It was a disaster—a dumpster fire shoved upon Xinzi by malicious interference. Contrary to the calm and spirited look that his face put up, inwardly, our monk gnawed his teeth—considering all the countermeasures he could rely on to get out of this fiery pit. Unbeknown to the rest, as soon as the scant-few dots of Heaven's Grace settled in his Void Spiritual Root, a red, searing eye mark took shape on Xinzi's right wrist. One moment, the mark flashed, the next it was gone—flickering incessantly. Worse, that mark transcended Xinzi's flesh, imprinting itself on his soul.
The flickering showed that it had yet to reach a permanent state. But for Xinzi, who still had to consider the Hengye clan's stance, this mark—an Inverse Dao Seal—was one of the worst looks he could go home with.
Marks that only the children of the three paradises could see, Inverse Dao Seals were punishments bestowed by Heaven on those that went past its bottom line. The Seals only worked on those that fell under Heaven's authority, and would bring them no end of misfortune—even turning them into prey chased by Dao Beasts.
There were not many crimes that a Divine could commit to trigger such punishment. Consuming Heaven's Grace, destroying a Divine Spark or corrupting it to the point of no return, were about the only offenses that Xinzi could think of.
In time, Xinzi didn't doubt that he'd get bombarded by the marks, but not now, not so soon. According to his initial plans, by the time Heaven slammed these pesky seals on him, he'd be ready to exceed its authority. But now, he already had an incomplete one on his arm. Xinzi didn't mind the consequences on his cultivation path. The real problem…was the meticulous investigation that the Hengye clan would put him through.
'By now, Yongye must have felt the anomaly and dispatched orders to Hengye Yuemi. The mortal plane is bad enough. But if I fail their test—I'm going straight back to the Celestial Paradise. Up there, it won't just be a matter of getting whipped into obedience. If I'm not careful, I will be turned into a puppet within a week. What a stroke of bad luck.' Xinzi had to admit that in the luck department, he couldn't compete with Xiao Hu. No matter how bad she failed, all disasters would for her become opportunities for growth. But in his case, even his envied birth status turned into a Sword of Damocles that threatened to ruin his existence at the first mistake.
How to avoid the examination of his body and soul? What to do?! What to do?!! What to do?!!! Distractions, scapegoating, mixing truth and falsehood, as Xinzi pondered on the issue, his right hand rested on Xiao Hu, who still considered his offer.
'Male or female?' The words popped up in Xiao Hu's mind. At first, she wondered how Xinzi could make such a bold offer with such assurance. Then she recalled who she was dealing with, and although she couldn't make sense of the methods he'd use, she no longer doubted that he had the means.
'I can choose. I just have one word to say, and I can go back to being my previous self.' Xiao Hu's mind buzzed, considering the implications. This shouldn't have been a complicated choice. She just had to say one word, yet her mind refused to conceptualize it—much less allow her to say it. Too much time and degradation had passed. Xia Hu wouldn't survive the succession of humiliations that this body had been put through. Only Xiao Hu could forge ahead and grow in this new reality. Her eyes glanced at Chun Xu, and the flames of hatred burned within.
'It's her! It's all her fault! Had I not let her get in my head, of this would have happened. If not for her…damn! And yet she still gets to enjoy the meat, receive abundant rewards and benefits for being a traitorous, faithless bitch! I can't accept it! I must make her pay!' Xiao Hu recalled Chun Xu's "This is what I've always wanted," and her hatred ballooned to extreme heights.
Alas, consumed by emotions, Xiao Hu failed to realize that, even if from the start, Chun Xu left her for Xinzi, she'd still raise her sword in a blare of fury. Unbeknown to her, a Heart Demon had started to form in her soul. That demon embodied the need to bring Chun Xu down and remove her from Xinzi's circle. The monk's hearts tingled at the demon's budding shadow, and as he restrained a smile, Chun Xu avoided Xiao Hu's gaze—both shocked and guilt-ridden by her appearance.
