169 Have a mind of your own.

[I didn't choose wrong. Even fate seems to be in your favor, to find a subjugated familiar in a place like that. Through the time I was alive until now. I only know of a handful of people with such luck.]

The old man inside Zhi Rui's core said.

Zi Rui merely smiled 'Flattering now?'she scoffed internally, not bothering to answer him. Lest the keeps talking.

"M-Miss Zhi Rui. Why you don't protect yourself from the weather?" Zen Ru asked after looking at the standing hairs on Zhi Rui's skin.

"I'm more aware of my surroundings this way. Also, cultivating to rise above and live on your own self-made bubble is ridiculous. I need to feel, to be live."

"Oh..."

"There's another beast ahead." Zhi Rui said and pointed with her chin.

While on the way to other heavy elemental location, Zhi Rui made Ren Zu fight and raise her level continuously. It's been more two days like this. Her experience was expanding gradually. If Zhi Rui hadn't aqured fighting experience through the remnant souls' memories inside of her.Ren Zu would be considered more adept at it than her.

They kept on that routine for two whole weeks.

"How long until the fourth level?" Zhi Rui asked.

"I wish I already hunted, I managed to advance my cultivation in twenty-five percent. I need seventy-five percent more to reach the fourth level."

Ren Zu answered with a bloodied mouth.

A small bud of envy sprouted in Zhi Rui's heart, The etérnal race traits was absurd. Evolving by just preying on the essence of another. for a predator to be so unfairly blessed like that to exist, it could only be a creation of a god, a very twisted one at that.

She herself had the same type of ability, if she acted on her lustful thoughts unconditionally, her cultivation would grow by leaps and bounds.

But since Bianca messed with the method it couldn't be completely trusted. Even if theBarbarian's inheritance purified it.

Zhi Rui kept studying How to make methods and techniques for that sole purpose, although the temptation was there. She always distracted herself from it with other more instant rewarding pleasures.

Out of her distracting thoughts. Zhi Rui nodded to Ren Zu.

"You can hide from higher level creatures regardless of night and day, and you fight beats of the same level repeatedly. Can I trust you to hunt and fight alone?"

Ren Zu, feeling a little forlorn as Zhi Rui suggest them to part ways nodded her head with confidence.

"Good, unless you're about to evolve to the fourth level, don't bother me."

Zhi Rui said and turned in the direction of a seemingly small calm lake.

But before she went inside, she turned and looked at Ren Zu.

"You don't have any question for me?" She said.

Ren zu shook her head.

Zhi Ru frowned and spoke

"The common speed for evolving, even for saint-like geniuses, are still a couple of weeks longer than the time you took. Anyone, anywhere, would hunt you and tear you apart in the search for whatever it is that is enabling you that kind of talent. And even though I know it, I'm making you evolve fast, without much regard for safety. And yet, you have no doubts about it?"

Ren Zu with the proudest smile she could muster, spoke

"I'm yours, my entirety belongs to my master; Zhi Rui. I'll unconditionally follow any order without question.

She said with puffed up chests her eyes proudly begging for praises.

Zhi Rui sighed. Her eyes become stern, and the mood cooled.

"I can fool the smart, I can enslave the strong, even the dumb and worthless I have some use for. But I cannot do with a selfless person."

The words reached Ren Zu ears and shook her mind from inside like a thunder hit her core she stared at Zhi Rui

Zhi Rui kept on.

"Think for yourself, ask questions, search for the whys', wish for a reward, desire something for yourself. have a goal in mind. If you truly want to help me, start by developing yourself. I cannot have a person without a mind of their own as my subordinate."

Zih Rui said and dove into the calm lake.

Ren Zu stood there, her mind flooding with complicated thoughts and emotions.

----

----

----

Inside the lake, the naked Zhi Rui attracted the attention of some beasts. but as soon as her aura was released, not one fish swam near her.

She aimed downwards and moved her body. She couldn't see the end but she knew the place she wanted was on the bottom. The level of the beasts rose with the depth.

But none bothered Zhi Rui.

Even though it was dark as the night, Zhi Rui followed the water current towards the right way without getting lost in the labyrinth of caves.

Blackie was inside her pouch, the only thing she wore around her waist.

It got chilly. She knew the place was close.Closing her eyes and searching with her senses.

Zhi Rui went twenty meters deeper. She fell in another cave, When she went upwards, she emerged from the water to micro snow-white sand beach.

She inhaled the freezing air.The whole cave was encased in weirdly sturdy ice.

[Don't go in the water yet. This place is too heavy on elements, first stay on the surface, for a while when your body starts resisting frost, you can jump inside.]

Zhi Rui followed the instructions.

----

----

----

After a long hour, Ren Zu snapped out of her daze, Her whole body was trembling, the look of detachment woke something inside of her, she was visibly trembling the air felt colder than usual on the skin.

She clenched and released her hands repeatedly, breathed in and out calmly, releasing the inner energy inside of her she pressed the panic down and thought rationally.

From what she understood was that Zhi Rui didn't want someone who couldn't think for herself.

'But what do I do...? My only desire right now isZhi Rui...'

Her pupils trembled.

Then the lacicvous ways of Zhi Rui and her naked body reflected on her mind. At first, she blocked these kinds of thoughts since Zhi Rui told it wasn't the time... but if Ren Zu was going to decide on a reward.

Wicked thoughts flooded her mind, and for the first time, she felt desire. And from the obscene desires, pure and honest ones surfaced.

She couldn't decide on which desire to act first. So she turned to the beasts around and started to hunt as a distraction from her own mind.

Her first step to developing a sense of self begun.