she is the object of worship of the newly crowned royal clan and a folkhero of sorts"
Cont
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Sat 21 Jun 2025 22:12:36 No. 6262880 Report >>6262879 "Yes, its the other cultivators we must be concerned about, if they think Huanliuxue is denying them a chance of fame, glory and wealth, they might cause a ruckus. If they're witless enough to court death in such a manner." Master Su added, wagging a finger before loudly slurping his tea, golden droplets clinging to his grey and white beard
"I've got them all scared to death of me. No, more likley they'd just be a pain in the ass later if they think I've cheated them out of potential prizes and face. I was just going to have the other sect heads sit beside me to show there's no hard feelings and to soothe their egos a little." You hum, before a light of an idea dance across the eyes of the playboy golden shark
"What if we split the one on one fights into male and female brackets?" He suggests "Then no one can claim you're denying them their treasures or cutting down their renown"
What do you do, Huanliuxue
>Tell Xia that's a stupid idea and go forward with your plan and make sure the other sect heads are comfortable before starting the 1 v 1 matches >Declare you're going through with your idea, then make sure Yuanquan and Aodasheng haven't unearthed any ancient evil before starting the matches >Let Su, Lian and Xia discuss it, and get Monu to help you start making the Lunar Gu Organ you promised Qiang (Alchemical trial. DC Variable Higher result = better foundation for the Gu organ) >Agree with Xia's idea and decide to have there be a third final round where the winners of the two brackets face of for the grandest of prizes >Write in The google docs needs a bit of updating
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6262880 >Agree with Xia's idea canny.
Anonymous
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>>6262880 Fixed Fu, Qiang, Fequing, Ping's and monu's levels to their correct ones.
not adding Mowangzi until he joins the sect properly.
Not adding baby rabbits until they join a cultivation rank.
I think that's msot of everything unless I forgot about one of our bet items we won.
Anonymous
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>>6262880 >>Agree with Xia's idea and decide to have there be a third final round where the winners of the two brackets face of for the grandest of prizes Clever, sir. Clever.
Anonymous
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>>6262880 >Agree with Xia's idea and decide to have there be a third final round where the winners of the two brackets face of for the grandest of prizes Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6262880 >>Tell Xia that's a stupid idea and go forward with your plan and make sure the other sect heads are comfortable before starting the 1 v 1 matches Anonymous
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>>6262880 >Let Su, Lian and Xia discuss it, and get Monu to help you start making the Lunar Gu Organ you promised Qiang (Alchemical trial. DC Variable Higher result = better foundation for the Gu organ) Anonymous
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>>6262880 >Let Su, Lian and Xia discuss it, and get Monu to help you start making the Lunar Gu Organ you promised Qiang (Alchemical trial. DC Variable Higher result = better foundation for the Gu organ) give me that special eye
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Tue 24 Jun 2025 01:00:49 No. 6264251 Report Meant to update today but I right as I was about to I get called and reminded of some obligations I have to my clan. I beg you juniors for your forgiveness. I'll try to end the vote and tally its result tomorrow where I'll hopefully not be as busy
Anonymous
Anonymous
>>6264251 I can at least get the tally portion out of the way
>Votes:6 Z4B1rBuG
2quJjC9O
gtElnr+Y
fPHKfyId
2e1+dXGL
GMHLjimE
>Agree with Xia's Idea:3 Z4B1rBuG
2quJjC9O
gtElnr+Y
>Tell Xia that's a stupid Idea:1 fPHKfyId
>Le Su, Lian and Xia discuss while making Qiang's Eye:2 2e1+dXGL
GMHLjimE
Anonymous
Unfortunately, I'm still busy with sect obligations. So I probably won't be able to update today, despite saying I would. I'll undergo whatever penance juniors deem fitting
Anonymous
>>6264857 Make Monu's Monus bigger.
Anonymous
>>6264934 Any bigger and they might become too much for the heavens to handle
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6265090 Then we shall overthrow the heavens!
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Thu 26 Jun 2025 00:05:38 No. 6265289 Report Quoted By:
Ending the vote now. Sorry about that, but filial duties take precedence to all other matters
>>6264516 Thank you junior
So you'll agree with Xia's plan and move on with the tournament, splitting the 1 v1 matches into gendered brackets, with a third finale of the two winners facing off against eachother.
Update will arrive shortly
>>6264934 Junior incites a cataclysm, asking me to break an already broken void
>>6265090 Junior's wisdom is clear as autumnal waters
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Thu 26 Jun 2025 00:39:54 No. 6265309 Report Your lips part and your mouth opens to reprimand Jinse-Shayu almost on a reflex before your mind catches up and you considered the lord of the summer sea's suggestion. Gender doesn't determine how strong a cultivator can get, that falls to their innate talent and good fortune to be given a chance to be rewarded for their efforts, like you taking the tomb as your temple and nest and finding you had a peerless affinity for ghostly yin Qi. However, just because lady cultivators can equal their masculine counterparts, doesn't mean that human culture have realized this, despite such terrors as your magnificent self, your honored mother and the ogress causing havoc and staking bodies higher than any man. Sure you don't want to court or encourage the old fogeys who enforce such ideals and squash the potential of girls who could be conquerors or bloody handed warriors, but you understand that isn't what Xia was angling for. Rather, he understands that rivalries tend to burn hotter between peers, and its because of those old fossils that rivals are usually of the same gender. Well, them and the fact that, at least according to some books you read that you borrowed from Anjing, that rivalries between boys and girls usually turn to mated pairs in the end, but you're also worldly enough to realize most of those stories are fiction. But ignoring romantic fantasies, Su did bring up that the other sects might get offended they lost a chance to earn face and bring renown to their sect, and every other sect head is coveting the formerly forbidden treasures you're offering as prizes. So Xia's plan is sensible, as it might make the hardline traditionalists who still think of you as a man eating demon to reconsider their stance, but more importantly it'll stop the other sect leaders from thinking your cheated them and make it more likely that rivals will meet in the arena and give the audience a show and no temple, shrine, sect or school could claim that Huanliuxue is denying them their chance of fame and glory. Not even the minor and nomadic sects attending the tournament, the heretical and demonic ones encouraged by your stellar ascent and heretical ideals and beliefs, or the strays and rogues kicked out of their sect or with the sheer talent to reach core formation without the protections and benefits of one. Lord Xia is already flinching, expecting you to scold him and call him an idiot, so he nearly chokes up blood when instead you tell him "Hmm, that plan has a bit of merit. Lets try it. But have the two winners of the contest face off in a final match. Give some old toads a heart attack at the end Heh-Heh-Heh" "I would like to scold you, but then I'd be a hypocrite. The ancients who'd think even you, Huanliuxue, are a delicate flower need to be reminded of reality from time to time" Master Su chuckles, nodding along as Xia's exhales so long you'll think he'll deflate in the process of showing his relief. Cont
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Thu 26 Jun 2025 00:40:55 No. 6265312 Report >>6265309 "Well none of my disciples will be fighting" Tianhua hummed, tapping her fingers on the edge of her tea cup "But I do suppose it would prevent anyone from raising their voices in complaint or calling Huan here a miser, so I'll support it as well. Meaning all four heads of our alliance are in agreement"
"Usually we are" You answer and Su smirks
"Mostly because she and I have similar views, I feel, and Lord Xia is quick to roll over when the master of the tomb applies the slightest bit of pressure" He laughs
"Its called having a well honed survival instinct, little uncle" Xia brushes off, a flicker of his aura wrapping around the around him like a riptide shaped like a shark, but despite being a full realm lower than him Su just smirks
"He just knows how a subordinate should act" You cackle, grinning as you rise and pat the older cultivator on his back "And you should get ready for your matches, Uncle Zhe"
"I should, I should" He agrees, nodding as he turns to Tianhua and flashes a smirk that reminds you he has a trickster side underneath his grandfatherly and sagely exterior "Oh, and Lady Lian, I will be facing some of your sects meddling elders. They signed for the martial contest at the last second"
Tianhua's eyes sharpen
"I didn't have anything to do with it" You say, shocked that the alchemists and herb peddlers would risk their necks like that, even though a few of them had argued against becoming the Palace of natural laws' allies
"I may have incited them to, after a brief argument after the thousand lotus hall joined our alliance official" Su admits with a wry smile "I suppose they thought me the weak link"
"And had just enough sense to not approach Huanliuxue or make demands, now that they're under her protection" Xia snickered as Tianhua shook her head, looking neither amused nor outraged, with a truly neutral and apathetic expression "And worry you not, Lady Lotus, they haven't overstepped and wagered increasing their responsibilities to the alliance or to otherwise alter the hall's charter"
"Su, beat some sense into them" Tianhua hisses through her teeth
"I will not bully the weak" He answers with a shake of his head "But I will cool our disagreements in the ring, if possible. I am not without fault in this, but I think you may be surprised by the sharpness of your advisors fangs"
And you can't help but hope that bitch Yingtai got muscled into joining the fighting, so Monu has a chance to so her how easily a thorny flower wilts under poisonous air.
Cont
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Thu 26 Jun 2025 00:42:08 No. 6265315 Report >>6265312 And what do you do now that the 1 v 1 fights are starting, Huanliuxue?
>Have the other alliance heads commentate on the fights by your side, and watch all of them excitedly >Take Tianhua aside and ask how her husband hunting is going, before your obligations force you to attend the contests >Find the elders of the lotus hall that are competing, and ask if they've suddenly gone suicidal and what they were arguing with master Su about >Decide to let some ghosts compete in the matches as well, just to make sure both brackets are the same size >write in Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6265315 >Ask her how the husband hunting goes. Hmm. I'm sure we can suggest someone from. . Somewhere. I dunno, does she like nobles? We know a lot of nobles.
Anonymous
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>>6265315 >>Take Tianhua aside and ask how her husband hunting is going, before your obligations force you to attend the contests Does he have a broad beard or a long beard? Or, oh my, clean shaven?
Anonymous
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>>6265315 >Decide to let some ghosts compete in the matches as well, just to make sure both brackets are the same size Anonymous
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>>6265315 >Take Tianhua aside and ask how her husband hunting is going, before your obligations force you to attend the contests Anonymous
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>>6265315 >>Decide to let some ghosts compete in the matches as well, just to make sure both brackets are the same size we rule The living and the dead. we should give some rep to our less mortal fellows.
Anonymous
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>>6265315 >Have the other alliance heads commentate on the fights by your side, and watch all of them excitedly Oh yeah, have we mentioned the Red Dust Revival technique to Xuebai yet? Maybe get that out of the way so we can get an estimate on her strength.
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Sat 28 Jun 2025 06:54:48 No. 6266644 Report Quoted By:
Ending the vote, tallying its result now. Take Tianhua aside and ask how her husband hunting is going, before your obligations force you to attend the contests:3 Decide to let some ghosts compete in the matches as well, just to make sure both brackets are the same size:2 Have the other alliance heads commentate on the fights by your side, and watch all of them excitedly:1 Ask Xuebai about her power level:1 Alright, so you're going to ambush Tianhua and ask her how her husband hunting is going. Update will arrive shortly
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Sat 28 Jun 2025 07:34:52 No. 6266656 Report After the brief meeting, you ambush Lian Tianhua and drag her aside to one of the many currently unoccupied buildings of your second temple. Pulling her along is as easy as plucking a flower, though the ones in her hair are reacting strangely to the thick and heady Blood Qi in the air and the thick current of Primordial Beast Essence coursing through the Garden you'd built in the center of these ancient woods. "I assume you have a reason to drag me along like a doll, and didn't just get caught by the desire to hold onto me?" She asks sweetly, only looking a little off put by your sudden act of dragging her into an empty building that you think you're going to turn into a small scroll repository once the Garden of the Wild Empress starts its active operations "Oh, yeah. I mean, you are pleasant to look at and smell, but I didn't just get a whim to keep you by my side like a pretty flower" You titter, covering your mouth with your sleeves "I just thought you'd want some privacy" "For?" She asks, warily arcing her eyebrow as you shuffle and hop closer to her like the prettiest Jiangshi to ever be sewn together and risen "Well, it'd be pretty rude for me to ask about your love life in public" You snicker, creeping closer to her as she winces and shuts her eyes tightly "I brought that up only yesterday didn't I? I haven't seriously started looking for a groom" She says weakly and you pout and slink up closer "But you must have a few targets in mind" You say, nearly phrasing it as prey "You might have only put the plan into motion a couple of hours ago, but you had to been planning it, to give the Lian clan and the Thousand Lotus hall a heir that the elders wouldn't use as mulch to fertilize their precious gardens" Her eyes sharpen as she opens them just a sliver. "I might have" She says softly "But that doesn't mean I've a list of bachelors" "But you must have a few in mind" You counter "There are some obvious choices" She answers "But as Clan and sect head, I need to be discerning in my choice of partner" "Yeah, you can't just flick your tail up like cat's in heat can" You snicker and sneer as she turns as bright red as your hair "Needs to be a proper, worthy match. But who comes to mind" "No one you know" She says, flustered now as you cackle and brush up closer to her "I can't have a husband that is too weak or two strong, nor can I take one from a sect that is lesser or greater than my own school, then there is the renown of their family I have to consider, their personality and temperment" "So you're at the stage where you considering applicants then?" You ask "No, I don't even have a list of prospective husbands, just a few ideas of where to start looking" She answers, pushing you back a little as your cheek started squishing against hers "Liiiiike" You purr and she struggles to keep a polite, delicate smile on her lips. "All across Chuan?" She offers and you scowl, not accepting the answer Cont
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Sat 28 Jun 2025 07:35:53 No. 6266657 Report >>6266656 "Come on, I want to know!' You whine and shake her by her shoulders
"Why are you suddenly so interested in girl talk!" She loudly complains, trying to beat a retreat, but you blink to the door with the Phantom Cat's step and block her escape route "Do you want me to tell you about my childhood crushes, or hear me prattle about what clans would be open to an alliance by marriage, and which doors have been shut because of your and I's friendship"
"Yes" You answer monotonously and she groans and covers her face
"Even if that list includes some of your nephews from Xue?" She asks with a voice as delicate as a lily petal but as cutting as a honed blade
"EH?!" You shout and stomp towards her as she unfolds a fan from her sleeve and looks at you smugly
"Xue clan might be reduced and defanged, and have lost much of their good reputation, but one can't argue that their bloodline isn't impressive. Even you were impressed by them, considering how highly you talk about Xue Ming" She tells you "I saw how you praised his son, Xue Li"
"Aren't most of Long's brats married?" You ask
"He has a lot of sons" She says "He is your mother's child, even if he was raised away from her"
"Hey, only I'm allowed to make light of my mothers gluttony when it comes to lovers" You snap, poking her chest
"She does it herself" She reflects and you recoil and hiss, arcing your shoulders and back despite being in a human body "And I've also reluctantly considered a match with the Xia and the Shidi. The Shi are also on the table. As are the Disi-Ling and Mi and every other established and trustworthy Clan or family in Chuan"
"Sages of the shifting sands?"
