Chapter 83 - A Girl Dies Every Day in Her Dream Life

The final task for Luo Xue was to enhance her divine abilities. Her current methods of combat were woefully inadequate. "Enhance Divine Abilities: -100" "Divine Ability Enhancement: Almost None -> Slightly Present" "Hidden Condition Met (Soul >= 100), Special Divine Talent Activated: Dual Pupils" "Dual Pupils: Sees fast as slow, enhances speed of pupil-based divine techniques, improving their effectiveness." Dual Pupils? Is it a special aptitude like the Calamity Poison Body? The description seemed quite ordinary and appeared weaker in comparison to the Calamity Poison Body. Luo Xue blinked, attempting to check if there was an additional pupil in her eyes, but unfortunately, she didn’t have a mirror. Leaving aside the newly acquired Dual Pupils, after enhancing her divine ability, Luo Xue felt a deeper understanding of the "Thousand Face Art," as if inspiration had suddenly struck her, bringing her closer to mastering "Transformation." Moreover, divine arts that were difficult for her to understand previously slowly took on new forms within her mind. However, similar to the change in her cultivation aptitude, the enhancement in her talent did not immediately boost her combat power. Instead, her soul's attributes had amplified, not only elevating the strength of her soul to another tier but also introducing a mysterious sensation within her heart. Her soul had reached a level where she could cultivate soul-secret techniques. Yet, the Juexia Sect didn’t possess such techniques, nor did Luo Xue have any in her possession. The formidable talents of demonic and ghostly factions might possess them, but those weren’t options she could easily pursue... "Mmm..." Sha Yiyi let out a soft moan, soon slowly opening her eyes. She unconsciously sat up, rubbing her eyes. As if out of habit, she raised her hand and slapped the still-unconscious Sha Keke on the face. After the crisp sound, Sha Yiyi yawned, "Morning..." Sha Keke, rubbing her reddened cheek, lazily responded, "Morning, sister..." Luo Xue and Nangong Mengxiang observed this scene in silence. The manner in which these sisters interacted was... harmonious, to say the least. After overcoming the initial confusion from waking, the Sha sisters finally remembered what had happened before they fainted, and their expressions turned tense immediately. This was no ordinary peaceful morning! "Don't worry, we’ve escaped," Luo Xue comforted, looking at the anxious Sha sisters. "Everyone's safe. Nangong managed to get us out." "Really?" The Sha sisters stared wide-eyed and incredulous. "My Lady, you actually held out with your nascent prowess against a peak Foundation Establishment genius until Nangong arrived..." "Ahem... it wasn’t much." Luo Xue scratched her nose. Speaking of the peak Foundation Establishment, she had taken one down back in her postnatal days... "In fact, later on, two more Core Formation cultivators showed up. They seemed to be from the Tianhai Sect, though it’s unclear who they were looking for." Nangong Mengxiang chimed in. She still didn’t realize Wu Hai had come for her. Lacking a soul and three spirits out of the three souls and seven spirits, it was impossible for Nangong Mengxiang to be unaffected. This was the real reason for her constantly missing a 'string,' as her mind was missing more than just a 'string.' Sha Yiyi was shocked several times over, then suddenly her expression softened as if realizing something, "My Lady, is Nangong joking?" Luo Xue hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Um... yes, a joke." In fact, three more Core Formation Elders had arrived, but by then, it didn’t have much to do with them. Thus, Luo Xue decided not to mention it. "But surviving for dozens of breaths against a Foundation Establishment cultivator as a nascent cultivator is quite impressive. Only celestial sect talents can achieve that." Sha Keke said, eyes filled with admiration. Being called a genius wasn't a term of self-praise. Only those who reached Foundation Establishment within half a lifespan could claim such a title. Meeting the baseline of genius was necessary to challenge the Nascent Soul stage in the future, for if one ascended to Foundation Establishment too late, their lifespan might not suffice to reach the Nascent Soul level. The numerous Nascent Soul cultivators in the Changchun Pavilion were due to the longevity provided by their cultivation methods, accumulating over time. However, their combat prowess was generally unremarkable. As the Sha sisters were over a full lifespan and hadn’t even reached the Spirit Nurturing stage, they naturally couldn’t aspire to be called geniuses. Their future would likely involve barely stepping into Spirit Nurturing before succumbing to lifespan exhaustion. Such was the way in the cultivation world. "Should we head back now?" Sha Yiyi asked. "It’s getting late, and I’m worried there might be guests at the inn..." "No rush. I’m concerned the Medicine Sect might widen their search. Let’s stay hidden here for a bit." Luo Xue shook her head and continued, "Besides, I’ve already taken care of your expenses, so why bother running the inn?" Sha Yiyi paused, then touched the Immortal’s Repose in her storage bag, nodding repeatedly, "Right, right, I nearly forgot. Selling this Immortal’s Repose will provide for us sisters for hundreds of years!" "This stuff is expensive... and this is only the ninth mysterious poison. I wonder what the value of the sixth mysterious Calamity Poison Body blood is..." Luo Xue couldn’t help but snark. She almost felt like selling a bit of her blood; losing some wouldn’t matter much. "Calamity Poison Body blood isn’t valuable," Sha Yiyi remarked. "More accurately, 'ineffective' Calamity Poison Body blood isn’t valuable." Sha Yiyi emphasized the term ‘ineffective.’ "What does that mean?" Luo Xue quickly asked, recognizing that Sha Yiyi hailed from the Changchun Pavilion, the sect most knowledgeable about poisons and medicines. "Calamity Poison Body blood loses effectiveness three hours after leaving the body, eventually becoming indistinguishable from ordinary blood, which makes it impossible to store and thus worthless." Sha Yiyi patiently explained, "If you can obtain blood with lasting Calamity Poison Body efficacy, the value depends on the owner's cultivation level." Though she left the Changchun Pavilion from a young age, Sha Yiyi was familiar with its many records, as it was foundational knowledge for every disciple. Luo Xue: "..." Wait a minute... "So, the gift I gave to Senior Sister Li was essentially just a bottle of regular blood..." Luo Xue muttered softly. If Senior Sister Li were to use her blood to counter an enemy in a crisis, it would instead endanger her. This stemmed from Luo Xue's ignorance of the Calamity Poison Body. Though she possessed this physique, she had never systematically studied it. Within the Juexia Sect, most records focused on its destructive potential, and even the head senior sister regarded the Calamity Poison Body as a calamity by nature. Only her adoptive mother, Luo Huaxin, knew more, but even she had limited knowledge. "My Lady, what are you talking about?" Sha Yiyi asked curiously. "Nothing," Luo Xue shook her head, sighing. Hopefully, Senior Sister Li would never have to use that bottle of blood. However, Luo Xue overlooked one thing: even without the poisonous efficiency, her blood wouldn’t be ordinary. As her power grew, the essence of the true phoenix blood gradually merged into her body. In other words, it might be even more precious... "By the way, Sha Yiyi, how much do you know about the Calamity Poison Body?" Luo Xue inquired. She had come to realize that her unfamiliarity with her own physique might lead to future troubles. It was best to understand more about it while the opportunity presented itself. "Not much. Even within the Changchun Pavilion, studies on the Calamity Poison Body are limited due to the scarcity of samples, with only one appearing in thousands of years as a great demon." Sha Yiyi shook her head, saying, "Besides its infamous toxicity, the Calamity Poison Body is most renowned for its ability to absorb toxin-infused spiritual energy to increase cultivative strength without side effects." "This incredible? Without side effects?" Luo Xue was taken aback. She had heard Luo Huaxin mention it before, but without emphasizing the lack of side effects. According to the head senior sister, the last Calamity Poison Body succumbed to self-induced backlash, which was why Luo Xue had not yet dared to increase her cultivation with toxins. "Indeed, the previous Calamity Poison Body known in the world used resentment to craft the second mysterious poison 'Plague,' leading to mass slaughter." Sha Yiyi explained, "Though they succumbed to backlash, it was due to karmic repercussions from crafting 'Plague' and not related to toxin absorption for cultivation." Reminded, Sha Yiyi slapped her forehead, adding, "Right, 'Immortal’s Repose' itself was a poison discovered by that same Calamity Poison Body, who used it extensively to boost their cultivation. Unfortunately, its scarcity meant progress wasn't rapid." "So that's the backstory..." Luo Xue murmured. So, the gourd of poison that Luo Huaxin had seized for her was essentially an elixir? And one without side effects? ...It seemed like she should take the opportunity to consume some of it and see if she could quickly advance to the Spirit Nurturing stage. After all, the Innate stage felt rather weak. "But, my Lady, why the sudden interest in the Calamity Poison Body?" Sha Keke popped up to ask. "Because... I’m curious," Luo Xue replied, choosing to keep her secret under wraps. She understood that revealing the nature of her troublesome physique could bring unnecessary risks, so it was best to keep it hidden. "I thought you had it; you scared me!" Sha Keke patted her small chest. "The Calamity Poison Body is terrifying! They say even the slightest touch of its blood can turn you to bones instantly!" Luo Xue's eyelid twitched slightly. It wasn't that exaggerated. "It seems about time to head back to the inn." Nangong Mengxiang had been on high alert, wary of any surprise incidents. Judging by her perception, both the Tianhai Sect and the Medicine Sect seemed to have ceased their chase. There was no trace of patrolling cultivators; everything appeared back to normal. Nevertheless, to avoid being recognized, Luo Xue employed the "Thousand Face Art" to alter her appearance, transforming into a girl with short black hair that resembled the ghost girl Li Gui Jiao had once used. Luo Xue found this look quite appealing; Li Gui Jiao's skill in disguising appearances was exceptional. She decided to adopt this guise while navigating the Abyss in the future. It would be interesting to see how Senior Sister Li would react once she arrived in the Abyss and realized someone else was using her appearance... Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke simply needed to use their innate talents to change their looks once again, while Nangong Mengxiang found it a bit more cumbersome and opted to wear a black cloak. In the Ghost and Demon Pass, it wasn't unusual to see people dressed in such attire. ... As night fell, the stars and moon hung high in the sky. After the afternoon's turmoil, the Youxiang Inn had been reduced to a massive ruin. Almost half of the inn had been destroyed by the aftershocks of the Core Formation battle, leaving many rooms in shambles. Curiously, however, the pavilion in the center remained untouched. For cultivators, rebuilding the entire inn would only take two or three days. Moreover, this was a borderland, where such conflicts weren’t uncommon. As long as the conflicting parties were willing to cover the inn’s losses— including rebuilding costs and lost revenue during reconstruction— everything worked out fine. Youxiang Inn even employed a specialized accountant to calculate these compensations clearly and transparently. Should anyone refuse to cover these losses... Youxiang Inn had its ways of reclaiming them. Without further ado, the Medicine Sect and the Tianhai Sect each sent representatives to deliver compensation. They were prepared for this even before their encounters.