Be advised of mature content below!
Do read at your own risk :))
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Herman woke up groggily at the sight of a blue light flashing in front of his face. Upon trying to stand up and his body instantly protested by sending waves of pain to assault his brain, making poor him groan in discomfort.
Nevertheless, he realized that the blinking light was actually coming from the System's interface and became curious when remembered how it was supposed to have undergone an upgrading session. With something that never happened in his previous life, he was both interested and annoyed at the possibilities it brought.
Laying back on the bed, he accessed the System's interface to check on the newest 'patch notes'.
Attention all users!
The System has finished its upgrade and the changes have already been implemented.
Please see below for the changes that occurred!
1. A new alignment system has been implemented consisting of three choices and three delimitations. Such alignment can't be chosen by the user and instead, it's granted based on the actions the user performs.
The three alignments are Good, Neutral, and Evil. The three delimitations are Orderly, Indiferent, and Chaotic.
The user's interaction with the Immortal World, as well as the Heavenly Realms, will impact their alignment and standing with different sects.
2. A new faction system has been implemented and would become available once a user reaches the Nascent Soul realm. The faction System will be temporarily sealed until more than one thousand races have joined the race for Heavens.
Upon its unlocking, the faction system would allow the user to select a faction to join. In doing so, the user will receive the faction's bonuses that can increase even Perception, Absorption, the four main attributes, and many others.
The users will have to explore the faction system themselves once available.
3. The Dwellings of the users will now have another building available for them upon reaching the Soul Wandering Realm. The Immortal House will be ready to be constructed immediately holding available four plots of farmable land, a warehouse, and a shop where the users can purchase seeds from.
Upon cultivating the seeds, different immortal fruits can be collected, all of which are usable in increasing one's Cultivation Base.
The System wishes everyone happy cultivation!
"..."
Thinking long and hard on his previous life, even if he was a miser that could barely afford a shitty Dwelling, there was no such thing as an Immortal House. Also, planting crops? Well... if it gives Cultivation Base, then it's not that bad at all.
What worried him greatly was this 'alignment system'. If everyone's actions are being monitored and are also quantified based on regulations that only the System is aware of, it will be impactful in more ways than one.
Think about it like this: religion is everywhere around the various universes, with every world having different gods. Now, if the said priests of such a world are being classified as 'Orderly Good' by the System and in exchange, those that commit atrocious acts are classified as 'Chaotic Evil', war among the two classes is imminent. Even more so if that 'impacts their standings with different sects'. With the way the System put it, if one aligned themselves with an evil sect, they will receive its protection and blessings.
Now going back to the two opposing classes, if sects are also thrown in the mix, the scale of the war will blow out of proportions for certain!
"It's not like the System is not aware of this. What the hell is it thinking!? How would war on all fronts benefit it?"
[Oh? Seems like you're awake.](Celeste)
"Morning Cele... Huh!? What the..."
User: Celeste (full name hidden)
Cultivation realm: hidden
Years of cultivation: hidden
Alignment: Indifferent Neutral
[Weird, huh? I can't seem to get used to it myself. Let me see... Eh? Your real name isn't Herman Roy? Interesting... anyway, Golden Core realm with under a year of cultivation and a Chaotic Neutral alignment. I guess that's from 'then' isn't it?](Celeste)
Hearing Celeste mumbling to herself, he paused and opened his own interface. There was a 'user card' option where these four details were available for edit. Indeed, with him selecting 'Herman Roy' as his alias, it had the 'real name hidden' in brackets. He kept mum about it and thought about the 'then' Celeste was referring to instead. It must've been the moment when he killed that dying girl.
It wasn't enough to make him evil, but it was sufficient to judge his character as chaotic.
"Mhm... Any idea what the hell are these 'factions'?"
[I guess that there should be something related to the cultivators that reached the realm of gods. By joining their factions, you would get their blessings. As simple as that.](Celeste)
"If that's the case, there's nothing simple about it, love."
Herman couldn't help but shiver after face-palming. If her assumption is correct, then... they would become marching soldiers under the banners of these 'gods'. No matter how he thought about it, there was nothing good coming out of that.
[And why is that, 'love'?](Celeste)
"..."
Sweating, Herman realized his slip of the tongue and cursed at himself for his lack of attention. Left with no choice, he thickened his skin and pretended that he didn't get what she was hinting at.
"What use is there for 'gods' in having ants like us joining their faction?"
[Eh? Hmm... more or less having an army. I assume it's not easy warring or fighting at their cultivation levels without razing some worlds to the ground... wait...](Celeste)
"Uhum! If your assumption is correct, then we become the sacrificial pieces on their chessboard. Instead of having themselves fight for whatever reason, they will use us, lesser members of their faction to settle their differences. Also, think of their status! Say that there is a world that they want to take control over because of various reasons. Do you think it's becoming of their godly realms to act like that? What if they want a world that's under the influence of another such 'god'? Could they shed all pretenses and just steal it away? Nope! It would be easier to have minions to fight that battle for you. That's why it will be both good and bad to join a faction."