"I said trustworthy' She giggles, and that makes you smirk'
What do you do, Huanliuxue?
>Try and dissuade Tianhua from looking for a Xue Husband, because you find the thought of it icky. >Decide to be a pest and bring up the matter to your "brother" Xue Long >Ask why she is only considering humans. Since beasts can obtain human forms, and powerful ghosts, devils, dragons...etc can to >Drop the subject, before Tianhua can ask you the same question, and just watch the fights >Write in Anonymous
>>6266657 She just said why she is only considering humans. Beasts lack any backing or bloodline of renown unless they appropriate those of a similar species as their own.
I think the Xue are a good idea though. It may go a way to pacifying our brother's sect by giving them a scrap of face to cling to.
and with their incredibly recent slam dunking, the political cost of the marriage is cheap!
>bring it up to long >Maybe try and push it along by giving him the first heads up Anonymous
>>6266657 >Jockingly suggest she borrow Luli's technique and grow herself a mushroom husband Anonymous
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>>6266674 That's funny. Her husband is full of shit.
>Add to >>6266661 Anonymous
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>>6266657 >Drop the subject, before Tianhua can ask you the same question, and just watch the fights Her sect is one of the most universally respected, so going for the very recently disgraced Winter Blossoming Sect sounds like it'd cause a loss of face. But also I can't think of a better alternative at the moment.
Anonymous
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>>6266657 >Drop the subject, before Tianhua can ask you the same question, and just watch the fights we can let her find her own husband or return to help her once she is more sure.
Anonymous
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>>6266657 >>Ask why she is only considering humans. Since beasts can obtain human forms, and powerful ghosts, devils, dragons...etc can to Anonymous
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>>6266657 I previously jokingly suggested Huan could grow a mushroom herself with blood sorcery but it doesn't seem Tianhua is that infatuated with Huan so there's no need for this.
I think I'll support whichever she chooses, even the Xue would be a decent match given it would normalize the relations between us and show we aren't out to destroy them further.
>Decide to be a pest and bring up the matter to your "brother" Xue Long ...Doesn't mean we can't rib the Xue about it though.
Anonymous
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>>6266657 >Drop the subject, before Tianhua can ask you the same question, and just watch the fights Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Tue 01 Jul 2025 14:41:12 No. 6268349 Report Ending the vote tallying its result now. Not feeling too well today, so the update may be a little short. Consider yourselves forewarned, Juniors Decide to be a pest and bring up the matter to your "brother" Xue Long:2 - Give it a push:1 Jokingly suggest she borrow Luli's technique and grow herself a mushroom husband:2 Drop the subject, before Tianhua can ask you the same question, and just watch the fights:3 So you'll drop the subject before Tianhua can retaliate and contentedly watch the Core formation stage fights Update will arrive shortly
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Tue 01 Jul 2025 14:42:50 No. 6268350 Report Quoted By:
>>6268349 Accidentally cut off the
Ask why she is only considering humans. Since beasts can obtain human forms, and powerful ghosts, devils, dragons...etc can to: 1
Part of the vote. Only noticed it was missing when I hit post
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Tue 01 Jul 2025 15:18:47 No. 6268361 Report However, as the smile curls on your lips, you receive a terrifying vision as you realize that if you keep pestering Lady Lian about her love light, she may retaliate by asking you the same question. Which would be embarrassing, more embarrassing than any of your other blunders and mistakes and while you don't think Tianhua has the guts to bully you, the risk of someone, somehow overhearing the conversation that would be sure to follow is far to high for you to gamble testing her patience and tolerance for your teasing and mischief. "Well, this fruit hasn't ripened enough to become suitably juicy and to my taste" You giggle, shrugging your shoulders "I'll let this peach ripen before I try to peel it open again, when there are answers to be found besides being told that you're thinking of finding a husband" "Do you even eat peaches?" Tianhua asks after a moment of silence that terrified you that she'd, cruelly, riposte you with the same question you'd bedeviled and teased her with despite you stopping playing around and relenting. You blink slowly, more baffled by the sudden question brought about by your colorful turn of phrase than you could be relieved that the gentle lotus wasn't roasting your heels over the coals in retribution and pursuing the pettiest of grudges against her sweet nature "Occasionally when I'm human. The first I had was with a cat's mouth. They taste better when I have a tongue that can experience sweetness" You explain, tittering as she nods along, fascinated by your explanation over something as mundane as eating a peach "I like them a little over-ripe and overflowing with juice. They're best when they're bruised, tender and a little syrupy" "Cat's tongues can't taste sweet things?' She asks, sounding even more amazed, eyes wide and sparkling with a childish wonder you'd have expected more from her little sister Luli "I though they were just weak to heat" "They cannot in fact, at all" You answer, sweating a little as you wonder if she isn't just playing with you by batting you around like a mouse before striking or if she's really gotten this caught up by what you can't taste when your fully feline, but even though you're fretting, you without really thinking add "But I've noticed meat doesn't taste the same with this woman's tongue of mine" "How so" She asks, and you squint and weigh down your brow as you wrinkle it in thought "Its a flavor that isn't in anything else or that can be found when I'm in my human form. Suppose its the same with sweetness, try describing it? Its as hard as describing color to the blind" You laugh, and turn around to walk away "One benefit of being able to take on a human shape, is that I can savor both meat and sweets as much as I like, whenever I want" "If only I could turn to a cat" Tianhua titters "But I suppose I'll never know" "Oh I turned one of Xia's students into a cat, he can shapeshift like I can" You snicker "Maybe ask him after tossing him some beef, Heh-Heh" Cont
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Tue 01 Jul 2025 15:19:48 No. 6268363 Report >>6268361 "I am not going to ask how exactly you did that, Huan" She says, with all the severity of a sage delivering some great and lofty wisdom.
None of the attending sects raise any complaints when you send messengers to their heads and grandmaster explaining the change in schedule and the splitting of the brackets. They barely seem to care and at most ask for more time for their Core Formation level contestants time to separately prepare and practice before their matches, after asking which of the two gendered brackets would start first. Well, they're apathetic until your messengers bring up the ultimate final match and the promise of an even greater reward to be won besides what is expected to be given to the victor of either individual bracket. Then they start to train my more intensely and there are a few requests from panicked elders who, thinking they have a shot at being the strongest of their realm in chuan or perhaps blinded by avarice and the possibilities of what the grand prize could possibly, plead to be allowed more time to prepare and improve their odds.
And all the discussions between the sects turn to what sorts of magical tools, artifacts, weapons, talismans and other battle and cultivation aids the elders of the sects will bring into the contest to try and weigh the chances in their favor. For whatever reason, aiming to get a shot to win the very last match has really excited the Core Formation experts and has them scrambling to strengthen and refine themselves as much as possible right before their matches to get even a sliver of a better chance to win.
Except for Monu, who you tell this to when you find her resting after the monster slaying contests, covered in medicinal salved soaked bandages and a few splotches of unseemly looking curatives, sipping at a bottle of her favorite brand of paint thinner, kaoliang wine and smoking the opium she mixes crushed spirit stones into
"Is there a reason for me to panic?" She asks languidly, leaning against Chuandapo's shell as the girl naps in the shade, probably knocked out from either the wine or the smoke rising from your mother's silver pipe "I'm being supported by both of my daughters, Heh-Heh-Heh, That Gu you've fed me has made me feel stronger than I have in decades and I'm sure its potent enough to be a dragon killer. And Xuebai's body has been cut to a razor's edged blade, that has a particular affinity for the ice sorcery I practice alongside my poisoner arts, Heh-Heh-Heh. With both on my side, I'm a shoe in to get the biggest prize!"
"Are you disappointed that our mother isn't frantic, little Huan?" The ghost of your elder sister yawned, at her most adorable looking like a little snow fox kit "Mama has no reason to panic and every reason to be confident, she's right that she has an advantage. Poisoners are a rarity and few cultivators expect to run into one of her level. Its why she had so many scary epithets when she was younger"
Cont
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Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Tue 01 Jul 2025 15:20:49 No. 6268364 Report >>6268363 "Besides, I might have time to sober up if some of the sects find something to bribe you with, to get you to delay the matches a little. I could perform alchemy while shitfaced, if you do bend to bribery, My sweet Huan, Heh-Heh-Heh" She cackles, breathing out a cloud of fragrant smoke from her nostrils, her eyes glimmering "Besides, if I lose, I'll at least deny my opponent their shot at first place. Such is the danger when handling a poisonous toad like my beautiful self, Heh-Heh-Heh"
What do you do, Huanliuxue?
>Ignore the pleas of the contestants and push the 1 v 1 fights to start immediately, after placing a few bets on your honored mother, of course >Takes Xuebai aside and tell her about the red dust revival and use the excuse of considering the pleas of the contestants to work towards giving her a second shot of life, as a surprise for Monu after Core Formation level Martial contest ends >Openly ask for bribes to convince you if you should switch the martial arts contest with a different one to let the fighters get some more last minute training in >Decide that for the crime of daring to think they can demand you to do anything, the beggars will be the first in the ring and you'll have the two brackets going side by side to make certain none of them weasel away to do a bit of training >Write in Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6268364 >Ignore the pleas of the contestants and push the 1 v 1 fights to start immediately, after placing a few bets on your honored mother, of course Anonymous
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>>6268364 >Ignore the pleas. We are gonna heal her anyway. And it would deprive monu of her weapon.
Anonymous
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>>6268364 >Take Xuebai aside and tell her about the red dust revival and use the excuse of considering the pleas of the contestants to work towards giving her a second shot of life, as a surprise for Monu after Core Formation level Martial contest ends. Nothing is impossible in the world of cultivation!
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6268364 >Takes Xuebai aside and tell her about the red dust revival and use the excuse of considering the pleas of the contestants to work towards giving her a second shot of life, as a surprise for Monu after Core Formation level Martial contest ends Anonymous
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>>6268364 >>Takes Xuebai aside and tell her about the red dust revival and use the excuse of considering the pleas of the contestants to work towards giving her a second shot of life, as a surprise for Monu after Core Formation level Martial contest ends be grateful juniors, we are granting you the time it takes to finish a cup of tea and for incense to burn before we test your might.
Anonymous
Feel better gramps
>>6268364 >Takes Xuebai aside and tell her about the red dust revival and use the excuse of considering the pleas of the contestants to work towards giving her a second shot of life, as a surprise for Monu after Core Formation level Martial contest ends I'm sure Monu and Feiqing can make something equivalent to the scythe similarly to how she made Ghost Empress Melody from our whiskers. That and I imagine having her daughter alive would be a perfect reward.
Anonymous
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>>6268364 >>6268364 #>Takes Xuebai aside and tell her about the red dust revival and use the excuse of considering the pleas of the contestants to work towards giving her a second shot of life, as a surprise for Monu after Core Formation level Martial contest ends What level was the fox anyways? Foundation?
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Fri 04 Jul 2025 18:47:05 No. 6269820 Report Quoted By:
Ending the Vote, tallying its result now.
