"I did not, my daughter. but it does raise the main issue. These items I pa.s.sed on to you, have you seen them?" Bianca spoke softly.

"Haaaa." Zhi Rui got up from the pond and dried herself. Without looking at the crystal ball she jumped on the bed. "I've been too busy to read that book, but I'm guessing they are instructions?"

"Almost, it tells the story and objective of l.u.s.t, as well as its doctrines and laws. As the one blessed by it, you need to know the book from beginning to end."

Zhi Rui eyes showed annoyance. "Ugh, In the end, it all comes down to establis.h.i.+ng power and leading you people on the continent. If you want me to lead you, it'll be on my way."

Bianca frowned "Doctrines and laws are what kept the people and the cult alive."

Zhi Rui laughed with sarcasm "You wors.h.i.+p a sin that's fickle and selfish. And expect the one blessed by it to obediently follow doctrines?"

Shaking her head Bianca spoke " You did not understand l.u.s.t. l.u.s.t is a shared sin, Pleasure is best shared with others. And to create a place where l.u.s.t will prosper and germinate. You, Zhi Rui, was chosen by it to do that, and you cannot do that by being fickle and selfish."

'Prosper and germinate...' Zhi Rui thought.

She decided to change the subject. "The artifact, why did you reveal to me?"

Exasperatedly Bianca spoke "It's sad not have your daughter's trust. I'm sowing trust with you. Believe me, I only want the good for the cult and you. I know it won't be enough with it, but for now, I'll settle with a chance.

"I'll send some cultivation laws and methods for you to examine, they were chosen specifically to your attribute. Here in the cult we also have materials. Cores, advanced spells, methods to learn spell crafting. methods to learn alchemy, weapon forging. Whatever you want to invest in, we have the guides. You just have to trust us" Bianca finished with a sad smile.

The image of Bianca vanished and a misty fog appeared on the crystal.

Zhi Rui was dazed, but inwardly she was sneering with disgust. 'Does she need to spout so much c.r.a.p? trust? HA!' If not for the chance that Bianca might still be observing her, Zhi Rui would've spat on the crystal ball.

But then Zhi Rui calmed down, she started to think. Now that she established her income and standing in the sect and the kingdom. She can finally focus on her cultivation. Yet her crystals will take a while to pile up from her business, and even when she has enough, the sect will have an eye on everything that she buys. She can deal with it. But if there are better and untraceable resources. That's better.

Zhi Rui thought about Bianca's motives, it's obvious she wants Zhi Rui to evolve. Pondering 'why' and finding no answer Zhi Rui decided.

'I can deal with it when the time comes. My objective is to become strong. If she is willing to offer the resources for me. Then I'll swallow them all. I'll grow strong and when Bianca show her true mind, I'll swallow her too.' Zhi Rui thought with a gleam of obsession.

without hesitation, she extended her index finger and tapped the crystal ball.

A shock came through her hand and smashed directly in her brain. She trembled and she started bleeding from her nose eyes and mouth.

A Gigantic beast smas.h.i.+ng venerable realm cultivators as if it was nothing. A ghostly fog encroaching on a city turning it into a ghost town in a single night. A seemingly fragile human skeleton seated in a throne atop a purple cauldron with millions of undead marching ahead. Various different images pa.s.sed through her mind. She was being shown the sky outside the well that is the country where she lives.

Zhi Rui jolted with a gasp. Breathing rapidly "HAHA, so there was so much out there." Zhi Rui looked up frantically "I finally understand how small this place is."

Everything came to her. The measly first six levels they struggle to evolve into are merely preparation for entering the world of cultivation. The true beginning is the Venerable realm. The six core your refine to acquire attributes and skill are simply a way to start early on your chosen path.

After the sixth level, you transcend into a venerable. your body is transformed and tempered by the heavens itself. transcending your existence from mortal into the realm of the immortals. Only then, you can freely move between the skies and lands. your body and soul become more deeply connected with nature, and common elements cannot harm the body or spirit. the cores you refined is fused to form a single innate Venerable level ability.

'This knowledge...' Zhi Rui smiled 'She's doing everything she can for me to evolve fast. Inciting my l.u.s.t with all these wonders.'

As she recalled. The first six levels you use to choose your future innate ability. Due to Zhi Rui's ritual for talent, her ability with common elements was reduced, in exchange, she gained immense compatibility with the ethereal element. limiting her options to body cultivation, spirit, mystic, mind, life, death and neutral.

Zhi Rui looked at the methods Bianca sent her.

Names and descriptions. there were around ten of them. some of them were especially eye-catching.

Zhi Rui narrowed her eyes. As she browsed in her mind, she could feel a small, almost imperceptible tug on some methods, she examined one of them and a feeling of excitement spread in her gut, without thinking she immediatly woke herself up. 'That emotion was mine, but it was not natural.'

One more time she was amazed by Bianca's prowess. But Zhi Rui soon smiled. 'Her path of cultivation most likely involves the influence of emotions and mental state.'

It was a small thing to discover, insignificant, even. But nonetheless. It was something.

Zhi Rui exhaled tiredly, her eyes were heavy, she did not have confidence in examining everything without being influenced in some way, so she put the crystal ball in her storage pouch, she knew Bianca is watching her every move. But is better to stick with the known devil and profit from it, than try to defend yourself from the unknown monster.

Zhi Rui looked at her crystal pocket watch. It was already one in the morning, sighing, she took the spirit black ball out and started to examine it. She sat cross-legged on top of the bed.

Zhi Rui concentrated and everything outside disappeared from her senses. Now she was standing in a huge red s.p.a.ce. It was her first time inside her own core. the ground was foggy red. she looked to her left and a tree of her size was beside her. 'Ying tree.' she thought. The being the core she refined came from. suddenly ahead of her, more than a hundred men appeared.

Zhi Rui could feel their rage and despair. Her hair stood to an end. Suddenly they charged at Zhi Rui. Her heart beating hard, Zhi Rui forcefully calmed herself and thought. She could also feel every spirit's atributes. The strength of their bodies, their talents with magic and spells.

She understood each and every one of them from their most mediocre ability until their most dazzling talents.

when she was confused and tense a gleam of light pa.s.sed in her eyes. she looked up 'I see now.' she thought.

Zhi Rui willed it, and the charging horde stopped. Frozen in place. Zhi Rui smiled and started to experiment with the enlightenment she just got.

Outside, in the cave, blackie awoke and saw Zhi Rui levitating crosslegged above the bed with a squirming black ball in front of her.

Blackie trembled slightly and curled into a ball in the corner of the cave.

Inside her core, Zhi Rui tried to fuse a spirit with another and they desintegrated. She could feel the ball outside shrink.

Although she failed, She was smiling. She was picturing the possibilities with such abilities and her smile became hideous. She sighed in exasperation. it was late and she had to refine the energy to go on the expedition. So she couldn't experiment now.

With a sigh, she started refining the spirits.

The black glob of spirits entered back on her core and slowly dissolved into the core. The aura around her become deep red as her core was nourished.

And the air turned cold by the time she finished the pond was frozen. Zhi Rui sighed in relief. She was as expected a step away from level two she only needed to choose a core. yet she could not feel good, she did not sleep and the fatigue was still there.

Zhi Rui sighed.

'A woman shouldn't have to pa.s.s such stress.' She thought.