Zhou Miao was, by no conventional measure, a normal person. Being called out by Yao elicited no irritation, not even a ripple of emotion on her face, which remained as flawless and cold as carved jade beneath new snow. Her voice, when it came, held a spectral, almost inhuman lightness, the kind that whispers through ancient tombs just before something hungry stirs. "Wife and child in your arms, and you've grown up so. You've quite forgotten your manners."
Yao knew this woman saw through the physical façade—the 'wife and child' were, of course, fictions. But that was fine. They were all fictions anyway. "I merely wondered why you were poking the cactus, Aunt."
"It resembles you."
"..."
Resembled who?No wonder Sang Jiu had called her 'not a good person.' Probably a veteran victim of that venomous tongue.
Yao didn't respond, simply raising a hand in a gesture of invitation. "Aunt, you've come a long way. Please, come in."
"Unnecessary. I came to take someone away, not to mooch a cup of coffee."
Take someone?Yao suddenly remembered—the Xie family's Young Patriarch vote was today. This wasn't something she could refuse. And Zhou Miao, who operated outside the bounds of normal social ethics, couldn't be bothered to even visit her nominal niece-in-law. A strange, howling wind swirled, and Yao was swept away.
"Don't worry about your little wife's safety. I left Yanlong behind."
Yao: "..."
That gigantic dragon?
Yanlong had already shrunk to the size of a seven- or eight-year-old child. Standing upright, he removed his hat, placed his hands on his hips, and surveyed the surroundings. "Can I eat the stuff in your fridge?" he asked Yao. "I'm hungry."
Yao: "Yes. But if it stays here, what will you ride?"
Zhou Miao shot her an odd glance. "Teleportation."
The voting location was at the Ancestral Temple, though one could teleport directly from the Xie family's old manor. They were joined by many from the main lineage—Xie Fuyun and others were among them. Yao was the sole representative of a collateral branch.
Xie Fuyun smiled warmly upon seeing Yao. "Keli, how is the child? I'll visit another day… I've even prepared the gift money."
"She's fine. Thank you."
Yao mused inwardly that the Xie family was full of talents. Even Xie Yiyuan could muster a flawless smile.
But the older, more conservative faction viewed an outsider like Oakes with clear distaste. They were pureblood supremacists, believing genetic lineage dictated all. Oakes' rapid progress, in their eyes, was solely due to Zhou Miao dumping a mountain of precious resources on her—resources that ultimately came from the Xie family. Their gazes were critical, displeased.
They were the second-to-last group to enter the teleportation array. The last to arrive was… the eldest grandson of the main lineage, Xie Fujin, currently at university.
Most of his peers bowed in greeting. Except Yao, who didn't know him. He didn't seem to care, his eyes only on Zhou Miao. "Greetings, Aunt."
Zhou Miao gave a slight nod, her response to this eldest grandson of the main lineage deference noncommittal. Her gaze, however, lingered on the people crowding behind Yao. She frowned, reached out, and pulled Yao to her side.
Xie Fuyun and Xie Yiyuan: "???"
The others: "?"
Xie Fujin's expression tightened slightly, and he looked down without a word.
Yao sensed the subtle shift in atmosphere, but Zhou Miao had already signaled an elder to activate the array.
With a hum, they arrived in seconds. Yao stepped out first without a word. The island wind was strong, but the air was thick with the presence of power.
Arriving, she saw the true strength of the Xie family. Over three hundred Arcane Masters above Level 70, all of Xie blood, most with Pupil Technique lineage, not to mention the other non-Xie experts under their command. The vast, solemn hall was warm, but the atmosphere was heavy. The Xies clearly had no intention of drawn-out formalities, moving directly to the vote.
Yao scanned the room. The current family head, the old man, was absent, but she saw many cold-faced Great Elders, each a portrait of aloof shrewdness, like assembly-line products of stoic authority. A Xie family tradition?
When receiving her voting rights, Yao learned she had five votes.
"Stay in closer contact with the family in the future, and you'll understand the extent of your authority," a presiding Great Elder said, his tone marginally warmer towards her.