Ignore the pleas of the contestants and push the 1 v 1 fights to start immediately, after placing a few bets on your honored mother, of course: 2
Takes Xuebai aside and tell her about the red dust revival and use the excuse of considering the pleas of the contestants to work towards giving her a second shot of life, as a surprise for Monu after Core Formation level Martial contest ends:5
Alright, so you'll take your Late elder sister aside and tell her about the red dust revival ritual and begin work towards giving her a second chance at life
update will arrive shortly
>>6268544 Thanks for the well wishes, Junior, but I'm still not feeling better unfortunately,
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Fri 04 Jul 2025 19:58:05 No. 6269840 Report "As treacherous as ever, aren't you mother. Dangerous as a toxic lotus blossom" You titter and praise, flicking your tail and nodding your head, as you shoot Xuebai's got a mischievous look that's sure to lure her spirit away from your mother's side as she sips at the uncorked bottle of Kaoliang wine she's holding by the neck. Xuebai's fox ears perk up and her spiritual form distorts, multiple orange red eyes sprouting along her neck as her tails flicker and dance like the last flames licking at bones upon a funerary pyre. "Of course, that is the Dao of poison. I've embraced the identity of the Toad Witch because I've found I enjoy the mastery of poison above all other arts" Monu cackles, lifting up her bottle of liquor to the sky "So don't worry your pretty head, Huanliuxue, Mother will beat all comers! It won't be like with the space beasts, I know what it takes to kill a man, or bring low a cultivator. Heh-Heh-Heh" "Oh I'm well aware, we still have those bandit corpses fermenting somewhere in the temple" You laugh, as you creep a step away and Xuebai follows, intrigued by the subtle promise of some prank or trick to be played "But I trust you to at least beat the other flowers of the sect, who haven't sharpened their thorns or stuck their roots in venom" "Either I win or I don't, know reason to stress, its not like its a life or death battle" Monu shrugs "But I won't keep you to gossip like a hen, since we're in agreement I've got the advantage, Heh-Heh. It'd be humilating for me to fail a second time while my daughters watch, and shameful for me as a teacher! So I should...probably at least stretch my limbs a little, Heh-Heh-Heh" And with that, you leave with a bow and saunter off with the ethereal mist of your sister, Xuebai chilling the air around you as you wander until you find the spot nearby the castle at the heart of your garden where you intend to turn into a graveyard, one to eventually rival the one your first shrine was bult over "So, little sister, what sort of devilry have you got in mind? I know that glimmer I saw in your eye, a whim for mischief has struck you and I've been ever so bored since I've sold Jingyu up the river, I could use some entertainment, especially since Yujijiao is in no mood to train and the other dead souls wanderering these grounds are no fun at all" Xuebai asks excitedly, yipping and nipping at your tail and unnotched ear as you find a good spot of soil to flop down on and relax "Oh, so excitable! I remember when we first met, you were deranged and truly mad, barely coherent. So consumed by your bittersweet enmity all you could think of was revenge" You snicker, lifting a paw to your mouth as she curls her lips and bares her fangs "Living two centuries as a vengeful ghost will do that to a girl, you can't blame me for losing my mind, can you?" She simpers, acting cute "Besides, it wasn't like I'm solely to blame" Cont
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Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Fri 04 Jul 2025 19:59:06 No. 6269842 Report >>6269840 "Jingyu's madness was your own doing" You point out "But I didn't bring you here to mock you"
"Of course, we're here to play a prank, a art I need to teach you the finer points of. You should've seen the sort of mischief I got up to when I was alive" She cackles, swirling around you, half frigid mist and half monsterous fox demon as you yawn and stretch out your fore and back paws "So, whose the target you have in mind? The Xue might've rolled over and showed their bellies, but we can still kick them while they're down. Or we can make life hell for those mangy mutts in the marsh, make the little fishes swimming behind you happy or..."
"Oh, we're playing a trick, not a prank. And a life and afterlife long trickster like yourself should know the difference. Elder sister" You dully remark, licking the back of your paw idly, and now you had her full attention
"Oh~?" She asked, creeping along the ground, looking more like she must have had in life "Something a bit more impactful than throwing some stuffy monks and self righteous daoists into disorder and chaos? Something like the fun I got up to once I'd gotten a bit of strength and additional tails?"
"Perhaps. I want to perform a Heathen ritual that'd even the maniac heretics attending this festival of talent may balk at" You explain and Xuebai yips and laughs excitedly
"Heh-Heh-Heh! And here I was worried you'd gotten to many self inflicted responsibilities to be fun, Sister" She cheers "Oh do explain further, what sort of wicked rite shall we perform, to remind the worlds for as sweet and kindly as you can be, you are still a witch by the name of bloodshed!"
"Well, it is a complete perversion of Daoist scripture, Buddhist beliefs and other faiths surely. Invented by that most foul villain, that monstrous eater of souls" You begin, as your elder sister listens with rapt attention "An affront to the natural laws I consider myself a follower of. The ritual to truly cheat death"
"Oh~?" She snickers, catching on quickly "I should've known you had such a potent sorcery up your sleeve, sister, considering the name you'd given your cultivation law"
"I learned it later, half a vision and half a nightmare gave me the insight to perform the ritual" You explain, wagging a paw in the air, idly trying to catch a butterfly or a moth "It is a most offensive and profane incantation, a rite unknown to all but the most wretched. I didn't wish to learn it, but the knowledge of it was perhaps drawn to me, as the cultivator most apt to perform the rite"
"Of course you who wallows in blood and corpses alike would have good affinity with such a ritual" Xuebai reflects "Oh stop drawing this out and taunting me, what is the road to get my body back? I'd walk it if even if it was paved by the corpses of nine generations"
Cont
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Fri 04 Jul 2025 20:00:07 No. 6269843 Report >>6269842 "It is unique for each case" You explain, liking the mental image of such a gruesome road if nothing else "A necromantic array must be established and fortified, a portion of the soon to be resurrected must be transformed into an divine idol and enshrined, turned into a vessel of both prayers and curses, blessings and maledictions. The enshrined remains must be from their original body, the corpse they left behind"
"Hmm, but the biggest piece of me left is currently in our mother's hands and serving her well as a cruel blade" She points out "It'd be distasteful to take her weapon from her hand, right before she flies into a fight"
"Tch, Mom doesn't fight hand to hand unless she can't avoid it. She relies mostly on spells, curses and poisons" You scoff "The only issue is that I'd prefer to keep this hush hush, to make it a surprise for her'
"Oh so that's the trick we're playing" Xuebai, understanding now, titters like you were playing to buy your mother a gift rather than wrench the great wheel of transmigration and force it to turn backwards
"Yes, we must force the stars to flee the sky, which I alone am capable of" You boast, and sit up, sneering wickedly as you haven't done since you got a taste for good deeds and selfless acts "and choke out the winds until they fall still. When there is no light to weaken the darkness, and even the crickets and crows have become mute..."
"Yes, Yes" Your sister urges, growing more impatient by the second
You groan and bare your teeth, thoroughly annoyed
"The enshrined corpse must be presented a sacrifice as great as it was in life. But that's enough, certain treasures must also be present, to cheat the gods of death, Fool king yama and twist the wheel of life back to return a single life" You explain "I don't know the stage you reached before you died..."
"I've grown stronger in death, will that complicate this rebirth?" She asks
"It might" You answer, as post mortem refinements may make the soul a bit more rowdy and difficult to fit back into its body, now that you think about it "But I've never performed this ritual before, it is an afront the natural order of life and death"
"And I am truly touched you'd go against your principles for my benefit, little sister" Xuebai chirps sweetly
You smile gently, and continue to explain "But to make the mortal red dust you were reduced to sprout life anew, we need earthly treasures, divine artifacts, and demonic & cursed tools alike and things much more vile. To force the divine and demonic to meet, to paint with yin and yang through the abomination of the performance, to celebrate the life we deny King Yama from judging "
You pause, as for a split second, you were standing in the place of the wretched soul eater, standing before the gagged and bound jade beauty they explained this rite to before sacrificing her, hearing his voice as your own. But the day dream is banished with a jolt and shake of your head
Cont
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Fri 04 Jul 2025 20:01:20 No. 6269844 Report >>6269843 "The sacrifice is a bribe, of both material and spiritual wealth, to prevent transmigration" You say and suddenly your sister's expression turns grave and frightened "I know how souls are bartered, and roughly what makes one equivalent in worth to another. We'll swap one soul for yours upon Yama's scales, and steal you back to this flawed, injustice mortal world. But first, we must stand on the threshhold between life and death, and create a boundary or force it to appear, it isn't clear to me yet. But to make it appear or to bring it about, we must first create a gate..."
<span class="mu-s"> Yes....We must. Will you be the teacher or the student? Are you the gate I saw that day, or was that vision naught but an illusion of a sickened mind? </span>
And though it is leagues away, and buried beneath miles of grave soil, funerary stones and warding talismans and arrays, the soul eater's diary whispers reach your ears and sends a chill down your spine
"We must create a gate" You repeat, steeling yourself "To blur the boundaries between day and night, death and life, melt them like frost meeting light. Only then can The Great King Yama be cheated and the wheel turned back, for a single"
<span class="mu-s"> Pitiful, Fleeting </span>
"Soul" You answer, and notice your sister seems less enthused, her ears flat against her skull, which is half revealed through her transluscent, ethereal "flesh"
"...Maybe" She meekly starts "I'm just saying, that this is sounding a little too grievous and severe, all a bit too serious and dangerous. It took less for me to be branded a demon"
"Birth" You snap and she winces and shies away "Your birth was all it took, Xuebai, as it would have for me. It was an injustice for you to die, even if you spent most of your life troubling others and causing mayhem to amuse yourself. If it takes an injustice to right that wrong, than I have less than no regrets"
"I'm just saying, little sister, it feels like we're dabbling in something beyond...well, something that is great...Something that you...we don't understand" She meekly squeaks and you frown
"And? It is in a cat's nature to be proud! Don't mince words, you think this is beyond me! That the Hóngchénfùxīng (Red Dust Revival 红尘复兴), is of a realm out of my reach! Hah, if the shitty devourer of souls could come up with it, I can refine and perform it!" You declare loudly, and remember Aodasheng and Five colors' words of wisdom as you defiantly draw your line in the sand "Any technique, any art is acceptable, so long as I deem it to be so! The path in life I walk is only defined by the lines I refuse to cross, and bending the laws of life and death to suit my own needs, hah! It isn't as awful as consuming or destroying souls, as unnatural and perverse of a rite as it is! And it'll prove to all, on heaven and earth and in hell that I! Huanliuxue! Am the true ruler of the great wheel and show that the name of my method is no idle boast"
Cont
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Fri 04 Jul 2025 20:02:37 No. 6269845 Report >>6269844 "....Well, I...I guess that makes sense" Xuebai says weakly "W...where do we start"
"Good question elder sister. And besides getting you a spine and some courage?" You, still irritated by her doubts and second guessing "I suppose we should..."
Where do you start the preparations for Xuebai's Red Dust Revival, Huanliuxue?
>The collection of Divine artifacts/relics/ Tools. Luckily, there should be one in the center of Chuan, dropped in the middle of a great lake >The Gathering of Demonic and Cursed Tools and Treasures. Fortunately, you have a map that shows hidden grotos, Ao is a graverobber, and if those two ways fail, you can always take a trip down to the yellow springs >The finding of earthly treasures and the other ritual materials. It won't be hard to find corpse fat and bones, but the more profrane substances will be a bit more trying to find. And you can always barter for treasures from other sects, or steel them >Finding a suitable live sacrifice. Xuebai was in life, late foundation establishment stage and while she's grown stronger in death, she hasn't transcend to the core formation realm yet >Creating and preparing the ritual site and creating the necromantic array the ritual will be empowered by >Write in Anonymous
>>6269845 >>The finding of earthly treasures and the other ritual materials. It won't be hard to find corpse fat and bones, but the more profrane substances will be a bit more trying to find. And you can always barter for treasures from other sects, or steel them I feel like this one will draw the least attention. No demons to feel the draw of evil gubbins. No divine aura to attract the gaze of the gods. No heeby jeebies at suddenly having a horrific ritual site in your backyard.
Anonymous
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>>6269845 >Earthly treasures. Her timidity is amusing, and a sign of what seperates her from greatness.
Anonymous
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>>6269845 >The finding of earthly treasures and the other ritual materials. It won't be hard to find corpse fat and bones, but the more profrane substances will be a bit more trying to find. And you can always barter for treasures from other sects, or steel them Finding the sacrifice should be the last step, because otherwise we would have to hold a late foundation establishment cultivator prisoner for an unknown amount of time
Anonymous
>>6269845 >The finding of earthly treasures >>6269846 I guess starting from the more normal ritual ingredients shouldn't draw too much attention. So you have my support on this vote.
Anonymous
>>6269845 >>Write in Traveling to the underworld so that we may also learn how Yama and his denizens may even observe the living from the position of the dead, allowing us to know where his gaze falls so that our work may be best hidden. (we were planning on going to hell anyway, the best way to know how to use slight of hand against the judge of all the dead is to make sure we understand how his eyes and ears work within the realm he rules over, and the destination of the soul we would send his way in our deception.)
Anonymous
Anonymous
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>>6269993 Not a bad idea at all!
We could probably combine it with the cursed treasures too since we're there.
>>6269845 I'll change my vote
>>6269945 To scouting out in hell.
(Also lol, my post is off one number from grampa's post)
Anonymous
>>6269845 Would the guy who mishandled us before our trial still alive? The last time I remember of him, he was given special treatment by Monu. Would he qualify as a suitable sacrifice?
>>6269993 supporting
>Traveling to the underworld so that we may also learn how Yama and his denizens may even observe the living from the position of the dead, allowing us to know where his gaze falls so that our work may be best hidden. (we were planning on going to hell anyway, the best way to know how to use slight of hand against the judge of all the dead is to make sure we understand how his eyes and ears work within the realm he rules over, and the destination of the soul we would send his way in our deception.) this should be combined with
>Creating and preparing the ritual site and creating the necromantic array the ritual will be empowered by Would the place in the underworld of the "not"-necromancers who gave Ping special training be suitable? Maybe they find the ritual interesting and help us out.
We should shift our worst actions to the Underworld: the things considered "natural" can be different there. Especially when it comes to utilising souls as a good to trade with. And if things go bad, the chances of accidentally injuring someone with good Karma is extremely low.
Anonymous
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>>6269845 >>6269993 +1
This trip will be well worthwhile. I wonder if we'll meet a second Baoli down there this time, or even meet the crow himself down there!
Anonymous
A little spooked by the book speaking to our mind from kilometers away, but fuck it we ball for our sister.
>>6269845 >The finding of earthly treasures and the other ritual materials. It won't be hard to find corpse fat and bones, but the more profrane substances will be a bit more trying to find. And you can always barter for treasures from other sects, or steel them >>6270538 I imagine the fool is being kept in some stay bordering between life and death, but yeah good call for checking him as a sacrifice.
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Tue 08 Jul 2025 00:18:24 No. 6271463 Report Quoted By:
Ending the vote, tallying its result now. Starting to feel better.
