“Yes. Me and Hu Tao are the Empress’s slaves. To save my own life, I became Jing’s slave. Hu Tao made a bet with her and lost, also becoming her slave. As far as I know, you three weren’t forced into joining Jing. You still have the chance to leave and live normal lives but me and Hu Tao are stuck in this for life. I still haven’t quite come to terms with it as I still have a family back home but I realized Jing isn’t a monster to those that follow her. As long as you perform your duties, you will be treated fairly.”
The serious response given by Bing sent Qing and Lei Zhi into deep thought. What exactly did they want by following under Jing? Did they want to stick with her for their entire lives? What about their own goals, wishes, and dreams for the future? Could they accomplish them if they stayed under Jing? What would happen if they refused to be under Jing and wanted to leave? Could they even leave? Or would she silence them so that information about her wouldn’t spread? This...was a lot to think about.
“Hey guys! I’m back! Do you think Jing will be able to give me a mystic flame for killing those Fearsome Garden weaklings? Maybe that’s asking too much because of how rare they are... What if I gave her the head of one of their commanders!?” Ying returned with her outfit covered in blood. Seeing the unfamiliar face next to the two guys, she asked, “Who’s this and do I need to cut her apart too?”
“Hmph. I don’t look that different, do I?” Wan asked slightly upset at not being recognized by anyone but Lei Zhi.
“Yes. You look like a completely different person.” Bing spoke.
“You look no different to me.” Lei Zhi smiled.
“No, seriously who is she?” Ying asked a second time, noticing the friendly atmosphere between the three.
“It’s Wan Qing. Our ally.” Lei Zhi informed.
“Eh? No way...” Ying got real up close to Qing and stared directly at her chest.
“Are they real?” Ying asked.
“Find out for yourself.” She scoffed.
Ying groped Qing’s chest and could feel the weight and quality of her breasts. It felt like the real deal! But how in the world did she do this? Could it be that spirit tool from before? It could make illusions of this quality?
“They are real...” Ying stopped fondling Qing and didn’t notice the small blush on her cheeks.
“Hmph.” She proudly smirked as both Lei Zhi and Bing were looking away politely.
“I’m done!” Ying yelled, bringing their attention back.
“Oh, alright then.” Bing coughed with his face slightly red.
“Now follow me. With my Overbearing Amalgamation of Flames auxiliary art, I can sense objects with a strong fire-qi presence.”
“Does that mean what I think it means then?” Wan asked. Ying only smiled in response with a greedy look in her eyes.
“Isn’t that the martial art you gained from the boy with the mystic flame?” Bing asked.
“Yeah. And next time I see him, I'm definitely taking his flame from him.”
“Why didn’t you do it before?” Lei Zhi asked.
“I didn’t know it was possible until after my encounter with him.”
“Doesn’t that mean you could just find if there are any mystic flames here yourself if you can sense objects with a lot of fire qi?” Bing questioned.
“Maybe. I don’t know how much fire qi surrounds something like a mystic flame. They are wanted across the continent for a reason Fatass. If they were this easy to get, then everyone would have one.”
“I was just asking...”
The group continued to travel across the Great Volcano with Ying leading them as their treasure magnet. Along the way, they stumbled upon plenty of areas with fire-related treasures defended by dangerous spirit beasts, treacherous places filled with lava that could melt the flesh in seconds until there was nothing but bone and ash left, and the environment itself going against them. The group as a whole barely gained any treasures at all. All the places they checked had the treasure already looted! What Ying could sense was just the left over qi prescence from the magical treasures. All that hard work for nothing seriously dampened their spirits. Bing’s shield to defend against any threats, Qing’s fan to blast away anything in their way, and Zhi’s fishing rod to snatch up any treasures that were too far away to reach. Despite leading the group to the treasures, Ying barely could do anything in the journey to gain them.
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“You’re so useless sometimes!” Her sword sent feelings of embarrassment towards her. “Are you only good for killing people!? What kind of sword can’t even take a dip in lava!?” Her sword responded back. “Who cares if it's hot!?”
“I don’t think you should take your anger out on your sword.” Bing spoke before getting punched in the arm and crying out in pain.
“Don’t tell me what to do Fatass.” She huffed.
“I didn’t think there would be so many magical treasures missing.” Wan Qing admitted.
“I’m shocked as well. There must be someone here that can also sense flame-natured objects like Ying.” Zhi agreed.
“Do you guys see that over there?” Bing asked.
