Absolute In/Existence

Inside the abode, Heaven was grabbing his ink and brush, preparing to draw a painting. He already had the paper spread out and was just about to start painting when he heard something coming from the outside.

Standing up, he stepped out of the abode and followed the source of the sound.

"Hm?"

Walking into the backyard, Heaven was surprised to find a tiger cub. Much less one that was eating the fruits from his fruit trees. Walking forward, he grabbed the unsuspecting cub and lifted it up, looking at its panicking face.

"Who are you?" Heaven smiled, looking at the cub curiously.

He looked around and perked his ears, but found no one calling out a name or searching for something. Curious, he checked the cub and found it to be a wild animal. It didn't appear to be domesticated.

"How did you get here?"

Heaven chuckled and decided to keep the cub.

It could serve as a fun pastime to take care of the cub and to tame it. He could make some time to take care of it.

Gently placing down the scared cub and giving it some fruits, Heaven watched on with a smile as the cub cautiously ate the fruits under his watchful gaze.

Looking at the cub, Heaven began to let his imagination run wild as he thought of battling against others with a tiger by his side.

Smiling, he went into his house and grabbed the paper, ink, and brush, before heading back out. Setting up the stuff, he got painting.

Heaven seemed to change as he began painting. It was like he no longer was himself, but a tiger.

Even the cub was affected.

It turned to look at Heaven with confusion in its little eyes.

All that tiger air around Heaven converged to a single point, the brush. As it dipped into the ink and then onto the paper, the tiger aura began to become one with the painting.

But it wasn't just the aura of a tiger, it contained a more detailed air to it. It carried a majestic might to it as it lazily lay on top of a large rock, lounging beneath the warm sunlight.

It had a serene feel to it.

The tiger cub walked over to Heaven and stood next to him, staring at the painting.

Glancing at the cub, Heaven chuckled and instantly the air around him changed a little. Now, the tiger no longer carried just a mighty and majestic aura, but it also had an adorable look to it.

…

Jang Jae-Hwa smirked.

Looking at the Northern Black Ape sprawled on the ground, dead, Jae-Hwa turned her attention to the side.

The disciples and elders of Yin Desires were still fighting against the demonic beasts. They were naturally outnumbered by the demonic beasts, but their unity and skills were far above the starving demonic beasts.

Waving her hand, Jae-Hwa made the Northern Black Ape's corpse disappear.

"Let's help the sect," muttered Jae-Hwa as she lifted her pipe.

Taking a puff, Jae-Hwa parted her red lips and out came a torrent of black smoke that instantly fell and killed many demonic beasts. Their deaths lowered the pressure on the sect, turning the tide of the battle.

"Fight!"

Everyone yelled in a frenzy, killing many demonic beasts as they ran away.

"Don't hold back now!" Elder Wu yelled as she gathered her disciples and moved forward.

They watched as the few remaining demonic beasts ran away.

"The Demon Lord died! Run!"

"Humans strong!"

In shock and fear, the demonic beasts turned tail and ran. Whilst most died, the demonic beasts managed to survive and leave the place.

The Yin Desires' disciples all cheered. Having won the fierce battle, they celebrated.

"Sect Mistress! Cai Ling…!"

Jae-Hwa furrowed her eyebrows and turned to Elder Wu. She looked at the young veiled woman in Elder Wu's arms and frowned.

She approached slowly, her eyes unsure of what was happening. Raising her hand and touching Cai Ling's face gently.

"… is completely exhausted! She joined the battle midway and save hundreds of disciples with her exceptional fan skills!" Elder Wu praised with an amazed look on her face.

Lowering her head, Jae-Hwa fell into a short silence before raising her hand and slapping Elder Wu's head.

"Why the pause! Made me worry for no reason," spat Jae-Hwa before rubbing her eyebrows.

Elder Wu blushed.

"Haa… didn't I ask you to tell her to stay put," asked Jae-Hwa, her eyes narrowing.

Elder Wu nodded, "I told her, Sect Mistress. That slave of hers can confirm!"

Looking at Elder Wu, Jae-Hwa turned her head, a cloud of black smoke grabbing Cai Ling and carrying her along.

***

With the victory over the demonic beasts, and a large amount of demonic beast corpses, the Yin Desires sect grew.

Their victory grabbed the attention of all nearby sects.

Winning against the demonic beasts and the breakthrough of the sect master of Yin Desires. Their attention was grabbed and all of them began to wonder.

…

"How did she breakthrough?!"

Over at a true demonic sect, Crimson Blood Sect, an old man stood above five bloody robed figures. These five blood robed figures have just concluded their report to the sect master and remained kneeling.

As everyone was already told, the Qi in Paradise has been thinning out over the years. At this point, the amount of Qi in the air is already too low to support Jae-Hwa's breakthrough to a larger realm. Even if they had a Qi Gathering Formation, it would still be extremely difficult to break through.

"She must have a secret," muttered the old man.

He frowned.

"Let's raid their sect, father!"

Suddenly, whilst the old man was in deep thought, a young man spoke up. He had been standing to the side, serving as the vice sect master. Occasionally providing his father with ideas and suggestions.