The finding of earthly treasures and the other ritual materials. It won't be hard to find corpse fat and bones, but the more profrane substances will be a bit more trying to find. And you can always barter for treasures from other sects, or steal them: 4
Traveling to the underworld so that we may also learn how Yama and his denizens may even observe the living from the position of the dead, allowing us to know where his gaze falls so that our work may be best hidden: 5
Creating and preparing the ritual site and creating the necromantic array the ritual will be empowered by:1
Narrow victory to travel to the underworld and try to learn King Yama and his servant's secrets to observing the living to see where his gaze doesn't reach to best do the work in secret
Update will arrive shortly
Pretty sure this is the first time since Huan will have traveled to hell since unlocking the Karmic wheel/ attaining positive Karma. Which will be interesting, considering that one of the effects of that is making her flesh a delicacy to demons
>>6270769 There is a reason Huan put it under so many protections, that diary is probably the most cursed artifact in the palace of natural law's possession
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Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Tue 08 Jul 2025 01:33:44 No. 6271508 Report "By going to hell of course, my dear elder sister" You snicker as she tilts her head, confused for a moment before a look of realization flashes across her eyes "Ah, to rob some demonic royalty of their treasures to serve as the cursed offerings? That is a good place to start, Little sister!" She declares quite happily, but screws her brow and scrunches her snout when you shake your head and flick your paw "Oh, we can do that as well I suppose, but the intent is for us to spy on the judge of the dead himself" You answer "Spy in the court of Yama!?" She yips, shrinking down into a small, snow white ghost flame, the inner light flaring as you snear "Oh that's much too crude, and blunt of an approach! I deceived the heavens themselves into think I was a harmless goddess, just barging into the Yama's palace is far too simple of a scheme for one such as I!" You declare boisterously as you stand "No, we'll observe the judge and his aids, see how it is they observe the goings ons of the world of the living, the sins and virtues of the living and see where their blindspots are" <span class="mu-s">....Am I the mad one, of us two tyrants of the dead? </span> "That's only slightly less insane of a plan" Xuebai squeals "If the Yama knows of the lives of all mortals, then surely he will notice your skulking" "But would he know it is I, Huanliuxue? And would he be aware that I'm investigating his weaknesses, if all I do is watch and observe?" You retort, grinning ear to ear "There is a risk, of course, I'm not a fool and certainly not bold enough to underestimate King Yama. He is the god of death and judge of souls, and one of the few divinities I actually respect, because death is impartial and just, especially compared to the swine making a mess of the heavens and earth. I know he has my life's records, but I've nine of them, don't I?" "This is asking for trouble, but, you've more insights of the nature of death than I do, I just worry little sister" She mumbles, shaking her head "Sure, you got out of the heavens okay, but King Yama presides over the netherworld in its entirety, and punishes the souls of the dead and the devils that live their equally. And, aren't there some pretty powerful demons..." "Hah! I've killed some pretty strong devils, and got the crow devil clan fearing me like a goddess of death myself! I've squashed spiders and chased off the fierce and wicked spirits that dwell there!" You boast "It'll be fine, but if you're too frightened to just take a look, then you can stay here and..." "No, I may be weaker than you, but its an older sister's duty to protect her younger sister" Xuebai barks, returning to her usual, monstrous snow fox form "Very well, then I'll have one of my disciples inform the contestants I'm considering their pleas, and we'll take a jaunt down to the yellow springs" You answer, feeling proud of your elder sister. It is even easier now that you've attained a golden core, to open a gate to the land of the dead Cont
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Tue 08 Jul 2025 01:34:45 No. 6271510 Report >>6271508 and you're able to appear in the dreary, grey skied hell, right outside of the gates of the city you spend most of your time and usually visit when you take a trip to hell. But, you notice immediately that something is different about the atmosphere, the marrow chilling air, thick with deathly yin Qi, is the same as it's always been, and the sights, scents and tastes in the air are still as soothing to the soul as they've always been for you. No, its the way the denizens of hell, the hungry ghosts, tormented spirits and conniving demons look at and act around you that's changed.
And you know why that is. Ever since you've formed your flawless golden core and become widely worshipped as a benevolent deity, something inside of your flesh has become like catnip for devils. The good karma you've accumulated, probably has turned your meat into something like a saint or a buddhas. And those are delicacy for demons, even one who'd been one in a past life thought you smelled tasty.
But, that's nothing for you to be concerned about. You're leagues above the strongest of demons here! There's nothing for you to fear at all. They might slaver over getting a bite out of you, but, just like in the world of the living above, none of them are worthy of the body of Huanliuxue. Smiling smugly, you flick your hair out of your eyes, wearing one of your favorite pieces of underworld fashion.
The long sashed dress patterned with spider webs and bleeding bones. Not the most daring or revealing assemble in your underworld wardrobe, but, while you're certain you can beat off any demon stupid enough to think to make a meal of the mighty happy bloodshed, that doesn't mean you've encourage them by showing off all of the meat on your bones. Even if the idea of being salivated over by demons and long dead ghosts does have a certain charm to it there's no reason to shower yourself in onions sauce before leaping into a lion's den, after all. Besides, if you want to revel in attention, you can always switch to one of your more bold outfits later.
"Sister..." Xuebai mutters cautiously "They're looking at you like a meat pie"
"And how is that any different from how men and plenty of girls look at me in the world of the living?" You titter
"They want to rut with you, not eat you and pick their teeth with your bones" She hisses, eyes flaring bright blue and searing like the open sky after a winter storm
"Hmm, how best do you think my corpse would be prepared? I think sliced up thin and raw, with the bones roasted and the offal fried in fragant chili oil, Heh-Heh" You tease her as you saunter elegantly down the street, which clears before you as you hear whispers of Wuyashashou (Crow Killer 乌鸦杀手) But they're also calling you Shèngtú Wuyashashou (Saint Crow Killer, 圣徒 乌鸦杀手) and Youlingmaogege (Specter Cat Princess, 幽灵 猫 格格), which are pleasing to your ears.
Cont
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Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Tue 08 Jul 2025 01:35:46 No. 6271511 Report >>6271510 Though more trouble than the hungry stares of the demons, thrown your eyes from the lowest of goblins and imps to the gentry and nobles walking amongst the slums, those who look almost human except for a few tells and deformities, is how many of the pitiful dead throw themselves like supplicants at your feet, the ghostly lower class awaiting reincarnation clinging to your legs and clawing at your feet as they cry and beg you to show them way to their next life or the heavens, some going so far as to try and lift up your bare feet to kiss them or wheeping into the hems of your dress or showing you stones carved in the shape of still borns to try and sway your heart.
And unsettlingly, their pleas do reach your heart and give you pause as they swarm around you, a sea of the mournful dead and rotting corpses, weeping and begging and swearing oaths and promises to do better in their next life and the urge to help them slows you down more than having to wade through the mob of them does.
"Lady Crow killer" A somewhat familiar voice rasps, and you frown and turn to see a familiarish face, one of the countless siblings of your favorite tailor and weaver Anjing-Yinshi (安靜-隐士, Quiet Hermit), Heizhizhu (黑蜘蛛, Dark Spider) Bāmóushā (八谋杀 , Eight Murders), her elder brother if you recall correctly "You've only grown bolder since you've leapt over the dragon's gate"
"Hah, I'm no carp! And I wasn't expecting to see you, still have the arms I tore off of you in storage you know" You greet him jubilantly, bouncing over to him as Xuebai curls around your neck protectively like a fur scar "Say, say, no one's put a bounty on my head, have they? Surely you can see I'm much too strong for you to rematch me now, as you are now at least, at least if you'd want any of a chance of winning"
"No" He answer simply to both of your questions "But, you've attracted more attention than you usually do, and you must know why"
"I look quite the treat don't I?" You ask with a mocking flirtatious tone and he shuts his eight red eyes narrow "A delicacy as prized as jade, Heh-Heh"
"You do realize, that old monsters still dwell in hell, unlike your peaceable mortal realm? That we've not grown indulgent and complacent like the heavens? Even if the strongest have kept us from taking advantage of the era of weakness?" He asks softly
"Figured there were, why I came here because I wanted to know more about the one sitting at the tippy top of this everyman against every one else hierarchy" You answer chipperly, as you shuffle closer to him and lean close enough so the warmth of your living breath will wash over his face, just to see how he'd react
Cont
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Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Tue 08 Jul 2025 01:36:47 No. 6271512 Report >>6271511 "You should think about finding some protection" He warns, averting all eight of his eyes as you push up your chest with your arms, as he miraculously maintains focus and composure, retaining his etiquette and gentlemanly bearing" You've gotten strong, but down here, we have more than memories of when the mightiest made the heavens tremble"
"Well, let them try to sink their teeth in me, see how I compare to the monsters of old" You huff and sneer "Eight murders, you should know I don't turn tail and run away easily, its why I'm called crow killer"
"And why, I imagine, the Crow Demon Clan flew back to roost after slipping up into the world of mortals" He adds, sounding truly impressed "And why they've been cawing about being in the employ of the Bloody Moon Spirit, Huanliuxue"
"Need to pluck a few birds I see~" You purr as you hop away from him, getting bored of testing his self control and tormenting him with your scent and good looks
"You need to hire bodyguards" He replies, hand reaching for his sword "I've got stronger siblings, and our mother is feeling generous today. I'm confident she'd be no miser in negotiations if you'd asked for a few blades of the spider demon clan"
"Oh?" You asks innocently, tilting your head to the side and smiling, turning your teeth into jugular tearing fangs "Do you really think I need protection that badly, old eight murders?"
"Yes. The elders like to allow their juniors to play and struggle against eachother, rarely rising to act themselves or doing more than flicking their sleeve to deal with would be usurpers, but, when a prize such as yourself, rich in treasures and Qi, from the hair on your head to the marrow inside of your bones, they take notice and rouse themselves" He answers with a harsh, barking tone "And, among all daoist saints, you are a particularly sought after delicacy, on the road to the divinity, suffused with faith and prayers, radiating with rare Qi and generating spiritual powers, with mysterious treasures gained from places no devil has ever reached. I'm sure you'd win if one of the beasts more brawn than brains tried to claim you, but the truly cunning would simply sit back and observe, waiting for their chance to strike. And they've had centuries to perfect themselves as schemers"
"My my, how scaaaary~~ If only I was an easily frigthened girl, rather than a lethal threat myself, Heh...Heh " You titter, to hide the fact that Eight murders incessantness about you finding guards and the danger of waltzing around like you own the place starts to make you worry and feel something you haven't felt in a while, fear for yourself and doubt about your safety and supremacy
"We're offering a discount for our usual services, Lady Crow Killer" He reminds you, both about his family's offer and his nature as a demon, despite how he outwardly acts with honor and chivalry.
Cont
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Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Tue 08 Jul 2025 01:37:49 No. 6271514 Report >>6271512 "How much of a discount, could we lower it further, since there's two of us here?" Xuebai asks meekly
"Crow Killer is known to be wealthy in souls" He answers with a miser's sneer "The discount is in terms of the rates we ask of our wealthiest customers"
Slimy son of a bitch!
<span class="mu-s"> Double Vote </span>
Do you listen to Eight Murders' warnings?
>Yes, and take him up on the Spider Demon Clan's offer for discounted hiring rates, and meet their matriarch >Yes, but instead of paying for protection, Call Aodasheng and his "surviving" officers, and take full advantage of your status as their Master >No, but suppress your Qi and spiritual presence signifigantly and disguise yourself with Chimeric transformation (QI Control trial. DC 145) >Laugh and despite being somewhat frightened, brag loudly that anything that tried to make a meal of you would become yours instead! And how do you try and investigate King Yama's blindspot, Huanliuxue?
>By simply observing new souls as they arrive and watching how they're taken to the seat of his thrown (Perception trial. DC 94) >By asking the society of undying alchemists who trained Ping to share what they know about Yama. >By brushing shoulders with the underworld elite and simply asking them about it directly (Cunning Trial. DC 130) >By seeking out one of his aids/ servants and seeing if you could trick or beat the information out of them >Write in Anonymous
Offhand when was the last time the mc tried personally cultivating?
Anonymous
>>6271514 >>Yes, and take him up on the Spider Demon Clan's offer for discounted hiring rates, and meet their matriarch Allies in hell?
The Crows and Spiders are macabre enough for us indeed.
>By simply observing new souls as they arrive and watching how they're taken to the seat of his thrown (Perception trial. DC 94) the easiest, and most direct, and important part of the process. The soul we slip in would be coming in the exact same way, so this is what we wish to see the most.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6271534 Rank/ stage advancing cultivation? Quite a while ago. Juniors are building up their bonus for the roll, its gotten quite big
For technique refinement/ new abilities, a few threads ago when Huan invented a new healing art bases off of mingling ghostly and blood qis
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6271514 >Yes, and take him up on the Spider Demon Clan's offer for discounted hiring rates, and meet their matriarch By simply observing new souls as they arrive and watching how they're taken to the seat of his thrown (Perception trial. DC 94)
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6271514 >Yes, and take him up on the Spider Demon Clan's offer for discounted hiring rates, and meet their matriarch It might just be a trap to get first pick at us by drawing Huan to wander into the spiderweb herself so I would exercise caution.
But also it's best not to risk being without protection, and calling Ao and the others here while we want to observe Yama might risk them being judged next I fear.
>By asking the society of undying alchemists who trained Ping to share what they know about Yama. They might be focused only on alchemy but surely they also remember when they met judgement and how it went.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6271514 >Yes, and take him up on the Spider Demon Clan's offer for discounted hiring rates, and meet their matriarch I doubt he himself can do much to harm us as we beat him when we were two stages lower
>By simply observing new souls as they arrive and watching how they're taken to the seat of his thrown (Perception trial. DC 94) >>6271534 Last time I believe was when we went all out and jumped up to Golden Core which was maybe 15 threads ago. Though we have developed some new techniques in the interim (also got a whole new qi type and temple with built in goodies we haven’t fully looked into yet). Plus we will get some personal training done for the Golden Core tournament fights and later our war with the Ling, I still recall how close our fight with Ao was so we do need some more experience.
