Book 3: Chapter 10: Icy Memories |
The plan was slowly establishing itself.
Yin Hu recognized that the girls were incapable of training until they raised their mutation ranking without ascending them in the process. That meant he had to discover a few things along the way. Primarily, how to start up the mutation process once more without ruining their potential or hurting either one of them. Hence, his recent discovery within the Compendium.
He had given them D.E.Y.M.P. and it had worked miraculous work on their bloodlines, Spiritual Roots, and mutations.
But that was after months of trainings and purification processes that were required.
Maybe he could do something similar. Yin Hu didn’t doubt that the process they went through could be made better and more purifying. Similar to how he had used the healing potion to change Zhong Da’s and Wu Xui’s base as they claimed. Purifying them of the majority of the corruption within their bodies and cores in one fell move instead of the dozens of steps he had the girls go through.
Except, he intended to work this in partial steps for him to continuously develop their mutations as the world changed around them.
It had suddenly jumped many tiers over night, he didn’t doubt it would do that again. Change was part of any world, but it was more pressed in a cultivation one. New powers emerged all the time, older ones dying and turning into inheritance sites. Ancient ones slowly discovered by people a thousand generations after them and more madness that flipped the world on its head every once in a while.
Hence, the plan was slowly forming together.
It just required a bit more fleshing out before he was ready to commit to it fully. Yin Hu had to figure out how much more purification could they take before it had negative consequences. Could he strengthen their bodies without any drawbacks or their cells exploding from the unrestrained growth? He already recognized the potential for Qi oversaturation and the possibility of the blowing up like bombs instead of throwing bombs at his enemies.
Yin Hu closed the Compendium and let out a sigh.
The Demonic Spirit Tree trembled from above him and waved its branches at the cups as though it was trying to convince him that tea was the answer to all his woes, but Yin Hu knew better than to trust such a greedy little thing. It just wanted to drink some and didn’t even consider his situation unless it helped itself.
Since when do trees form personalities like this anyway. They're supposed to be anchors and strong. Not… whatever this is supposed to be.
It continued to shake and make its branches dance until he finally gave up.
Yin Hu was quickly learning that he was pretty terrible at saying no to things that weren’t necessarily harmful. Yes, the tree didn’t need its fifth cup of tea today and he should have continued to ignore it, but he just couldn’t.
He waved his hand and summoned the pot and his own cup.
The Demonic Spirit Tree trembled with joy as it curled into itself like a little child and then reached out and grabbed the pot. Pour him a cup and then itself one as well. It had tried to drink the entire pot once, unable to fight off its greedy inclinations, but a quick scolding and threatening to cut it down with a tree cutting ax he summoned had done the job in making sure it never tried it again.
The kettle clinked as the tree put it down and gave him a slight bow.
“Thank you,” Yin Hu said. He paused for a second as he considered something. “You’re getting pretty smart. Won’t do to keep calling you tree, now would it?”
The Demonic Spirit Tree froze a few inches from its cup. All of its leaves turned to him.
“Yes. I know. Pick a good name that's suitable to you. You can tell me which one you like once I can think up of a few names–”
System Message!
Congratulations on Naming your First Sentient Tree!
Name has been accepted and applied!
Ta Rae the Demonic Spirit Tree of Ancient Primordial Foundings.
Grand Elder of the Hu Clan.
Reward 1,998,999 Exp
Reward Dao of the Frozen True Sage of Annihilation - Righteous 19% completion
Reward Icy Ancient Dragon Slaying BroadSword Rapier
Yin Hu stared at the notification before him, stunned. The damn thing had named itself… Tree?!
He did not have the time to complain or shout at the Demonic Spirit Tree now named Ta Rae about its horrible selection. Yin Hu stood up and extended his hand. The hilt of a sword appeared exactly where he expected it. Before him shimmered an ice blue rapier with a thick blade. Basket hilt with white cloth fell from it like a waterfall. He let his hand slip into it and held it before it pierced into the ground.
Everyone appeared around him a second later.
Zhong Da and wife were pale and struggled to keep their expressions neutral. Shui was not in the building, having gone out for some business of her own that she would not tell him. Jun ran out of the room. Except her expression was not nearly as terrified as the couple. If anything she looked curious.
Dao being integrated! Dao of the Frozen True Sage of Annihilation!
Yin Hu let out a sigh and closed his eyes.
This… reminded him of some of his last moments when he had received his DragonsWrath sword. That day had been the breaking point.
He tilted his head up and let the Dao that arrived wash over him. Its cold and frigid feeling passing through the entire area in waves of ice and snow. Yet, he felt no joy for its arrival because he knew the truth of this matter. In just a few moments, this feeling would vanish and he would cease to feel alive anymore. The system would integrate it and it would be locked for time immemorial.
The system pinged him. He didn’t even need to focus to know exactly what it said.
Dao of the Frozen True Sage of Annihilation - System has fully integrated!
And just like that it was gone.
Vanishing just as quickly as it had appeared. But it had done its damage and truly reminded Yin Hu of what he had experienced. The eons he spent and had forgotten. Yin Hu felt old and tired for the first time in nearly two years on this planet.
He opened his eyes to a world covered in snow.
Terrified clan members huddling around the now named Ta Rae that protected them from the piles of snow. Icicles hung from the building. And chaos was erupting within the city as the Dao affected the world just like he expected it to. He had seen much more powerful Daos before. Things that would have turned this place into nothing but a crater. Yet, that power always vanished and he was left at square one.
Yin Hu let himself settle upon his lounging chair. The tea remained as steamy and hot as before, unaffected by the changes and the arrival of a new Dao.
“W-What happened, Master?” Jun shook from the frigid temperatures.
“That was a Greater Dao,” Zhong Da whispered as though his words could harm him. Wu Xui threatened to faint, but held tight to her husband's frame. “H-How is that possible? The Greater Dao is sealed from everyone or there would be Heavenly Retribution.”
Yin Hu took a sip of his tea. “Nothing but a moment of time. Gone like the wind. I’ve experienced a thousand just like it and many more stronger and more fierce. This was nothing.” He never looked up from his cup.
They noticed something was wrong. Each one could have levied him with more questions and demands. Instead they all hurried back inside and worked to warm themselves from the Qi influenced cold that they could not fight off even though each one was a cultivator of great power and body cultivation. They could do nothing but shake and huddle closer to fire in hopes it saved them from the cold.
Yin Hu, on the other hand, remained in his seat, lost in thought for days only waking a week later when all the snow, ice, freeze, and remnants of his new Dao had vanished.
He shook his head.
Ta Rae noticed him waking and immediately moved to pour him and itself a cup of tea.
How long was I out?
Yin Hu looked around the courtyard and let his perception roam the entire city for a few seconds. He noticed no new signs and no indication of how long he’d been day dreaming for. For all he knew, it could have been an hour or years.
Jun was on the other side of the area. Laying on the grass and covered by the building's shadow from the sun.
He heard her sigh loudly.
I can’t do this again. Losing focus like that does me no good nor does remembering… that time.
Yin Hu stood up and walked up to her. “Everything alright?”