Clearly, the 'old guard' had factions. Those with broader vision would be delighted by the rise of someone like Oakes.
Yao took the voting token and couldn't help but ask, "Is there a stipend? I mean, separate from the voting rights. Not that I'm asking for money, but… how much exactly?" She asked with genuine seriousness, not a hint of jest.
The Great Elder's face stiffened. "Theoretically, as the head of a collateral branch, you are required to pay annual tribute to the main family…"
Before he could finish, the money-minded visitor had already turned and walked away.
Great Elder: "..."
There were quite a few candidates for Young Patriarch—ten, perhaps, given the Xie family's size. The main lineage alone had several houses. Zhou Miao was the head of one. But the core competition was among three: Xie Fujin's father, Zhou Miao, and Xie Fuyun's father.
Minds calculated,advantages and disadvantages were weighed. Many were torn, caught in a three-way stalemate where the underlings had to choose a side.
Yao didn't waver. She was the first to step forward and cast her votes. Coming down, Zhou Miao glanced at her. "So eager for money? You could have sold your votes to those two fathers and split the proceeds with me."
Yao: "That was an option?"
Zhou Miao: "So you didconsider it. You're doomed."
Fishing for a confession?Yao was speechless. Not wanting to offend the powerful present, she tried to find a corner to sit. A hand caught her sleeve. "Come with me."
"Come… where? Isn't it improper to leave before it's over?"
"Your reward."
The resource-merchant's DNA activated instantly. Yao stood up immediately, even reaching for a lamp. "Here, I'll carry the light. Aunt, lead the way."
Zhou Miao looked at her with an amused, knowing smile, then turned to lead. The corridor was quiet, their footsteps echoing. Yao asked, "Are you so confident about winning the Young Patriarch position?"
"Not at all."
"?"
Every time Zhou Miao was in this ancient, solemn temple, she moved as if strolling through a backyard garden, sleeves swaying, words drifting like leaves. "You know how emperors are reluctant to name a crown prince during their lifetime, especially when they have many heirs?"
Yao: "Power breeds solitude. Solitude breeds intolerance for rivals."
That was the answer to this election. The result would be a three-way tie, or a tie between two, leaving the position vacant once more.
"Then you didn't need to arrange for people like us, did you?"
Did that make her value zero? Yet this woman consistently placed her under her wing. Was it just because she saw some potential use in her? So far, Zhou Miao hadn't asked her to do anything, kill anyone.
Zhou Miao's tone turned cold. "The environment dictates, but if you resign yourself to it, you can't maintain the situation."
True. Without votes, how to maintain balance?
Yao felt a flicker of understanding. "I thought you wanted the position. It seems not."
"While the great king lives, what use is a lesser king?"
That was outright treasonous. But Yao knew this was the real Zhou Miao—unwilling to be harnessed by anyone. Perhaps her opponents weren't the other two fathers, but the old man at the very top. This was Zhou Miao's game. Like with the Fu siblings, Yao would do the job without asking why.
As for the reward… Gene Pool? "Seventy-two hours in the Gene Pool, and one hour to comprehend the Xie family's Phantom Orchid Stele."
Yao only knew of the Gene Pool. The Phantom Orchid Stele was a secret beyond normal player access. "Do the Li family and others have something similar?"
"No."
A Xie exclusive? Yao instinctively wondered: Could this be the key that allowed Xie ancestors to break through to Purple-Blood, where the other three great nobles failed?
Zhou Miao led Yao deep into the temple's heart. After more than ten minutes, they arrived. This was the deepest sanctum. A massive bronze door, ancient and heavy, bore severe, terrifying reliefs drenched in bloody imagery. Yao estimated the seals on it could thwart even a Level 90 powerhouse.
"The Phantom Orchid Stele was inscribed by the Founding Ancestor after his rise from nothing. The stele itself is carved from his own bones, the script written in his essence-blood, his will poured into it during a century of creation. Later, renowned Xie experts of each generation added to it, sacrificing parts of their own bodies, strengthening it over generations until it became the Xie family's most vital resource."
Yao understood. Far more potent than the Gene Pool. "And you, Aunt… when you die, will you do the same?"