“See what?” Ying looked over and saw a familiar face that instantly boosted her spirits. Bing saw this and was about to ask something but before he could, she dashed off in the distance.
“What was that about?” Qing looked at the excited Yue with killing intent leaking off of her.
Bing shrugged his shoulders and the group watched as Ying jumped into the air and brought her sword down in the middle of the group fighting, knocking both sides away by destroying the ground they were fighting on. It was an entire group vs one guy. Ying focused her eye on the single guy rather than the group and charged after him with her blade. He immediately turned tail and ran away from Ying. The group the guy was fighting against chased after them both, leaving their squad behind as Ying went on a chase.
“What is she, a child?” Qing asked holding her head in disbelief.
“I’m sure she has her reasons...” Lei Zhi tried to reason.
“Well, I have better things to do than wait on her to come back. I’m heading to the Great Tower.” Qing started walking back with her arms crossed.
“She is going pretty far...” Ying’s figure was now far into the distance and could barely be seen by Bing.
“We could leave her a message with the talisman. So that she could find us later.” Lei Zhi proposed.
“Do as you wish.” Qing said unconcerned.
----------------------------------------
“Give me your Mystic Flame!” Ying yelled.
“Senior Martial Sister, I must decline!” Fu Kang yelled back.
“I wasn’t asking!” Fire claimed her body, increasing her speed.
“Haven’t you ever heard that pushy women are terrifying to good men!?” Fire coated his body as well, giving him a speed boost just like Ying’s but even faster.
“You’ve reached a higher level than me?” Ying stared in shock as he was already in the advanced realm with the same auxiliary art that she’s using when they started learning it around the same time. Let it be known that she was still only at the initial realm at this time!
There are 5 levels to determine how skilled a cultivator is at practicing a martial art. Elementary, initial, intermediate, advanced, and peak are all the stages a martial artist can reach in a martial art. Reaching the elementary stage of a martial arts means that the cultivator can show 10% of the true power of a martial art. Initial is 30%, Intermediate is 50%, Advanced is 70%, and Peak is 100%.
‘That’s impossible... It’s only been a few months since I've last seen him. How could he be at the advanced stage already?’ Ying was flabbergasted.
The way he formed and manipulated the fire around him was almost seamless. Ying wasn’t capable of anything as skilled as that even in her best state! She was jealous, confused, and pissed off! How!? Unless he was a super genius on par with that bastard Hu Tao, then it was impossible for him to reach that stage so fast. She refused some pervert like this guy in front of her was talented too. Perverts shouldn’t be blessed by the heavens! One Hu Tao was enough for this world!
Ying threw uncontrolled masses of flames at him, she wasn’t able to manipulate them that well. He nimbly dodged her attacks while taking her all across the Great Volcano. The group that was fighting Fu Kang was nowhere in sight. Lava shot out from the ground all around them. Spirit beasts joined in the chase with them sometimes. He was three small stages below her at the 3rd stage but he could out speed her! He had to have another secret besides the earrings she got from him. Her envy as a cultivator refused to believe another pervert could be this talented.
“Martial Sister! Desperation is not a good look for a lady! Chasing me for so long will only hurt your reputation! For a lady as beautiful as you, it would be a pain to my heart seeing you shamed because of me.”
Ying didn’t even bother responding to his nonsense. She will find his secret. She will take his secret. And she will take his mystic flame, no matter what he says or does. Ying wouldn’t care if the entire sect thought she was obsessed with him. All she cared about was getting what she wanted. She wouldn’t let anything stop her.
“Stop!” A mysterious figure intruded and created a barrier of flames between her and the green-haired boy.
“Tch. Out of my way!” Ying clicked her tongue and slashed right through the fire barrier with her sword, splitting it in half and easily allowing her to grab the boy by the throat.
“Please. Senior Sister... We can solve this with words instead of violence.. ACK!” Ying tightened her grip around his throat to shut him up.
“Please release Fu Kang.” The one who made the barrier appeared.
“Aren’t you that pretty boy’s fiancé?” Ying asked unclear.
“He is not my fiancé.” She stated firmly.
“Oh, so you’re in one of those types of clans. An arranged marriage made by your father?”
“I will not accept this marriage and no matter what I'll prove to my Father that I will choose who I marry. Even if I have to defeat Gong Jun myself.” She vowed.
“Huh, well I can respect something like that. I know I would be raising hell if my parents tried to force me into an arranged marriage. But seriously, you chose this guy over someone like Gong Jun?” Ying figured he must really have a deep secret if a real princess like Liu Lan was interested in him. A secret she will take at all costs.