Anonymous
>>6271514 >No, but suppress your Qi and spiritual presence signifigantly and disguise yourself with Chimeric transformation (QI Control trial. DC 145) We're going spying, after all
>By seeking out one of his aids/ servants and seeing if you could trick or beat the information out of them Anonymous
>>6271549 >>6271874 actually very good point, we will be in deep in Yama's grounds, we don't want to attract attention. Changing my first vote to this.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6271874 >>6272092 Given that we're going to see Yama the judge of souls I wonder if it's wise to try and get in with a disguised form that doesn't resemble our soul.
Wouldn't it be really obvious that we're up to something? (And demons can sniff out good karma so no disguise is going to hide that, though it might impede them from ID us as Huan or our cultivation level so it still has it's merits).
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Fri 11 Jul 2025 03:07:50 No. 6273194 Report Quoted By:
Ending and tallying the vote now. Yes, and take him up on the Spider Demon Clan's offer for discounted hiring rates, and meet their matriarch:3 No, but suppress your Qi and spiritual presence signifigantly and disguise yourself with Chimeric transformation:2 __ By simply observing new souls as they arrive and watching how they're taken to the seat of his throne:3 By seeking out one of his aids/ servants and seeing if you could trick or beat the information out of them:2 Alright, so you'll accept the Spider Demon Clan's offered discount and meet their matriarch And then after negotiations, will simply observe new souls as the arrive and how they're taken to Yama, which will happen after the vote for which/ how many bodyguards you'll hire Update will arrive shortly
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Fri 11 Jul 2025 04:15:25 No. 6273215 Report But you bite down on and hold your tongue, stopping it from lashing and showing your displeasure at the blatant greed of the brother of one of your treasured friends. Instead, composing yourself and training you expression into one of regal geniality, you smile softly and hold your arms out straight, hands flat and stiff like a corpse's in rigor mortis, and dip down in a quick bow which is all your pride will allow. "Can't fault you for tailoring your services to your customers" You force out, smile straining as Eight Murders smiles, like he can taste your annoyance in the air "Very well, if Sir Eight Murders would be so kind as to escort these two noble ladies to the abode of the Spider Demon Clan?" "Of course, Madame" He says with a sweeping bow, before turning and leaping up onto a rooftop, you follow him, floating through the air like a ghost as Xuebai bounds after you, struggling not to get left behind as you chase the eight armed killer across the rooftops of the city and towards parts of it you've never wandered before, soaring over the heads of demons and damned souls alike in silence. It is obvious when you enter into the territory of the Spider Demon Clan, by the appearance of their stronger than steel silk threads that quickly grow in thickness and quantity as entire blocks of buildings are wrapped up and webbed, rotting corpses and bleached or blood stained bones hanging aloft or stuck to the sides of walls with rusted arms and armor. You pause to admire one particularly gruesome sight of a horse demon who'd been disemboweled and used as nest for a glowing gold egg sack, and Bāmóushā appears at your side "Curious?" He asks politely "You have a demon's sense of taste, if nothing else, Crow Killer" "It's a macabre sight I've not seen before, of course I have to stop and admire it. Is this one of your sibling's work?" You ask, as you delicately brush aside thinner spider demon webs from the face of the horse demon, whose expression was frozen into one of supreme horror, recoiling as a drop of their black blood touched the tips of your finger and your carmine mystic sense screamed that it was rotten and too foul to taste. Not that you'd been planning to Bamousha leans down and rubs his chin thoughtfully "Yes, Bloody Web, I believe did this. One of my clutch mates. If you wish, I could arrange for a tour of our more notable kills, after you've met and bargained with our mother" He offers demurely but you can tell he isn't in the mood to be delayed by a curious cat who wants to watch bones molder and corpses rot in webs "I'll assume that'll be a complimentary service" You titter and move away from the rotting horse faced corpse and follow Eight Murders deeper into his family's domain. Spiders of all sizes, ranging from the size of lice and mites to the size of carriages and demons with chimeric bodies between man and arachnid in every possible combination and ratio, watch and gather as Bamousha escorts you past their haunts.
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Fri 11 Jul 2025 04:16:26 No. 6273216 Report >>6273215 A few seem to recognize you, and you imagine that's because they'd seen you killing other devils as practice or from your slaughter of their more loutish younger siblings who'd been bullying poor Anjing-Yinshi. And you hear a few whispered "looks tasty" as you're guided into the heart of the spider demons communal web.
"These are the original weavings of the Heizhizhu family" Bamousha explains, stopping atop a crumbling stone tower held up by golden threads, where a fat bodied spider demoness with a starved human body sprouting from where her eyes should be watches a dozen blood red threads
"Anjing-Yinshi's cat friend?" She rasps "What are you doing, bringing her to our palace, Little brother"
"She's a paying customer, Guiding Thread" He answer, bowing and showing submission to his sister
"She hasn't paid yet" She huffs, as one of the strings she's watching starts to jump and wobble "Tch, very well, take her to the center, one of our clients has gotten themselves into trouble"
"The red strings are for our elite customers" Bamousha explains as the demoness clambers down the tower "They are tethered to their body, usually the finger or throat, but if they pay extra the heart. With a twitch of the finger, a halting of breath or a raised heart beat, they summon their hired guards who'll arrive in an instant"
"A sales pitch, right before I start negotiating?" You as, now more amused than offended
"Mother doesn't like to waste her breath one needless words" He explains, as you follow him off of the tower and into a garden strangled by webs, with still living demons and souls thrashing and struggling in great cocoons as demons with completely human bodies move between them, revealing long fangs before biting down and slurping loudly as they draw out the partially liquidfied meat and life force from their imprisoned snacks. Spider Demons with a human form, are beautifully pale and have black eyes by solid white hair. And besides their pointed ears, their long fangs are the only sign that they're anything but human. You watched, transfixed, as they have their feast.
"You are welcome to join us in our meals, once you've signed a contract" Bamousha says with a wink of four of his eyes, as the ground shifts beneath your feet "Ah, the matriarch is awake! That means you'll be able to negotiate with her directly"
You nod, Xuebai's souls hiding in the sleeve of your robes, trembling as you walk through the halls of a palace that is more a ruin than anything else and you can sense a ancient grudge soaked into its foundations. The Dark Spider Clan must've stolen it from its previous owner, that can be the only explanation for why the walls themselves weep with resentment.
"None of us come this deep, when our matriarch is resting" Bamousha explains quietly "She has a habit of cannibalizing her young when she is asleep, such is her gluttony. A trait which was passed down to many of my siblings, many of them prefer to live as animals but..."
Cont
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Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Fri 11 Jul 2025 04:17:27 No. 6273217 Report >>6273216 "Little Bamou" A sultry, tired voice reverberates through the ground, and thickens in the air and you have to give yourself a jolt of adrenaline by gripping your heart with the blood inside of it as you feel a demonic magic in the voice begin to slip into your brain from your ears, lulling and soothing your brain. Strings begin to wiggle and draw closer to your escort
"Mother, I'm here on business" He answers sternly, and they retract, and the floors and walls peel back, held together only be a string so fine that even your sharp eyes can barely perceive it as existing yet that you can tell are stronger than any spider demon silk you'd passed in coming to the lair of what your martial and animal and ghostly instincts are screaming is an apex predator. You nearly crush your own heart, your chest fluttering, as you catch sight of eight eyes that before you seem to rival the size of the full moon in the sky, vermillion and burning. And you understand, for a brief moment of awe and horror, that the matriarch of the Heizhizhu Clan is so ginormous that her body holds up the entirety of their palace.
Before the entire palace slackens and sinks downwards so suddenly you're thrown to the floor and yowl as you claw at the ground, regretting showing up as a human before partially transforming your arms and legs into paws and claws to hang on, sprouting a tail, cat ears and whiskers to assist with keeping balanced as the ground collapses into a sink hold that could swallow all of Suiqi including the primordial tree you grew in the middle of it.
And, as you hang onto a collapsing, drooping wall held up only by tiny strings, a long legged woman with flowing white hair covering her body that you can only tell isn't bare from the flashes of black silk as she swaggers forward. A beauty to rival your own, despite the eight languid, lazy looking eyes on her face and the fangs peeking out over her plush, pink lips. And her figure certainly is matronly.
"Ah, is that the whelp that Baby Anjing hired to kill some of her clutch mates?" She drawls, and you feel a rising pressure as your spiritual senses fill your mind's eye with the mental image and sensation of a thousand tiny spiders crawling over, drowning and then crushing you as she speaks, tapping a finger to her lips "Didn't we make peace with her, after you lost your little arms to her"
You blink, suppressing the flight or fight instinct down as you, beneath the incredible pressure and aura of menace that the spider queen projects, sense that she is a realm above you through the torrents of sticky and clingy Qi radiating from her body. She is at least the equivalent of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator
"Hmm, she smells like wild grass and fresh blood" She hums as she saunters up to you and leans over you, a shadow of a gigantic spider's head looming behind her as you refuse to duck or cower
Cont
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Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Fri 11 Jul 2025 04:18:28 No. 6273218 Report >>6273217 "Wuyashashou is in need of our protection services, Mama" Bamousha says as she kneels down and starts flicking your notched ear while you stand as firm and stoically as you can "Lady Wuyashashou, this is the first of the Dark Spider Clan, the original. Heizhizhu herself. The devourer of the Duchess of Torment, underling of the late Supreme Devil Mind. Sole brood mother of Spider Demons, after she consumed all the rest. The unifier of our species, and the underworld assassination rings."
"Ah, that's right, little beasties like her got mistaken for demons, is that why she's so comfortable down here, Bamou?" She asks, now pulling on your intact ear
"I just like the sight of the dead" You answer, staring straight into the eyes of a remnant of the old, pre five wise immortal sage's world
"Cute" She says softly, and stands to her full height, standing a full head higher than you "So, you need protection, cause you're a cute little snack, with strong spirit roots, Qi rich flesh and profound cultivation, Yes? And everyone wants a taste of you. I suppose that would be frightening to a little baby like you"
Your eye twitches
"Actually, I was wondering how I'd be prepared, if I was made a meal" You answer back without thinking, to preserve your pride and try to get Heizhizhu to at least show you a little respect
"Whole and alive" She answers with a pleasant smile
"Ah" You gasp
"Though, fermented in memory eater bile would also be nice, with some strong liquor" She adds
"I think I'd be better savored in pieces" You reply
"Too much of a hassle" She answers "Most demons who could actually make a meal of you, kitty, would think the same. Only babies like yourself would waste time, if they're aiming for the power your meat contains. Bamou, fetch your elder brother, have him bring refreshments to my chamber, and some blood for this fledgling Carmine Mystic"
Then she sweeps away "I prefer to do business in comfort, you see, walk with me, kitty. There's three things I need to know before I can give you a price, and its best we figure them out before we start haggling"
You walk behind her, as she holds up one finger
"First, how long is the contract you'll need, will it be temporary or permanent. Second, the strength of the body guards you'll require. And third" She says, pausing and turning around to tap a finger above your heart "Where' we'll tie our life line to you. My threads can follow you from the depths of hell to the highest peak of heaven, but those are only for our highest paying customers, most likely, you'll be tethered by one of my older daughters"
"Highest paying?" You asked
"Ask the fourth sage" She said softly and you froze for a moment, as you realized she was talking about one of the five wise immortal sages "or was it the third. Honestly, I can't remember. Sure I've tied more threads to naughty gods besides him, hard to remember when I'm just waking up however"
Cont
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Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Fri 11 Jul 2025 04:19:41 No. 6273219 Report >>6273218 She yawned, and pouted
"So, kitten. What are your three needs. How long will you be under our web, how strong will your guardian need to be, and where shall we put our string?" She coos "If you can't afford what you'll need, we'll figure out what is in your budget. And you can always pay in installments~"
<span class="mu-s"> Triple Vote </span>
Duration of the Contract
> Just this visit (Cheapest) >For a year >For a decade >For a century >Permanent (Premium/ most expensive) Power of the protection
>Core Formation (Cheapest offered to you) >Golden Core >Nascent Soul >Heizhizhu (Premium/ Most expensive) Location of the string
>Finger (Cheapest) >Throat >Heart >Soul (Most expensive) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6273219 >For a decade >Golden Core >Finger (Cheapest) Anonymous
>>6273219 >> Just this visit (Cheapest) Realistically we should only need them for this visit. The only things that could possibly kill us outside of the Yellow Springs are things we probably can't afford a bodyguard strong enough to stop.
>Golden Core And being prudent, we just need a distraction to escape, not to help fight a horrific foe that is far beyond us. A couple of golden cores would still be a threat to most. At least enough to risk wounding them and weakening them against their rivals. And all good predators know that a feast is only worth it if it can't get you killed on the way back home.
>Finger (Cheapest) I WOULD say throat, but we're probably going to have some pretty strong reactions to the members of Yama's court. Close calls raising our blood pressure and perhaps a familiar face or two in line to be judged. Wouldn't want any false positives.
Also, no collar, even in spirit. Freedom! Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6273239 >Support So this is the kinda pressure we will be feeling from our foe when we assault the nascent soul bastard.
Delightful.
We only need this trip I reckon. Our next trip we have bodyguards already arranged.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6273219 I would say...
>Next two visits We're planning a safari to stir up trouble so if a nascent soul beast catches wind of our little group it's not guaranteed we can escape in time.