If she hadn't extricated herself from the Xie family by then and came to comprehend this stele… it would feel strange. Would this person climb out of the stele like some vengeful spirit?
As if sensing her thoughts, Zhou Miao glanced at her, the corner of her mouth quirking up. "If I am worthy, perhaps. And my spirit would drift out to visit you. No matter how late, I would keep you company. Because you are my favorite nephew, after all."
That… wouldn't be necessary. Yao thought of The Grudge. The protagonist Chu Renmei also loved her nephew dearly… and eventually killed him.
Zhou Miao ignored this brat who seemed to anticipate her early demise. She produced a sigil and pressed it into a slot on the door. A totem responded, veins of light activating across the reliefs. "The old man's incantation is on it. Only he can open this door."
As Zhou Miao spoke, the wall reliefs activated, and the sigil indeed emitted a low, gravelly incantation. Klang…The door groaned open, but a terrifying pressure blasted out, forcing Yao back seven or eight steps.
Zhou Miao didn't flinch. "Go in. One hour. I'll be back." She turned and walked away without another word.
Yao couldn't see inside. Thick, damp mist, carrying a faint, fresh botanical scent. The pressure was expected, given the generations of wills infused into the stele. But the plant scent?
She didn't ask, steeling herself against the pressure and stepping inside. The door boomed shut behind her.
Ahead, no light, only white vast whiteness. True mist, humid, botanical. Yao extended a sensory filament from her fingertip, analyzing the air, but maintaining it quickly became difficult. The pressure here suppressed all arcane energy. Only genetic strength could withstand it.
Yao realized this was the Phantom Orchid Stele testing its descendants. To truly see it, one had to approach, press forward.
Standing still, she activated her Pupil Technique. The Phantom Orchid Pupil, tied to genetics, offered penetrating insight). If it could see 10% of the truth, with her psychic variant pupils assisting, she saw 50%. She perceived strands of spiritual will—the remnants of past experts on the stele. She saw its direction and pushed through the mist and pressure.
Walking, she saw a corridor. On both sides were bone steles, with bloody scripts and diagrams—the lifetime essences of generations of experts.
The nearest one she saw contained insights into the second stage of Principle manifestation—Attached Spirit. After Initial Awakening, the second stage involved separating the Principle Manifestation from the body for remote attacks. While Awakening concentrated energy into the weapon for close-range supremacy, remote control and ambush were game-changers.
This expert, a Xie high-talent, had achieved 500-meter range and a fifth-level Manifestation Enhancement. Far beyond the average hundred-meter range.
Yao didn't pause to comprehend. She memorized the script and diagrams, then moved on. This wasn't her limit, but time was short. As a former resource-merchant-god, she knew of these things, but experiencing them firsthand was different. Techniques, experience—this was wealth no resource could buy.
The second, the third… By the seventh stele, soul-deep pain began. Her will was buckling. If her will couldn't hold, her body certainly couldn't. One more step, and agonizing pain lanced through her. She staggered, knelt, and coughed blood.
She checked the time. Twenty minutes had passed. Forty left. This was her limit. Seven steles. Good enough.
She began comprehending. These bone steles weren't like Principle Stones or books; they were perfected paths. Just reading them granted understanding, though she needed to distill what was useful for herself. The efficiency was staggering, a hundred times that of Principle Tomes . Her progress in Four-Field Fusion skyrocketed, inching closer to true Infinity Flow.
Time flowed. In the last three minutes, a perfect, transparent tetrahedron of four fused force fields materialized around the cross-legged Yao. She opened her eyes, expression odd. "The greatest benefit isn't the experts' essences. It's the tempering of will. My will has strengthened. Otherwise, the pressure wouldn't feel lighter."
Longer stays, pushing further, meant better tempering. So, one hour was incredibly valuable. What about more?
"Seems being number one across two provinces is necessary. The Xies are willing to feed the horse."
With three minutes left, an idea struck. Instead of walking forward, she released her Sequence filaments, not merging them with light or body, but purely as genetic essence. Could a filament, with its smaller will consumption, reach further, approach higher, more profound steles? Especially… she hadn't seen the Founding Ancestor's own Phantom Orchid Stele. You're already here. Might as well.