"Yes… now that they are weak from the fight, we can take advantage of this."

The old man's eyes lit up and he stood up.

Despite his old appearance, he had the mobility and vitality of a young person. All thanks to his demonic techniques that would steal the lifespan and vitality of his targets.

Tugging at his white beard, the old man smirked and ordered the five robed elders to move out. To gather the disciples and to sharpen their weapons as they prepared to attack Yin Desires.

Watching the five robed men disappear past the doors of his sect, the old man turned his gaze to his son. He narrowed his eyes and revealed a small smirk on his face before briefly flashing a book at his son.

"Father!"

Seeing that book, the young man's eyes lit up and he kneeled before him. He was filled with anticipation and desire whenever he thought about that book in his father's hand.

It was an all mysterious book that contained a powerful technique to change one's future in cultivation. A technique that can steal another cultivator's spiritual root and make it one's own!

If one doesn't have a spiritual root or a low grade one, they can use this technique to steal a spiritual root. With the new spiritual root, you can either make it one's own, or feed it to their own spiritual root and increase it's grade.

It's only possible to increase the grade of the spiritual root twice, so one needs to be careful in choosing their target. Whether it be a failure, or a success, it will count as a chance. Once failed, you only have one more try.

The old man had already used up his two chances and has been keeping the book hidden ever since. The only other person to know of it's existence is his own son.

"Do well and this Root Seizing Art will be yours," smirked the old man, seeing his son's desire for the book.

"Yes. Father!"

The young man yelled full of conviction and returned to prepare as well.

The entirety of Crimson Blood Sect began to prepare to plunder Yin Desires. They were both of the same grade, equal in strength. Their only difference lay in their techniques.

Unlike Yin Desires techniques that were based on their charm, poison, and weak alchemy skills, the Crimson Blood Sect's techniques are all about their blood, soul and absorption.

The blood techniques of the Crimson Blood Sect are very versatile, unlike the weakest of their techniques, absorption. They had a wide variety of blood techniques, blood clone, blood slave, blood regeneration, blood burning, etc…

Their soul techniques on the other were more strict and weren't too well known. Only some simple techniques like soul attacks, soul search, soul split, possession, and soul harvest.

Finally, the last one is of the absorption category, a truly 'demonic' skill that steals the essence of their target and uses it to nourish one's self. A single technique which only the elders of the sect know of.

It was thanks to the absorption technique that the Crimson Blood Sect had arrived to where they currently are.

They had used these techniques to rob the essence of many, killing them in the process and raising the notoriety and strength of their own sect.

Now, these devilish techniques and people were placing their sights on Yin Desires and Jae-Hwa. What methods did the sect master of Yin Desires use to grow stronger? How did she accomplish it?

***

Placing a hand on the chain on her neck, Jae-Hwa sighed as she looked at her personal disciple.

Cai Ling remained asleep, completely exhausted from fighting in the battle against the demonic beasts. Her entire energy had been depleted and she was like a mortal now.

Continuing to walk, Jae-Hwa arrived at Cai Ling's personal abode.

Arriving at the place, Jae-Hwa was stunned in an instant. Her eyes were wide and her breathing began to grow rapid.

The entire place was filled with wisdom!

'It's so dense…' thought Jae-Hwa in shock.

The density of wisdom was very heavy. A place like this was akin to a holy land, or at least slowly transforming into one. The air was fresher and Jae-Hwa even began to feel like she could gain her own enlightenment.

Reigning in her emotions, she acted calm as she entered the abode. She went straight to the relaxing room, finding Heaven there behind a grinding bowl. He was grinding away at some herbs and seemed to be creating more Fasting Pills.

Jae-Hwa looked at the herbs Heaven was using and didn't find it too shocking that even the herbs were changing. Aside from some new herbs she's never seen before, she found that the herbs were stronger, purer, and even of a higher quality. The wisdom in the air must be really affecting them in a good way.

Even if they were to develop spirits, Jae-Hwa would find it normal. In a place with so much wisdom, even shit would gain a spirit.

Taking in a deep breath, Jae-Hwa noticed a small tiger cub laying at Heaven's laps.

"A pet?"

Heaven turned his head, a slight smile on his face.

"Yeah. I'll train him to guard Cai Ling and I," Heaven said with a chuckle.

Jae-Hwa focused on the cub and sensed it carefully before retracting her gaze. The cub didn't have a single ounce of murderous aura, making it a completely normal and mortal beast.

"That silly cub will only eat you alive," scoffed Jae-Hwa as she moved Cai Ling to the bed.

Heaven shook his head at Jae-Hwa's words before turning to look at Cai Ling. He looked at her for a second before pulling his gaze away.

With his medical knowledge, he could see that Cai Ling was fine.

Once Cai Ling was on the bed, Jae-Hwa turned her gaze to Heaven. Her attention was on him and his actions. Around Heaven, there lay an indiscernible aura around him that flowed into his movements and grinding motion. Even as he mixed and rolled up more pills, the aura continued to pour in.

Wisdom…

It was the aura of Wisdom. It flowed naturally out of him and coexisted along with his movements. It's like he was creating wisdom!