>Nascent Soul This is probably the highest level of troublemaker interested in us, doubt the old monsters would bother to move unless we conveniently fall in their mouth (actually we should ask baomusha who lives where so we don't misstep on our next visit!)
>Finger (Cheapest) I am confident we can react in time for this to be the only needed safeguard.
I don't feel like paying for golden core protection will be worth it because:
A- we are already at this level and the only thing this will save us is the annoyance to win a fight ourselves.
B- no guarantee if a nascent soul shows up the spider bodyguards would be willing to delay them on our behalf (and that's the kind of threat that once you feel it coming it's already too late like the guardian god, whom we only escaped from thanks to the fact he stayed his hand long enough for us to activate a technique that worked well).
C- next time we will chaperone a group of ducklings and it's going to be very important for our reputation that nobody goes missing (and that includes Huan since we're the only one capable of ferrying them out!)
(Ugh, what a wall of text)
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6273219 > Just this visit (Cheapest) I-it's not like we actually need her protection, we were just humoring Eight Murders, totally
>Golden Core >Finger (Cheapest) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6273218 "underling of the late Supreme Devil Mind"
holy shit
> Just this visit and the next(Cheapest) >Nascent Soul Remember, if we are in hell what we are worried about is facing monsters that are far beyond us
>Finger (Cheapest) The finger and the this visit are our cheapest compromises, But we shouldn't compromise for the power. we can run away from a golden core ourselves, but a golden core wouldn't be able to buy us time against a nascent soul that wanted us, we should have the ability to summon a power house if need be.
Anonymous
Ah, this is what we've missed, something to fear and something to aspire to overcome. Also I cannot even imagine what level of MILF she's on with how long she's lived and how many generations of children she's had if she was under SDM
>>6273219 >Our next two visits Mostly because I'm not sure when we'll go on our next trip, could be right after the final tournament or sometime after the Ling War.
>Nascent Soul Because what we need protection from is this level, but hiring big mama herself is spooky.
>Finger (Cheapest) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6273609 She's older than Ao, right? GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGILF hours for sure.
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Mon 14 Jul 2025 10:34:31 No. 6274609 Report Quoted By:
Ending the vote, tallying its results now. Decade:1 1visit:3 2Visits:3 _ Golden Core:4 Nascent Sole:3 _ Finger:7 So the terms will be 1 or 2 visits, golden core tier protection, and the thread wrapped around your finger update will arrive shortly
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Mon 14 Jul 2025 11:09:43 No. 6274612 Report "Hmmm" You thoughtfully consider for a moment "I should only need protection for one or two trips down to hell" "Our protection service does extend to the mortal realm" Madam Heizhizhu tells you, hanging over you like a gallows' shadow, smiling pleasantly with a glint of greed and hunger in her vermillion eyes "But, knowing how regularly you take the sojourn to the underworld, two visits will not be much more expensive than the payment we ask for a single trips' worth of protection. Were you a permanent resident here...the rates would change of course. And the level of protection?" "Golden core" You state slowly, face screwed and brow furrowed, and the elder spider demon clicks her tongue and wags her finger "Yours is of a rare, unheard of quality. I'd recommend a bodyguard equal to a nascent soul realm cultivator" She tempts sweetly, leaning around your side and gripping your hips "Our weakest of that stage, equal to the least of that realm, is certainly within the budget of a princess, no" "I'll consider it, I want to hear the price for a golden core cultivator first, before upgrading the plan" You tell her, slipping from her grip with all the expertise of a river cat who'd grown up surrounded by unwanted affection and miserly old women who wouldn't share the scraps of their sons' catch of the day "We'll compare costs then, after you tell me where I shall fasten my thread to you, little kitten" She says, skulking after you and giving the impression of a great cloud of miasma and malevolence creeping up along your back, like a landslide of bloody skulls and putrid corpses, like the refuse of all her millennia of meals upended and tipped forward, laid out like a feast of conquest and memories "My finger" You say, holding up and wiggling your pinky, having undone your chimeric transformation "Ah, the least effective warning bell" She says, eyes narrowed and in a way amused "Confident your reactions are swift enough to stop your self from being snatched up by a hawk" "Try owl" You titter, and wiggle your finger, and realize you've entered a well appointed, opulent smoking lounge with souls hanging from oozing nets of spider silk and long decayed bones and fresh corpses dangling from the ceiling like over ripe fruit, with a pile of bones anointed with silken cushions and tanned hides, ripped from the back of other demons. A couch, in a fashion, that the still sleepy Heizhizhu collapses atop with a drawn out groan that sounds half way between a death rattle and luxurious courtesans sigh "So, two visits worth of protection...Golden Core tier...pinky finger" She mumbles into a great, silver hued fur, the skulls beneath her clattering their teeth together "Hmm, if we're dealing with souls. With the discount I'm sure my son offered to you, and the first time customer bonus" She groaned again, her shadow stretching to her true size as she rolled over, bosom, belly and thighs jiggling. Cont
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Mon 14 Jul 2025 11:10:44 No. 6274613 Report >>6274612 "I can ask for no less than a Pious soul. And that is if we're only dealing in souls. Most demons do. But, as the saying goes, in the corpse pile, nothing is more reviled than the spider fattened on its own kind" She giggles, rolling back over as you stop yourself from clicking your tongue by nearly biting it in half
one pious soul!? You've only ever owned one. And know that they're each worth a fortune in hell.
"Of course, those little tasty crows were cawing about quite the treasure they'd found" She says, creeping towards you, scooting on her legs, eyes relaxed but her expression one of hunger you can't even compared to the specter starvation curse "A bribe they'd been given, a truly repugnant soul, only worth while because who it belonged to was the last in a heavens appointed dynasty"
"Dog ass licking emperor's soul?" You ask, and the spider matron blinks slowly and titters behind her hands
"Yes!' She exclaims "Your name down here is as often Crow Killer as it is Happy Bloodshed, is it not? If that soul traded hands, again, we can upgrade your plan's quality of protection and duration. Thoooough, if I recall, those little boys have made your kind an affront to the heavens. A few cultivators souls, of the righteous rather than self righteous sort preferably, could also see an improvement to your contract. And that's only dealing with souls"
She's slips off the couch of bones, and rapidly advances on you, swinging her shoulders and hips
"Blood, can also become a currency. as well as meat. And amongst royalty, aren't children a standard trade? Marriages...hostages...meals" She says, making your hackles raise "Oh, shouldn't have said children. I've heard you have a strong maternal instinct. You'll be a good mama someday. Hmm, descendants. Of course, I also accept cash and spirit stones. Buuuut unless you're hiding a dimensional storage ring, you can't carry the weight of cash and stones I'd ask for. And, of course these are all only material payments"
She walks her fingers up your chest and taps you heart
"We also deal in less tangible and more esoteric payment options" She purrs as she hops away, pulled back by threads of golden silk "But, I can smell that you can pay with souls, I never forget the aroma of a piously lived life. And I sense you're in a bit of rush from the perfume of your sweat"
"I'd have preferred if you talked about the anything but my sweat" You say, forcing a pleasant, genial smile on your face
"Like the pace of your heart or coolness of breath?" She asks and you shrug
"Better than sweat" You admit as she trapezes through the air, shadows cast and revealing her true titanic body
"So, do we have a deal?" she asks sweetly "Or do you want to bargain down, or change the terms of the contract. I can wait for you to collect payment, but...I think you're in a rush"
Damn family of penny pinchers!
Cont
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Mon 14 Jul 2025 11:12:30 No. 6274614 Report >>6274613 What do you do, Huanliuxue?
>Accept the terms and get on with your day (spend 1 pious soul. Current pious souls owned, 1) >try to pay with an alternate currency, since that pious soul represents the majority of your underworld wealth (Cash, Spirit stones, or blood/ Meat) >Ask questions, ranging from what she means by using descendants as payment plans, the esoteric currencies ...etc...etc >Decide to snatch back the dog emperor's soul, since, you are called Crow Killer and demons should expect betrayal. >Bargain down and adjust your contract >Write in Anonymous
>>6274614 Ya know, we are a delicacy.
We could, in theory, cut off out arm, regrow it, sell the flesh again.
Deglove it to the bones, then begin anew.
Just a thought for fund raising.
If nobody else is interested,
>use a pious soul Anonymous
>>6274614 I do kinda want to get an estimate on how much one of our god blood vials are worth down here, but I know it'd get strong pushback.
>>6274619 I'll support your idea, an appropriately heretical way to get out of paying
Anonymous
>>6274639 The question is "sell directs to the spiders" or "fund reaise from the public"
Because the spiders might ask more, since it is a renewable method of sustainance.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6274614 >Bargain down and adjust your contract Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6274614 >>Bargain down and adjust your contract Anonymous
>>6274641 I'd imagine our flesh would be considered higher quality. Though if they want a long term investment, surely giving them a god to infinitely munch on with our new healing techniques would be acceptable.
Anonymous
>>6274976 Godsblood is too valuable to take out at this junction.
But you are probably right, save that we are missing actual flesh to grow and saintly flesh at that.
Anonymous
>>6275551 Oh I more meant either offering them one of the fallen five gods or when we reach divinity just plucking one from the corrupt heavens. Wait there’s a non-zero chance we could just sever an arm during the tournament and use that
Anonymous
>>6274976 >>6275571 We are far from ready for taking on even lesser deities ...
>>6275551 Speaking of which: with spidery protection in hell, we might finally be protected well enough to risk some vulnerability and utilise the divine blood to boost our Carmine Mysticism. It's also probably the most fitting place to commit such a deed.
>>6274614 >>Accept the terms and get on with your day (spend 1 pious soul. Current pious souls owned, 1) Enough side questing imho ... I'm not mad if you dont share my opinion though
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6275763 Maybe before we leave the hell.
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Fri 18 Jul 2025 11:38:00 No. 6276473 Report Ending and tallying the vote now. Grandfather's weakness to grinding was awakened, since a supposed sworn brother of mine introduced me to the devilish scripture called Umamusume by describing it as horse girl cultivation I have surpassed them despite playing like a beggar sect member. Anyways, forgive their senior for his weakness of character/ will Accept the terms:2 Ask how much your flesh would sell for:2 Bargain down: 2 Also this deadlock is another reason I took a few days, but I had a revelation while playing in the stables on how to proceed despite the tie.
Anonymous
>>6276473 We lost another to the horse races.
Do you have a favorite so far? Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Fri 18 Jul 2025 12:16:04 No. 6276487 Report "Say, say, Mother Spider" You say, playing up your natural cuteness, since while seeing you as a prospective meal the Dark Spider also thinks of you as a child. Well, an infant, but how couldn't she when she's lived for at least ten generations of the heavens turning and the golden bowl of cultivation being poured and washed out "How much would the flesh of the divine beast who has soared amongst the stars and bled herself on the moon's own desolate plains sell for down here, considering how much positive Karma I've soaked into this body of mine" For a moment, she just stands there, frozen entirely from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head. Then, gradually, amused smirk plays across her plush lips and her eyes narrow dangerously like a fishmonger whose just spotted a gullible rube who'd believe you could squeeze wisdom from the bones of a trout. "So, you retain the raw and cutthroat mindset of a cultivator. Suppose that is what is considered heretical thought nowadays, after those cheeky brats usurped the heavens" She snickers, fingers gliding down her now wetted lips, whisking drool from her chin as she stares down at you like a calf ready for slaughter and butchering "And from that cocksure expression, You aren't selling your arm for a crutch" "One of my disciples can survive having his head plucked like a peach from the top of his shoulders" You boisterously brag, boasting "And I've survived some vicious divine tribulations and a god's arrow in my side. I dance between the boundary between life and death" Her eyes narrow further "Plus, I am a quick healer, even without my blood qi healing arts and other tricks I've keep hidden in my sleeves or under my paws" You continue, wagging a finger, a bead of sweat forming on your brow "Supply isn't in the question then. While I'd like to gobble up all of you, I can restrain my gluttony in favor of greed" She says, pinching her thumb and first finger together, rubbing their pads together like a merchant haggling "And know how high a commodity your flesh would be. And that in selling prime cuts of awakened house cat, my clan's coffer would deepen and so would my children's' allowances. But is the proud kitten really willing to sell herself like pork on the side of the street" You click your tongue. You'd managed to stop yourself from thinking about how utterly shameful it'd be to sell your body, even as cuts of meat, would be. Sure, your body is as beautiful and eyecatching inside as it is outside and you've often caught yourself admiring the more grievous wounds and mortal looking injuries you've taken in combat, but that and portioning yourself out to serve to hell's elite is. Well are two entirely different things. The answer is a firm no. Your pride wouldn't stand for it. But, on rare occasions you've swallowed your pride for your own safety or benefit. Cont
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Fri 18 Jul 2025 12:17:05 No. 6276488 Report >>6276487 Still, you'd be an idiot to overlook one flaw in the plan besides the innate humiliation of having parts of you turned into a meal.