Her first Sequence had given her massless filaments with Anti-Arcane properties. Heaven was offering a meal. Shouldn't she try?
Bold and meticulous, she applied the Anti-Arcane property to the filament itself. It extended… the pressure was there, but drastically reduced. The filament,arcane-suppressing, met little resistance. Yao narrowed her eyes,shrinking it to hair-thinness, adjusting its density in real-time to navigate the intensifying pressure. A microscopic, precise operation. One mistake would draw the full force of the will.
She passed many steles, not pausing. Her goal was clear: see the Ancestor's stele.
Finally, a minute later, her head pounding, she saw a faint, eerie purple glow in the dense mist at the corridor's end. There.
But she couldn't go further. Ten meters from the mist-shrouded stele, but her mind felt ready to shatter. This might be her only chance.What if Zhou Miao's grand play failed and she died? The Xies might not be so generous later.
Her soul… if it was special, perhaps there was untapped potential. Even if she failed, the tempering would be valuable.
Gritting her teeth, she poured everything into one final push. The limp filament suddenly shot forward. In the last minute, the filament's senses pierced the thick, damp mist. A three-meter tall stele. Purple bone. Bloody, sinister script. But… growing from it were over a dozen vividly purple, enchanting flowers.
Phantom Orchids?True Phantom Orchids, nurtured by the Ancestor's bones… the world's rarest flora, growing only in extreme,hidden environments over centuries. But the Xies had used the Ancestor's bones… or perhaps the Founder had devised a method using orchid seeds. No wonder the Xies always produced monsters.This was the real secret.
Stunned, Yao noticed some flowers had been picked. Others had used them. Reacting instantly, as the filament wilted under the crushing pressure, she made it give one last twitch. Pluck!A flower was wrenched free.
Flower thief! Run!
An immense force ejected her. As she was thrown out, Yao merged the orchid into her body. Whoosh!She slammed into the wall outside, right where Zhou Miao stood. The latter frowned and sidestepped. Yao hit the wall, coughing blood weakly.
She looked up at the woman who'd dodged. "Aunt…"
Zhou Miao showed no remorse. "Apologies. I didn't realize it was you. Instinct."
Yeah, right.
Yao spat blood, struggling to her feet, confused. "I wasn't late. Why so violent?"
Zhou Miao examined her, then turned away. "Being late means execution. History has examples."
"..."
"Come. The Gene Pool."
Yao's heart quivered. Limping, she followed, asking about the election result.
"A three-way tie."
"As expected. Did they all leave? Not staying for a meal?" Yao recalled clan events in her old world always ended with a feast. Would skipping it offend the Xie elders? Get her assassinated? Affect her future rewards?
Zhou Miao: "Family feasts usually happen when someone dies. Next time you die, I'll arrange one. What cuisine do you prefer?"
"..."
They had reached the Gene Pool's entrance. Looking at each other, they both realized—they weren't usually talkative, but around each other, words flowed more freely, especially since her 'identity' was exposed. The barriers lowered, personalities more direct, verbal sparring subtle.
Zhou Miao seemed to enjoy teasing her.
Puzzled, Yao was about to enter when Zhou Miao handed her something.
Yao: "?"
An egg. Yao was surprised, then wary. "A reward from you, Aunt?"
"I heard you've been telling people I've been instrumental in your growth. Many elders just mocked me for favoring you. Since I'm bearing this injustice, I might as well make it worth my while. Here."
She saw right through her. Yao pretended not to catch the teasing, thanking her sincerely. Taking the egg, she was shocked. Orange-grade?Such generosity.
"You've spent too much, Aunt."
A genuine sentiment.
"Taken from the Xie treasury. Didn't cost me anything. It's a fossil. Good pedigree, but dormant since its owner died. Whether it awakens depends on your gains inside." Her tone was cold,pointed.
Yao wanted to say more pleasantries but saw no opening. She just looked at her quietly.
Zhou Miao smiled, as if waiting for a decision. Did she see through her, that she'd obtained a Phantom Orchid? Why else give a pet egg like this?
Yao looked down at the fossil egg.