[I see what you mean. It will be bad because you'll become nothing more than a foot-soldier for these ridiculously strong beings, but it will also be good because they would do everything in their powers to strengthen their soldiers.](Celeste)
"Bingo! There should be a limit imposed by the System, but there shouldn't be any such 'god' that would skimp on its blessings. The members of its faction would represent his/her honor. If they get trampled by another faction, wouldn't the honor of that 'god' be trampled as well?"
[I see... anyway, that's a story for later. How are you feeling?](Celeste)
"Horrible! It's likely that after properly absorbing the medicine left in my body I will be able to properly move tomorrow, but it will still hurt while doing so, albeit less."
[That's good then!](Celeste)
"Oh, right! I almost forgot again! Did you notice any missions being posted in our Dwelling? Ones that would award Nochi Packs?"
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
[Eh? I already completed those and the ones applicable for your Immortal Market...](Celeste)
"Huh!?"
[???](Celeste)
"???"
They were both looking questioningly at the other. Herman because he didn't know how the hell did she have access to his interface (mind you, all missions would be posted per user in their interface of each hall belonging to the Immortal Market) and Celeste because of his confusion about the matter.
Seemingly realizing what the confusion was about, Celeste made an 'oh, I get it!' face and began explaining.
[It's because I hold the position of an Immortal Housekeeper. The missions in the Dwelling are quite simple to solve and therefore I was able to have the various apprentices sort them out. The Treasure, Sutras, Merit, Spirit Jade, and Top-up Halls I had access to because of my working relationship with you. They were more or less similar in difficulty and I only had to test various products they provided and give some feedback regarding them. Oh! I also stored the 10 Nochi Packs in the warehouse.](Celeste)
"...you're seriously an angel! I could kiss you right now if I wasn't afraid that you'd pulverize me into dust."
[Hehe! It's good that you know.](Celeste)
Herman was left speechless upon her disappearance from the room, unable to tell what exactly was she referring to. Irrelevant to that, he couldn't move around much or train, much less cultivate. So he was left with only one option: meditation.
Entering the state of nothingness when your entire body is screaming in pain was a bit of a challenge, but he managed in the end. Returning to his mind palace/spiritual world he found the fist-size glowing core shining resplendently. In its close proximity, there were two smaller wisps of light gravitating about.
"They should be the two beast pills I ate. The Beast Int. Pill and the True Beast Pill. If I manage to refine and integrate them into my own core, not only would my Cultivation Base increase by 100.000, but the quality of my core would be further refined even if by an insignificant portion."
Golden Core I
Total cultivation base: 239 / 516,605
Efficiency: (92 ~ 281) / 1 hour
Seeing how he didn't gain any passive Cultivation Base while he slept for an entire day, he couldn't help but sigh in defeat. For the following days, there was nothing more he could do except polish this shiny little thing further and meditate to improve his mind and spiritual awareness.
That's how an entire week passed and Herman woke up from his meditation. By now, the two pills were absorbed and his cultivation increased so slightly.
Golden Core I
Total cultivation base: 100.239 / 516,605
Efficiency: (92 ~ 281) / 1 hour
Nodding to himself, seemingly pleased with his own hard work, Herman was slapped into waking up by a horrible smell of sweat coming from his body. With a full week in which he did nothing but sit in the same spot and meditate quietly, his body piled up quite a bit of sweat and grime.
His Immortal Search outfit was fine and good smelling as always, but that coupled with his foul stinking body created a most unpleasant sensation that made him wanna throw up.
After soaking for a good 15 minutes in the heated pool (obviously, after he showered enough to be clean again), Herman began to be quite impatient about the future. Things were changing compared with his previous life and he wasn't sure of how to act moving forward.
Looking down at the water reflection and seeing his young face again, he was reminded of his past struggles. Looking down at his chiseled body and firm muscles and comparing it to the weak self in his past life, he couldn't help but snicker at all the unfortunate events he had to go through back then.
The sound of a door opening brought him out of his reverie and he couldn't help but swallow a gulp of saliva upon seeing Tianxia Xue walking towards the pool, wearing nothing but a small towel to cover the most important parts of her body. Even so, with her gorgeous beauty and her lean but destructive body, Herman couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Indeed, returning to his younger self, even if his mind is that of an old man, his body and hormones still belonged to a mid-twenties brat.
"Miss Xue... while you know that I don't even mind your presence, much less in such attire, you should be aware of my limits as a man."
[*Giggle* Oh, is that so?](Tianxia Xue)
Hearing her laugh that sounded like wind chimes over a serene lake, Herman was taken aback, even more so when her towel dropped to the ground and she slipped into the water by his side, fully naked. For a brief moment, he fully searched his body and mind, worried that he was still meditating and somehow triggered an internal demon, now being subjected to its illusions. After sneakily pinching his thigh and realizing that he's also not dreaming, he was confused beyond reason and let his gaze wander about the beauty's body.
A pinkish-red glow engulfed Tianxia Xue's skin upon noticing his wolf-like greedy behavior, but said nothing and instead sat on his lap while pressing her back on his chest.