"And once the underworld has a taste for me, I'll need more even more protection until I'm strong enough to go trampling through even King Yama's chrysanthemum garden" You shrewdly point out "And you'd also benefit from that"
"I'm greedy, not stupid, child. I protect my investments. Its why the eight fangs of my clan exist, to pursuit offenders against not only my children but also the buisness we've caught in our web" She explains "Oh, if it gets too intense, we'd have to charge. But, a certain level of protection would be expected for such a rare and reusable luxury"
"It's like you're trying to convince me not to offer you my beating heart, Mother Spider" You chuckle
"Mortal flesh tastes better when steeped in negative emotions. Most demons prefer the heady intoxication of positive and good feelings, but I've got a taste for the negative" She titters, covering her mouth, which is still drooling like a leaking dam
"Is that why you eat other demons?" You ask
"Tch, cannibalism is the norm down here, child. I just have a particular taste for my fellow demon. And cause I like my meals tough, I've gotten a bad reputation for devouring the shining stars and high ranking devils" She tells you
"And your children just eat and eat and eat" You cackle
"Yes. They have healthy appetites. So do you judging by just how much blood you've condensed into your body" She replies, tapping a finger on her saliva wetted chin "Say, how about...a free trial for one night in hell, of the terms we've agreed to, to allow you to consider the offer you yourself made, since I find the turmoil between ruthless pragmatism and noble pride within you adorable. The original contract will come into effect, when you've made up your mind, whether you pay with flesh or soul or something of equal value to either"
"So I'll have three visits worth of protection, effectively" You hum and the smile since considering costs you nothing "Fine, we have a deal"
"Excellent" She says as she plucks a small red string from the air and delicately wraps it around your finger "Snap it if you get into danger, then you'll meet one Little Eight Murders' Senior brothers, who will kill anything and everything within four leagues of where you stand. And, then he'll retie the string"
"What amazing service" You laugh, still feeling cold sweat trickle down your back "So I could test your claim"
"He'd even kill his own siblings" She says with an inciting look "If you are so skeptical of my boy's hardened heart"
Cont
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Fri 18 Jul 2025 12:18:15 No. 6276489 Report >>6276488 Now that you have protection, Huanliuxue, what is your next move?
>Do what you planned to do already and just watch newly dead souls and how they reach the seat of Yama's throne, to find his blindspot (Same DC as before (94). Medium Danger. Low exposure risk. Likely to encounter, starved and desperate demons) >Bully the crow clan into helping you find Yama's blind spots (DC lowered by 22, new DC 72. Medium Danger. Medium Exposure risk. Likely to encounter: Healthy, hale and cunning devils) >Test the spider demon's protection and create a distraction (DC increased by 22, New DC 116. Low Danger. High exposure risk. Likely to encounter: Stragglers of the slaughter/ things strong enough to survive the fight) >Decide to take a more aggressive approach and start plucking out and eating eyes, using Baoli-Wuyawang's technique of the eye stealing grasp to find the answer you're looking for (Trial type changed to Martial/ Stealth Trial. DC Increased by 44. New DC 138. High Danger. Low exposure risk. Likely to encounter: Worthy prey/ predators) >Write in >>6276485 Vodka
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6276489 >Just watch souls I mean. Any reason to go after the bigger prey? Not like we want their organs
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6276489 >Do what you planned to do already and just watch newly dead souls and how they reach the seat of Yama's throne, to find his blindspot (Same DC as before (94). Medium Danger. Low exposure risk. Likely to encounter, starved and desperate demons) At the same time we can take note of some potential targets for eye-plucking, if it comes to that
Anonymous
>>6276473 All those horses already attained human form. They're cheating. They must be.
>>6276489 >>Do what you planned to do already and just watch newly dead souls and how they reach the seat of Yama's throne, to find his blindspot (Same DC as before (94). Medium Danger. Low exposure risk. Likely to encounter, starved and desperate demons) It's not JUST the procession of souls we'd be watching. But also the going abouts of hellish constabulary and divinities. There's plenty of insights to find from this outing. We might even see some strange techniques if some dumb demon decides to try and get some souls from the line. And without any outside help it'd seem more like mischief and curiosity from a cat than a predator stealing secrets if we did get noticed and caught by the dudes in charge down here.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6276489 >>Bully the crow clan into helping you find Yama's blind spots (DC lowered by 22, new DC 72. Medium Danger. Medium Exposure risk. Likely to encounter: Healthy, hale and cunning devils) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6276489 >Do what you planned to do already and just watch newly dead souls and how they reach the seat of Yama's throne, to find his blindspot (Same DC as before (94). Medium Danger. Low exposure risk. Likely to encounter, starved and desperate demons) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6276489 >Decide to take a more aggressive approach and start plucking out and eating eyes, using Baoli-Wuyawang's technique of the eye stealing grasp to find the answer you're looking for (Trial type changed to Martial/ Stealth Trial. DC Increased by 44. New DC 138. High Danger. Low exposure risk. Likely to encounter: Worthy prey/ predators) I think this could be a great exercise for us, and is a pretty good cover for what we're actually aiming to do down here. What soul in hell would think we're eating eyes just to see how they were judged?
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6276489 >Do what you planned to do already and just watch newly dead souls and how they reach the seat of Yama's throne, to find his blindspot (Same DC as before (94). Medium Danger. Low exposure risk. Likely to encounter, starved and desperate demons) But don't be shy to pluck a few eyes of those that would impede the way of our chosen souls...
(Wonder if we'll meet the soul of somebody we know?)
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6276489 >Decide to take a more aggressive approach and start plucking out and eating eyes, using Baoli-Wuyawang's technique of the eye stealing grasp to find the answer you're looking for (Trial type changed to Martial/ Stealth Trial. DC Increased by 44. New DC 138. High Danger. Low exposure risk. Likely to encounter: Worthy prey/ predators) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6276489 >Decide to take a more aggressive approach and start plucking out and eating eyes, using Baoli-Wuyawang's technique of the eye stealing grasp to find the answer you're looking for (Trial type changed to Martial/ Stealth Trial. DC Increased by 44. New DC 138. High Danger. Low exposure risk. Likely to encounter: Worthy prey/ predators) Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6276489 >>Do what you planned to do already and just watch newly dead souls and how they reach the seat of Yama's throne, to find his blindspot (Same DC as before (94). Medium Danger. Low exposure risk. Likely to encounter, starved and desperate demons) Anonymous
>>6276489 >>Decide to take a more aggressive approach and start plucking out and eating eyes, using Baoli-Wuyawang's technique of the eye stealing grasp to find the answer you're looking for (Trial type changed to Martial/ Stealth Trial. DC Increased by 44. New DC 138. High Danger. Low exposure risk. Likely to encounter: Worthy prey/ predators) That's the fun way. When in hell, we should behave appropriately ... Where else can we use as many of our more exotic abilities without putting innocents into harm's way?
As a reminder, here I repeat the chances of failure per DC with 2d100, best of five:
Failure % - DC
5 - 106
10 - 115
15 - 122
20 - 127
25 - 131
30 - 136
35 - 140
40 - 143
45 - 147
50 - 150
55 - 154
60 - 157
65 - 160
70 - 164
75 - 168
80 - 171
85 - 176
90 - 181
95 - 187
100 - 200
Anonymous
Quoted By:
Rolled 91, 34, 65, 84, 88, 91, 20, 22, 24, 44 = 563 (10d100) >>6277199 The dice care not for chances, only funni
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Sat 19 Jul 2025 23:38:39 No. 6277384 Report Quoted By:
Ending and tallying the vote now.
Just watch the arriving souls:6
Get the crow clan to cause a ruckus:1
Take a more aggressive approach:4
Alright, so you'll go with your original plan of just watching to find King yama's blind spot
Intermediate update will arrive shortly
>>6276594 The nefariousness of the horse clan truly knows no bounds
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Sun 20 Jul 2025 00:03:53 No. 6277406 Report You're given an escort out of the manse of the spider queen's manor, not by eight murders or any spider demon but from a bone devil that apparently made a bad deal with the clan, but who is a pleasant enough conversation partner despite their gloomy disposition, but that may just be because he too has an attraction and fascination towards the macabre and grisly much like yourself. You don't get his name though, before you reach the edge of the Dark Spider Clan's claimed territory, which is marked by a deep red street smeared with rotting corpse fat, bone ash and a few chunks of fresh meat or traces of souls that had been rent apart and abused to steal their vitality and essence. "Tch, should've just floated over the boundary" You grumble to yourself, wiping the foul smelling gunk and cadaver slime off your feet and out from between your toes, knowing better than to dip them in one of the wine dark rivers flowing through the city of the dead and dammed. Stretching your back, you transform into your original feline self, after taking care to take off your clothes and accessories, and then clamber and scale the highest tower you can find in the vast city of demons, wild spirits and lost souls. And quickly come to the conclusion as a few magpie demons pester and nag you about the luster of your star light infused coat and the sharpness of your eyes as you relax between a few jagged nettles of forge demon bile infused iron. A shrike demon tries to flirt with you as they impale a squirming pig spirit that you are...mostly certain isn't Yi Zhu. It has been awhile since you so the greedy pig, and you never paid much attention to their face anyways. You suspect the bird demons are being so chummy because they are well aware how easily you killed one of the strongest of their kind at least in this generation. They are all a bunch of weaklings, but besides annoying you with their chattering, their presence isn't as offensive as some of the denizens of hell. Like the Vice Eater with a flatulence problem you've been watching count souls they've trapped in tiny tael sized cages, tittering womanishly to themselves as they scrub and scratch between their many, many souls. Whom you have half a mind to kill simply for sullying your sight with their existence. But despite the distractions, two things are readily apparent. Newly dead souls do not arrive at the city, nor does King Yama dwell there. You know there are other villages, towns and cities, you've just only ever visited this one. But if you're going to find where the line to Yama's throne begins, you're going to have to venture out and brave the underworld wilderness Luckily, your spiritual senses are sharp and precise enough that you'll have no problem sensing the brief flicker of Life force that, presumably accompanies the arrival of the freshly deceased....Probably. So, leaving the gossipy birds and corpulent soul molester behind, you depart for the wilderness of hell Cont
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Sun 20 Jul 2025 00:04:53 No. 6277407 Report >>6277406 <span class="mu-s"> Roll 2d100. Best of Five. DC 94 </span>
Anonymous
Quoted By:
Rolled 11, 2 = 13 (2d100) >>6277407 Double 68s here.
Anonymous
Rolled 59, 14 = 73 (2d100) >>6277407 Anonymous
Quoted By:
Rolled 87, 8 = 95 (2d100) >>6277406 Anonymous
Rolled 61, 84 = 145 (2d100) >>6277407 I am rolling again, for I am
>>6277416 And it has been 2 hours.
Concerningly, nobody met the dc yet
Anonymous
Quoted By:
Rolled 49, 77 = 126 (2d100) >>6277468 I did, but good job well exceeding it!
I guess I'll also give another roll to get this show on the road.
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Sun 20 Jul 2025 02:50:32 No. 6277501 Report >>6277468 Fantastic success! 51 over the DC. Update will arrive shortly. Sorry for arriving late, Juniors. I was busy stuffing my face with seafood
Anonymous
>>6277501 I see food sometimes too.
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Sun 20 Jul 2025 03:30:23 No. 6277515 Report It is easy leaving the city. Most of its people, the formerly living, the demons and the natural spirits, are far too meek to challenge or attempt to make a meal of you. And the few who have more than a snowflake's chance in summer, are far too prudent it seems to swoop down on you like an owl does a door mouse or perhaps more terrifyingly are so far beyond your current self that they simply don't care. You're sure there are devils with more ambitions than brains and plentiful bravado in place of wisdom who might try to make you their prey, but maybe the memory of your gruesome execution of the crow king who was stronger, faster and more refined than you were when you battled him, has made them hesitant to try and fight a Huanliuxue who skipped an entire stage of cultivation through intense closed door meditation Actually that would explain why none of those who could put up a fight have made their move yet, they're simply worried they'll die a dog's death like Wuyawang did, Heh-Heh. And once you're out of the city and into the dull, lifeless grey skies overflowing with deathly and ghostly yin Qi, spotting a single thread of life as it is frayed, torn and snapped becomes child's play for the founder of the Ruler of the Great Wheel's Law. They're like...well, they aren't like ghost flames, flickering dimly and lazily bobbing through the air like a lantern's light in winter's night. Rather, they're like embers floating on the air from a recently extinguished funerary fire or shooting stars when viewed through a cloudy night. Sudden and exceptionally brief sparks of life essence. The last gasp of the dying. A most melodic sound when heard in the mortal realm, but when viewed through the lense of spiritual senses in the land of the dead in the air that would strike most mortals dead instantly, they instead become these sparks. That for sometime, how where the souls connected to the now severed life have went, eludes you. But, your spiritual sense, eyes, ears and nose are nothing if not sharp. Explaining their absence, is answered by another absence. Of demonic Qi. The sticky, cloying filth that pervades the air and sours the sweet, sepulcher perfumes of the underworld. The very miasma of malevolence, which oddly smells differently than Ao, who is a near incarnate of Malevolence so potent it is nearly overwhelming to stand before him, even if you and him are as close to rivals and peers in power as either of you could find. It is very apparent when a demon is about, when one shuts there eyes and expands their consciousness. And you know when a ghost is floating nearby, even when swimming through the unmoving, heavy clouds of hell. And while newly "Born" ghosts feel... more lively than long dead souls, you know their presence even without the sparks. So when they vanish, and there is no other sign of a ghost or devil, that means something else has collected them. Cont
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Sun 20 Jul 2025 03:31:24 No. 6277517 Report And it doesn't take long for you to sus out the ways you can sense them. And its through the familiar that you notice them. Yama's servant's in charge of collection...Aren't quite like ghosts, not entirely kin to demons, nor are they lacking in divinity. They are...Well, they smell like decay, incense offering and the very mud of the yellow springs. All things you are very intimately familiar with. They're...somethings. And if you had to call the Qi withing them, the spiritual energy coursing through their bodies, it has a feeling closest to Primordial Beast Essence. They are, simply, the "Nature" spirits of the underworld. Natives that are above and beyond the separation of ghost, devil or deity. They simply are. And while that makes judging their power level as close to a challenge as you've ever had when gauging if you could kick someone's ass and humiliate them or should run away or hide, you think you could, if driven into a corner kill one of them. That is if Death is a concept they obey. You trail one, covertly, having to nearly exhaust yourself using "True" Specter Lightness Skill: Broken Clock (真实-幽灵-轻工:破 钟 , Zhēnshí-Yōulíng-Qīnggōng: Pòzhōng), draining much of your stamina and a fair portion of your Qi, just to track and keep up with one as they, their faces covered in funeral shrouds and their bodies covered by silk robes so black they'd stand out in the void of space. But you do find them, collect the newly dead souls, as ghost flames, in a small, ornate lantern or snuff box and then continue to collect more. And that is where you find the blind spot. They have to reach for the treasure to safely contain the soul. Sneering and cackling in your mind so as not to draw the attention and ire of what could be a minor god of death, you watch them as great white wings spread from their back, like a crane's rising from the mud, untouched by the natural decays and filth of the underworld, and fly off. Towards the unchanging horizon, before, they to like a spark from a pyre, vanish. You blink and for a second, you see a trail cut through space, as your eyes, attuned to the spatial tears cosmic Qi can create, shows that they had just opened up a path or teleported straight to their superior. And for a second, a brief, brief second, a Horse's head, far more handsome than any horse demon appears. And you freeze, your survival instinct hissing loudly as you realize you caught a glimpse of Horseface. The Horseface. Horseface himself. One of the two guardians who are supposed to escort the dead to their judgement. And then you realize, the creature you'd been following, was merely an errand boy, gathering up the newly deceased like a nanny holding that hands of children before leading them to their teacher. Who would then, presumably, escort them to Yama. Across Hell. You stare at the now empty space for a moment, when the constable had vanished and for a second you saw Horseface. The Horseface. Horseface himself.