"Big sister Xiao, I'm still waiting for your answer." Building on Xiao Hu's inner turmoils, Xinzi said with a warm and soothing smile—guiding Xiao Hu's choice with subtle messages. The swordswoman knew that Xinzi liked Xiao Hu more than Xia Hu, and was predisposed to treat a sister better than a brother. The patting made her heart rate shoot up, making her feel like a pet—a treasured pet—in Xinzi's palm.
'The cultivation world is a heartless place. Xinzi has always treated me well. If not for that vixen seducing him, we'd still be inseparable. I let success get to my head and forgot my initial aspirations. Yes, it was all my fault. I can't allow that vixen to lead my junior brother astray. I have to stay by his side in a…convincing form.' As Xiao Hu convinced herself of the righteousness of her choice, pink mist flashed in Xinzi's eyes.
"Woman!" Xiao Hu blurted out, and restraining his satisfaction, the monk nodded in approval. To survive the upcoming days, he indeed needed a female Xiao Hu. Though this would not be fair to her, Xinzi would make sure to preserve her life and reward the services.
"Hold still," the monk said, and Xiao Hu obeyed—drawing a long breath to relax her senses and prepare for what was to come. But when the fem expected Xinzi's divine powers to make another appearance, it was his new art, the Five Elements Transmutative technique that kicked into gear. Gold, red, green, blue, and maroon rays flashed across the monk's right hand—forming a multicolored ball that, to Xiao Hu's shock, untied the five elements into one stable force. Even Chun Xu, who dual cultivated with that technique, still marveled at what she saw.
'Shaping the five elements, transmuting their nature and altering Yin and Yang, what a miraculous method. With enough energy reserves, I wouldn't be surprised if he could turn sand into gold and rocks into spirit stones. With that cultivation technique to rely on, Xinzi is practically…a God.' With wide-open eyes, Chun Xu appraised Xinzi's technique, and wondered how the monk had managed to comprehend such an abnormal method. The very principles of Xinzi's technique went against nature's laws. Better, once paired with other methods, it'd likely enable the monk to harness, shape and outright strip nature's energies to insta-cast spells and set up formations, or so she assumed—and she was correct.
The Five Elements Transmutative technique changed the nature of Xinzi's Spiritual Qi. Waves of mystical energies poured into Xiao Hu's body, making her tremble as the already broken Yin-Yang balance in her body fell further—forcing her organs and body to shift into that of a complete female.
"A'Xu, do you want answers?" Xinzi asked as Xiao Hu underwent gut-wrenching changes and squirmed on the ground.
"No." Chun Xu directly replied, making Xinzi nod in approval.
"This is why I like you. Although a stampede of questions likely tread through your mind, you understand that certain things are best left unsaid. More importantly, you're afraid—aren't you?" Xinzi said, and though her limbs shook at the words, Chun Xu didn't deny them. Indeed, now that she realized how little of the monk she understood, she dared not guarantee that she could survive the knowledge of all his schemes and true background.
"Take Xiao Hu to rest. We will discuss this at a later date," Xinzi said, dismissing the two. The monk knew that, having been raised and trained by Zi Yao, there was only one person that Chun Xu trusted unconditionally: no one, not even herself. A frown flashed by the Sword Fairy's face, but still she got dressed and ambled at Xiao Hu. "Don't touch…" Xiao Hu's rant had barely started that Chun Xu knocked her out—hoisting her unconscious body onto her shoulder. Afterward, she gave Xinzi one last look, then left the tower.
Alone at last, our monk faced Heaven's Grace, which, as if stranded by foreign forces, refused to return from whence it came: to Heaven. It was almost as if the Grace defied Xinzi, challenging him to carry on with the draining and shoulder the consequences.
The orb of Evil Qi that Xinzi had absorbed from the True Devil appeared beside him, and with a smile, stepped towards the Grace.
"Left without recourse, I must wrong the sky for a way out.. Don't blame me, it is you who chose to make my life more difficult than it ever needed to be," Xinzi said, and against all rational, aimed the Swallowing Skill at Heaven's Grace.