Red Lotus (3)
Red Lotus (3)
'34,262nd culture, success.'
'Physical compatibility top-tier, spiritual qi compatibility top-tier, all current verifiable stats are showing as top-tier.'
Jeokryeon's first memory was a coffin.
Lying inside the coffin, she spent years watching the countless gazes staring down at her.
'Ego retention is successful.'
'It's been a while since a test subject survived to this stage.'
'Yes, this is the forty-second successful creation, and it will be the last. We have no more resources to continue the experiments.'
'It doesn't matter. My intuition tells me. In this generation, our long-cherished desire will come to fruition.'
The coffin opened, and the as-yet-unnamed Jeokryeon stepped down onto the ground.
She was already an adult when she came out of the coffin. No, she was an adult from the moment she was born.
However, she did not find this strange.
Her brilliant brain had already comprehended her situation.
A faceless figure approached and grabbed Jeokryeon's cheek.
A faint ecstasy was laced within his quiet breathing.
'Perfect. Starting from her appearance, everything is identical to that person. Are her breasts slightly larger? It doesn't matter. She's the ultimate masterpiece.'
'Who are you? Are you my father?'
At Jeokryeon's first spoken question, the faceless figure shook his head.
'I would love to be, but unfortunately, I am merely that person's first follower. I am not your father. However, I can become your master.'
'I understand. Then I shall serve you as my master.'
'I like how quick-witted you are. You are an important asset who will guide us to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Therefore, I shall name you Jeokryeon.'
'Yes.'
And so, the 34,262nd cultured subject obtained the name Jeokryeon.
At that time, she possessed no subjective will of her own.
However, even that did not last long.
The outside world moved furiously and breathlessly.
The time spent inside the coffin was easily erased. Especially so in the Ghost Realm, where slaughter and scheming were endless.
Once, a maidservant she had opened her heart to betrayed her.
The reason wasn't anything special. It was simply because Jeokryeon was the doted-upon disciple of the Blood Lotus Palace Master.
The maidservant wasn't a spy sent by a hostile sect, nor was she an assassin sent by someone harboring a grudge against the Palace Master.
She just hated Jeokryeon for doing so well.
That was the first time since her birth that Jeokryeon experienced pure human malice.
'Ryeon-ah, become ruthless. And become strong. In the world of cultivation, there is only the self. Everything else is merely an obstacle holding you back.'
The faceless figure whispered beside Jeokryeon, who had killed the maidservant with her own hands.
'You are that person's most suitable Spiritual Flesh. As that person's incarnation, if you show weakness, I fear what effect it might have on the future ritual.'
'...... That will not happen, Master.'
'Of course I trust you. However, if it were that person, they would have rooted out every single connection starting from that maidservant's friends. Ryeon-ah, you did not do that.'
'I am sorry.'
The faceless figure locked eyes with Jeokryeon and whispered.
Just like a father offering life advice to his beloved daughter.
'Even if the Spiritual Flesh is similar, the mindset cannot be identical. You are you, and that person is that person. Had you tried to copy them, I would have been disappointed. I have already seen countless children like that.'
'..........'
What had happened to the predecessors before Jeokryeon?
The faceless figure gave the answer.
'Oops, it will be inspection time soon. You can endure it well as always, right?'
'Yes.......'
'Oh, what a good girl.'
Jeokryeon missed the times when she was ignorant.
At least back then, she could live as she drifted along, but now that she knew so much, she could no longer return to those days.
Jeokryeon was the grand desire of the Blood Lotus Palace.
A body of Spiritual Flesh for the resurrection of the Founding Patriarch.
For that goal, the Blood Lotus Palace had dedicated a whopping ten thousand years.
Jeokryeon could not overcome that weight and madness.
Finding her identity, fated rebellion—it wasn't as if she hadn't tried such things.
But she doubted whether it was even possible to break free from the obsession of a Dao Entrance Realm Palace Master who had abandoned ascension, and navigate the treacherous Ghost Realm using only the power of Foundation Establishment.
Had there been a companion who truly cared for her, her life might have been a bit better, but even that was an unallowed luxury.
The faceless figure strictly forbade her from leaving the Blood Lotus Palace's territory and closely watched everyone who approached her.
It was surveillance carried out under the guise of nominal protection.
Jeokryeon did not find that surveillance uncomfortable.
Since the vast majority of those approaching her harbored sinister motives, the shield of a Dao Entrance Realm master was sweet instead.
Then, even if she wanted to forget worldly affairs and train to her heart's content...
'Forming a Golden Core will pollute your pure physical body. Since this could cause confusion in the ritual, I will not permit you to break through to the Golden Core Realm.'