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Sun 20 Jul 2025 03:32:25 No. 6277518 Report >>6277517 And once the shock of celebrity wears off, your remember the blindspot you found. If the Shepard who brings horseface or ox head their flock, can snatch up a newly arrived spirit faster than you can notice without actually forcing the near stagnant stream of time in hell to crawl to a complete stop, then the trick to slip Yama the wrong soul with a bribe, is to swap the resurrected and the sacrificed places immediately. Not fast as lighting, or rapid as wildfire, or quick as death or even as swiftly as light. Instantly.
Luckily. You can stop time. And by time Horseface or Ox-head or the King yama notices the swap, it'll be too late and the scales will be balanced anyways.
Now that you've figured out one of the trick's behind Red Dust Revival, what do you do, Huanliuxue?
>Kill two birds with one stone and use this trip to find the Demonic and Cursed treasures that are necessary to perform Red Dust Revival >Go back to the land of the living, and start the 1 v 1 bouts of the Core formation contests >Go back, but give the contestants time to prepare like a few of them have begged for. >Break the string on your finger and ask the spider demon who shows up, exactly what it is you saw and were chasing. >Having watched the soul collectors for sometime, and knowing how to slice through space, see if you couldn't replicate some of their innate mysticisms... [Magical/ ghostly instinct Training. DC 256. Current training/ cultivation bonus, +1801] >Write in 256 is 4 x 4 x 4 x 4. btw
>>6277506 I'll admit, you got a chuckle out of me
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6277518 >>Having watched the soul collectors for sometime, and knowing how to slice through space, see if you couldn't replicate some of their innate mysticisms... [Magical/ ghostly instinct Training. DC 256. Current training/ cultivation bonus, +1801] Perhaps by figuring some of it out, we can figure out how to alter the ritual a little. Make is less likely to piss off some big shots. Or just easier to perform. Even if we don't, there's sure to be something interesting to learn how to apply from this.
Also, Horseface, heyyy bud. How's the brother? How's the saw? Still torturing those who've earned it? Say hi to the wife for me. kek
>chuckle out of me Dad jokes
and bad jokes will never go out of style!
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6277518 >Having watched the soul collectors for sometime, and knowing how to slice through space, see if you couldn't replicate some of their innate mysticisms... [Magical/ ghostly instinct Training. DC 256. Current training/ cultivation bonus, +1801] I'm suggesting about 200 of our bonus.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6277518 >Having watched the soul collectors for sometime, and knowing how to slice through space, see if you couldn't replicate some of their innate mysticisms... [Magical/ ghostly instinct Training. DC 256. Current training/ cultivation bonus, +1801] if we do this, we will have a better time succeeding at our space time manipulation.
it seems the other juniors reflect my thoughts.
Anonymous
>>6277515 I wonder what absorbing some of those "embers" or that Malevolence will do for our cultivation. Taking one of the bodies of Yama's servants to turn into materials could also get us something nice
>>6277518 >Having watched the soul collectors for sometime, and knowing how to slice through space, see if you couldn't replicate some of their innate mysticisms... [Magical/ ghostly instinct Training. DC 256. Current training/ cultivation bonus, +1801] Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6277572 Yama is probably the only god I would categorically refuse to fuck with. Even if he isn't as scary as his reputation suggests, he does have a very important job making sure souls get judged properly. But there are demons in hell which are strong enough to wage war against the heavens, the fact they haven't taken the big cheese out has to mean something. Speaks to either Yama's cunning or terrifying power in this domain.
Course, if one of these veiled dudes finds and fucks with us, then yeah, let's rock.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6277518 >Try and mimic the soul collectors it's gonna cost us some training but. . . While I'm still wanting to keep it for actual cultivation, we want to leap realms fighting the bitch ass Ling. This is as good a use as any.
4 dos is what I'm wagering
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6277518 >Having watched the soul collectors for sometime, and knowing how to slice through space, see if you couldn't replicate some of their innate mysticisms... [Magical/ ghostly instinct Training. DC 256. Current training/ cultivation bonus, +1801] It's a chance we shouldn't let pass us by, though for the cultivation bonus to burn for it I will defer to the vote with the most agreed upon auspicious number.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6277518 >>Having watched the soul collectors for sometime, and knowing how to slice through space, see if you couldn't replicate some of their innate mysticisms... [Magical/ ghostly instinct Training. DC 256. Current training/ cultivation bonus, +1801] If we face a bad roll, we might forego wasting too much of our bonus...
If our roll is adequate, we might consider superseding the roll by 256, which would be 512 (or also 8x8x8).
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6277518 I always forget his name is just Horseface and not some unfortunate title given to him.
>Having watched the soul collectors for sometime, and knowing how to slice through space, see if you couldn't replicate some of their innate mysticisms... [Magical/ ghostly instinct Training. DC 256. Current training/ cultivation bonus, +1801] been way too long since we've trained and inspiration this good is rare. Plus we can probable recoup some by training our students before the war to get them to the level we need.
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Mon 21 Jul 2025 23:33:10 No. 6278504 Report Quoted By:
Ending the vote, tallying its result now Having watched the soul collectors for sometime, and knowing how to slice through space, see if you couldn't replicate some of their innate mysticisms...:8 Landslide for trying to steal/ replicate some of Horsefaces' toadies techniques Update will arrive shortly
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Mon 21 Jul 2025 23:55:17 No. 6278516 Report However, before you make your next move, whether that is stealing some artifact so steeped in malevolence and deathly yin Qi that even demons would see it sealed and buried, or returning to the bright and lively world above to resume your tournament in style, a sudden whimsy strikes you. A stray thought, a flicker of confidence. Of certainty that you could mimic and replicate the mystic abilities you witnessed the soul collectors make good use of they were acting as Horseface's errand boys. It wouldn't be difficult, you've already some experience tearing and slicing through the fabric of space like the sheets of paper screens, treating distance and the emptiness that occupies it like your own personal scratching post But what they had done was different. And that merely one of the sorceries you'd seem them work. Even a simpleton of a cultivator could notice when Qi is moving and a spell is being cast, so for one with spiritual senses as sharp and refined as yours are, you noticed they were using techniques so advance that they might as well be stars for how distant and out of reach they would be for ordinary and talentless cultivators. Which you are certainly not. They weren't so much as spells, rather innate techniques, inherited powers. Like the gifts of a bloodline, like the sort that Feiqing awoke and poor little Luli is struggling to suppress to survive long enough to complete the innate technique within her blood. Or perhaps more like...how your whiskers work. Or perhaps your tail. Martial artists have copied the movement and rhythm of wild beasts since time immemorial, and you've learned how to induce that rhythm as a disorder, even up to the point of turning a kid into a reverse magical beast and the most adorable kitten and accidentally blessing a fair portion of Chuan Kingdom's population with Cat ears and tails. The finer details of their natural gifts, at the moment escape you, but you know they were manipulating Deathly Yin Qi. Harnessing ghostly energies to instantly move to a distant location. Teleportation of the like you fake with your foundational phantom cat step [幽灵猫步, Yōulíngmāobù], but at an exponentially larger scale and distance. And considering that they are creating highways through deathly yin Qi, even trying to mimic it at half power would probably send an unprepared and poorly trained cultivator of golden core stage straight to...well their graves. But you possess nearly boundless reserves of ghostly yin qi, a supreme yin and eclisped yang physique, and your trump card passive technique of Cat's Court: Dancing across the border between life and death (猫 法院: 舞蹈对过边境介于人生 和与死亡, Māofǎyuàn: Wǔdǎoduìguòbiānjìngjièyúrénshēnghéyǔsǐwáng), and as many insights as their are stars in the sky and enlightenment as profound as the last breath of worldly philosopher, Heh-Heh, grasping their power will be as easy as extending your claws or flicking your sleeve! Cont
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Mon 21 Jul 2025 23:59:23 No. 6278518 Report >>6278516 <span class="mu-s"> ROB DEATH ITSELF OF ITS MYSTERIES AND TAKE THEIR INSIGHTS FOR YOUR OWN, OH MAIDEN OF BONES, BLOOD AND MOON CLAIM YOUR RIGHT AS PRINCESS OF A KINGDOM OF GRAVES OR JOIN YOUR MEMORIAL TO THE ORCHARD OF GRAVESTONES </span>
https://youtu.be/ExTWRaJlWEs <span class="mu-s"> Roll 2d100. Best of five. Partial or full bonus available </span>
We'll vote on the bonus to be applied after, juniors.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
Rolled 19, 8 = 27 (2d100) >>6278518 Anonymous
Rolled 66, 70 = 136 (2d100) >>6278518 Hope I brought my lucky dice
Anonymous
Quoted By:
Rolled 51, 27 = 78 (2d100) >>6278518 Anonymous
Quoted By:
Rolled 57, 52 = 109 (2d100) >>6278518 >>6278522 You did indeed. Mind if I borrow them?
Anonymous
Rolled 59, 94 = 153 (2d100) >>6278518 It's not looking like tol much a cost yet.
Anonymous
>>6278541 So 103 bonus needed to reach the dc.
Anyone feel like pushing it?
103 for basic success
512 -153 = 359 to get "8x8x8" but I don't think that has enough mystic power.
Can add 203 for 10 dos, which is our usual degree of Bullshit that's plainly impossible to most.
Or we can do 4 dos because death, 8 dos for fortune.
I'm inclined towards 143, 4 dos for fairly obvious reasons and keeping a lot of the bonus for next cultivation roll.
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Tue 22 Jul 2025 00:36:45 No. 6278550 Report >>6278541 And you'd be right.
The minimum for success would be 103. Which, if you add up the numbers there, you get 4...Bit spooky
So!
<span class="mu-s"> Bonus Vote </span>
>Minimum for success (103), result 256, bonus remaining 1698 >203, result, 356, Bonus remaining, 1598 >303, result, 456, bonus remaining 1498 >403, result, 556, bonus remainig 1398 >Half (900), Result 1053, Bonus remaining , 901 >A thousand, Result 1154, bonus remaining, 801 >MAX Result, 1954, Bonus remaining N/A >Custom >Accept the failure (BAD IDEA) going to let this vote go for a day or two
>>6278548 Junior has wisdom beyond his years!
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t
Our-Grandfather !!6YlJK70pl9t ID:2rhfvPOM Tue 22 Jul 2025 00:42:57 No. 6278554 Report Quoted By:
>>6278550 Realized I messed up some of the values while moving them around
half should have a result of 1003
thousand, 1103
and max, 1904
My bad!
Anonymous
>>6278550 >143 Give us 4 DoS
to the dc whcih is 4 by 4 by 4 by 4.
with numbers adding to 4 and 4 again.
which is 7 4's, the perfect number
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6278581 support
don't want to spend too much, we will need to save many of our points for when we traverse realms.
Anonymous
>>6278550 >>6278581 Lucky Number Svour? Fovn? Whatever, let's do it kek
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6278550 >>6278581 Alright, count me in support of 143 too!
Anonymous
>>6278581 Supporting, trust in the lucky numbers
Anonymous
>>6278550 359 (103+256)
This would mean we supersede the DC by 256 (4x4x4x4, four being a number associated with death) and reach a total DC of 512 (8x8x8, eight being a number associated with luck).
We got a great chance for insight about a topic closely aligned to our Dao; we should do high quality cultivation. I suspect it should synergise with what we already have, so let's not get the budget version of it.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6278581 >>6278696 >>6278913 Alright, different lucky numbers, go!
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6278603 >>6278913 Shiiiieeeet I guess I gotta change to this one, too. Fugg man.
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6278913 Same poster, saying again in different terms why we should put in more bonus.
Dont forget that each Qi cultivation through a stage probably comes with a tribulation that can also put our followers and innocents into harm's way. Thus, we need to delay Qi cultivation anyways and find ways to punch above our weight class.
This technique here looks ideal for mobility/retreats (while being close to our Dao and having possible benefits in this and future ressourrection-heists).
If we want to face isolated lesser deities e.g. when we reach Nascent Soul, this could very well become our lifeline. Let's get the real thing, not an imitation thereof!
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6278913 I'll support this one
Anonymous
Quoted By:
>>6278913 This is
>>6278810 , I’ll switch to support this.