Herman's rationality was quickly flying out the window and it took great strength to control his hands, even if other parts of his body were already reacting.
After a low gasp and a slight shudder of her body, the heroic Tianxia Xue that lived her life as a Wanderer that crushed beasts left and right, became nothing more than a small cat nestling in Herman's embrace.
Allowing his hands to move about her waist and slowly pressing on her abdomen to bring her closer to him, he asked in a low voice.
"Can you tell me what happened to suddenly make you do this?"
[I've decided to go ahead with the master-servant contract.](Tianxia Xue)
"...I see. But even so, there's no need to do this you know? Not that I'm complaining with such a beauty in my arms."
Turning around and glaring at him for a second before smiling, the last bits of rationality that Herman held on with great effort... disappeared. He used his arms and quickly turned her around to face him, seeing her bashfully blushing face and taking a couple of seconds to admire the ridiculous level of beauty she held. Unable to hold himself back any longer, he cupped her face and brought it closer to his own.
When their lips touched, her body shuddered again, and placed her hands around his neck, allowing him to do whatever he pleased. Herman realized that she wasn't that great at kissing and instead, it might actually be her first time doing it, upon seeing her clumsy behavior.
He didn't mind and instead gently guided her while caressing her increasingly red skin. Seconds later, when their lips parted, a low moan escaped Tianxia Xue's small mouth further embarrassing her and making her want to run away.
Unfortunately for her, Herman's hands locked her in place while grabbing hold of her firm buttocks, while kissing down her neck, and moving towards the full twin peaks. The naval battle continued for about two hours, a barely visible streak of blood in the water confirming Herman's suspicions of her inexperience.
Nevertheless, he was impressed by her seductive voice while laying in his arms and couldn't help but kiss her again when seeing her expression.
"I must say... we should make this sort of contract signing the staple in the Immortal World. Imagine how many men would become happy beyond... Ouch! Hey, don't pinch!"
[Mean!](Tianxia Xue)
"Hehe!"
Indeed, every man and woman would only show their true selves to their lovers. Hers was... breathtaking! Savoring the taste of her lips, again and again, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his lower lip, enough to draw blood. He looked at Tianxia Xue questioningly, wondering if her 'preferences' suddenly took a turn for the worse.
[Blood, dummy. I need it to complete the contract. Usually, it's done by putting a drop of the master's blood in a glass of wine and having the servant drink it, but we can spare the formalities.](Tianxia Xue)
"How... unsanitary. Anyway, it seems that it was completed already?"
[Yes.](Tianxia Xue)
Seeing her bashful expression once more, he realized that it took great amounts of courage for this woman to follow up with such a bold plan. He was a man and a man is supposed to protect a woman's dignity. If he allowed for such expressions to continue, his identity as a man would be questioned. If not by others, then by himself for sure.
"In any case, you actually dared to bite your master, huh? It seems that you need some extra lessons in manners, hur-hur-hur!"
[Eh!?](Tianxia Xue)
The seductive squeals of the beauty were ringing through the Dwelling, but he didn't pay much attention to it while carrying a naked beauty to his chambers, naked himself. Once in front of the bed that had its sheets changed, Herman couldn't help but think of Celeste and upon extending his perception slightly... there she was, watching the whole situation.
He felt strange initially, but upon seeing the beauty in his arms breathing heavily and smelling the sweet perfume of her body, he quickly placed that at the back of his mind.
"Hmpf! If you want to watch it, I'll give you something nice to watch!"
What followed was a long battle in the sheets that seemed to last the entire day, neither of the fighters requiring food or water though. Herman got creative with his techniques and the moans filled with pleasure ringed in the room akin to a siren's voice, further entrancing him and pushing him to do even more.
Somewhere in the middle of their fun, Celeste's perception seemed to have retracted, making him wonder if she watched enough or if it was too much for her to see. Speaking of which, would Celeste have any experience in this field?
"You little minx! Don't bite! See how I deal with you!"
[*Giggle* You dare to look distracted?](Tianxia Xue)
"Hoh! Look at how cheeky you got suddenly!"
*Slap*
[Ahn!](Tianxia Xue)
The sound of Herman's hand slapping on her buttocks brought a most beautiful moan from the woman. After glaring lightly at him, she continued to fight him for the entire night.
It was already morning when he finally managed to conquer this lioness and put her to sleep. He was very pleased with the Sutras that he bought, enhancing his Vitality. Who knew it had such a wondrous effect?
In his past life, he was too busy while being young and less interested when he got older, therefore the times he was able to have s*x were quite few and rare in-between. Gazing at the sleeping beauty by his side, he felt that all his previous worries about the future were lessened considerably. He would just take them one at a time, as many as they come.
Looking outside the window at the rising sun, he made a slight motion with his right hand and the drapes were pulled upon using some Qi. He gently put one of his arms under the woman and brought her closer to his body with the other. Seeing how she didn't wake up in the slightest, he snickered proudly at how tired she became.
Moments later, he also fell asleep while being embraced by the woman's fragrance.