Reaching Core Formation Realm determines a cultivator's path.
To prevent her purity from fading and Jeokryeon's own true colors from deepening, the faceless figure fundamentally blocked it.
Blind protection, training with fixed limits.
She came out of the coffin, but she hadn't truly come out.
She understood herself, but she didn't truly understand.
Nothing had changed for Jeokryeon.
She had only believed she had changed.
After realizing that, she began living as she pleased.
She killed men who hit on her, blinded by her beauty, treated others with utter arrogance, and forcefully seized whatever she lusted after.
Within the Blood Lotus Palace, there was no one who could punish her.
What could anyone do when the absolute ruler, the Palace Master, pampered and shielded her?
She passed the years.
Sometimes dissolutely, sometimes studying, sometimes blankly staring into space.
And so, when not much time remained until the grand undertaking—
— What are you looking at, crazy bitch?
She met him in Withered Death Valley.
「Jirak Cultivation Chronicle Gallery」
└ (OP) Yep
└ (OP) Yep
└ (OP) (Emoticon of a Demonic Cultivator feeling wronged) No, why? It's real though.
「Title: Hey you head-pat gay OP on the top post, listen up.」
(Image of a cultivator frog smoking a cigarette)
What? As soon as you start, you get head-pats from a big-busted big sister?
What? You get pampered like that and hit Qi Refining 5th Layer in just 3 years?
What? That big sister is actually living a doomed sacrificial life for an old hag?
(Image of a cultivator frog charging in rage)
Hey, you son of a bitch!
Some of us are cultivating next door to a sweaty middle-aged guy, and you get a big sister?
Fuck off with that nonsense.
(Image of a cultivator frog flipping the middle finger)
Even if it's all true, what do we say when there's no proof?
「Comments」
└ Stop bullshitting. What about me, who started with a Heavenly Spiritual Root and immediately got caught by a demonic cultivator to be turned into an elixir pill?
└ Do you know how it feels to get immediately dragged into a life-or-death duel just for trying to hold a girl's hand once in the game?
└ (OP): If you're salty, post proof.
└ (OP): What is it?
└ NaturalINLOVE: Okay, stop right there.
└ (OP): You motherfucker, if you're gonna die, die alone.
└ Should I call the mods?
「Title: To the fixed-nickname user who said they'd call That Person, listen up.」
「Author: Main Mod」
If you say such gruesome shit one more time, the Extermination Mantra (Permanent Ban) will go out.
I won't warn you twice.
「Comments」
└ Main Mod: Usually even mentioning them is a ban, but I'll let it slide just this once.
「Title: But even if all of that is true, there's no real solution.」
「Author: NaturalINLOVE」
As anyone who consumes cultivation fiction knows...
Resurrection ← This shit makes zero fucking sense.
It's not like someone just died and their Nascent Soul escaped; reviving a cultivator from 10,000 fucking years ago?
That's no ordinary madness of a ritual. In the first place, there's no guarantee that the Founding Patriarch or whatever will actually revive.
And ten thousand years isn't a short time even in the Middle Realm; in the Mortal Realm, that's ancient legendary history.
A grand sect spent that much time preparing for this. Even a Dao Entrance Realm cultivator would barely manage, so it's impossible for some mere Qi Refining trash to interfere.
「Comments」
└ NaturalINLOVE: I understand your feelings. But in cultivation, where there are meetings, there are partings.
└ Muwijayeon: Still, sending her off like that makes it fucking boring.
└ NaturalINLOVE: Because of hardships like that, Jirak Cultivation Chronicles is popular. You gotta accept what you gotta accept.
└ Muwijayeon: I'm gonna go crazy.
└ Monst■r: I received the message and came. Did you call for me?
NaturalINLOVE: Oh motherfucking holy shit we're doomed!
Mooooodddssss!!!
I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'llbeagoodboyI'llbeagoodboy.
「Title: Taking control now.」
「Author: Main Mod」
(Emoticon of a cultivator nervously reading the room)
Could you please leave?
This is a place where the kids hang out.
「Comments」
- Monst■r: Hehe
- Monst■r: Hmph...
- Monst■r: (Emoticon of Monst■r giving a thumbs up)
「Title: Phew, get in here.」
「Author: NaturalINLOVE」
First, bring every single piece of usable info.
I'll try to devise a solution as best as I can.
「Comments」
Main Mod: Once this matter is over, Muwijayeon-nim will be banned for a month.
Muwijayeon: I'm sorry...
NaturalINLOVE: If you know you're sorry, do your best.