[Phantom Orchid Yanlong] (Orange-grade, Wyvern-type pet, Fossilized Dormant State)
Attributes: Dormant. Unobservable.
Description: A dragon lineage symbiotically associated with Phantom Orchid colonies. Feeds on Phantom Orchids for growth and evolution. Extremely high growth potential, not limited to Orange-grade.
She knew of Phantom Orchid Yanlongs. Not every Xie had one. High bloodline and status were required. Zhou Miao got one young because her branch was nearly extinct, fewer people, heirlooms passed down. Otherwise, they were sealed away. Getting one now wasn't as casual as Zhou Miao made it seem.
So why was this woman so good to her? Just investing in a powerful subordinate? But she must see Yao's reluctance to get deeply involved with the Xies, her uncontrollable nature, her connections to the Sage Clinic and the Academy, her escape routes. She just didn't want a breach with Zhou Miao.
Yao felt a person of Zhou Miao's temperament wouldn't invest without a grand purpose. "She must have a big plan. A time when I'll be needed."
It was a headache. But refuse? That meant a breach. And she still didn't know this person's limits. She felt Zhou Miao was stronger, more dangerous than Sang Jiu.
Three seconds. She only thought for three. Then she smiled slightly. "Thank you, Aunt. You're too good to me."
She took the egg. Zhou Miao gave a light laugh and left. She hadn't taught Yao any techniques, but gave what others couldn't.
Yao touched the egg and stepped into the Gene Pool.
Inside, she took out the Phantom Orchid. One flower. Use it on the dragon, try to awaken it? Or use it on herself to enhance her bloodline?
She hesitated, then chose the latter. One flower likely wasn't enough for awakening. Half-measures were pointless. Better strengthen herself. Three days later, the Oakes body needed to go out with her main body.
Time flowed. Three days later, at the Sage Clinic, which had hired a security guard months ago—blue overalls, little work cap, chubby cheeks wobbling adorably as he ran.
"Hey, hey, Tǔtǔ, slow down!"
"Wah, wah, gonna be late! Big Bear will dock my attendance bonus!"
"Hey, don't rush! I've got food. Want some?"
"No, no can't…"
Mouth saying no, but as the scent of egg tarts wafted from the offered package, he zipped over, grabbed it, and then scurried to the main gate. A sniper rifle on his back, two little axes at his waist—the mighty, chubby marmot,威武雄壮 (majestic) Little Tǔtǔ.
Beep!
He punched the clock in the last second, swiping his ID badge, saving his bonus. Then he was suddenly airborne—Bear had arrived, lifting him, placing him on the desk, and taking half the egg tarts.
"Cutting it close every day. You doing the tango?"
"No, Bear! Where's Sister Chuān? I'll share my tarts."
"On leave. Busy, heavy training load. You, what dungeon you farming lately? Want her to carry you again?"
"How many days off? I just miss her."
"A week. She hasn't used her leave."
Chatting, Tǔtǔ hopped onto a chair, swinging his short legs, sharing tarts with Bear. Glancing at the wall clock, he sighed. "Wow, seven months since I first came here for treatment."
"Time flies. I remember you hugging your tail, crying."
They chatted, Tǔtǔ gossiping happily. Just then, Yuqin arrived. It was Sunday, her day off, to see Tǔtǔ and discuss dungeons.
Joining them for tarts, Tǔtǔ asked, "I saw news about Dongguan Academy yesterday. That Oakes and Langhao's baby had an accident. Can it still be born?" He didn't know Xie and Fu were the same, just curious.
Bear was too.
Yuqin paused mid-bite, looking down. "Should be possible."
But her mind was on the strange atmosphere in her clan lately, her usually brash father's recent jumpiness. He'd gone out on a mission yesterday, warning her to be cautious, consult her mother before doing anything the clan asked.
Yuqin, cautious by nature, sensed trouble. Could it be related to the Li family?
After chatting, Yuqin took Tǔtǔ to an out-of-town dungeon. En route, she got a message from the Li family: return to the ancestral temple tomorrow afternoon for Gene Pool access.
A clan reward.
Yuqin frowned instinctively.