Floating in front of Natalya and Ivy Aries was Iesha. Her icy-blue skin was shimmering under the sunlight, giving her the look of an angel. Her eyes gently flickered, but it contained an extreme iciness that could freeze someone with just a look.
"Accurately, she's a Frigid World Spirit who controls ice and has the property of yin. Without her, my current accomplishments in cultivation and yin fusion would be very little."
"No- no wonder..."
Ivy Aries looked completely mesmerized before being taken aback by Natalya's explanation. Moreover, she was still shocked by Iesha's undulations that were at Peak-Level Ninth Stage.
Ever since Davis returned, he gave Iesha the icy spirit cores required for her cultivation. Natalya had also grown stronger, complimenting her cultivation speed through the Prismatic Intramural Soul-Spirit Pact. Therefore, she was quickly able to climb up to Peak-Level Ninth Stage. For spirits, their cultivation speed was that frightening with resources, and that also raised their pride to starry levels, causing them to look down on humans and magical beasts.
Nonetheless, Natalya seemed satisfied with Ivy Aries's reaction.
"You don't seem to have hostility against spirits?"
Ivy Aries calmed and shook her head.
"Our Jade Lotus Valley also has a Towering Ice Spirit, but they could not reach the Ninth Stage. Sometimes, our ice cultivators also use their help. Besides, we don't treat them harshly like others on the continent. After all, our founding ancestors have said that spirits are also living beings who should be treated the same as humans, so we follow those words."
"I see. You're quite understanding." Natalya gladly smiled as she gestured the Frigid World Spirit, "Meet Iesha. She is my sister."
"Greetings, I'm Iesha."
"Such articulateness and noble bearing..."
Looking at the two crowns on Iesha's head and her refined gestures, Ivy Aries couldn't believe her eyes for a moment before she hurriedly stood up and cupped her hands.
"I'm Ivy Aries, a top disciple of the Jade Lotus Valley."
"No need for formalities. Natalya's friend is also my friend. If you need me for anything, you can call me out."
Iesha cupped her fists before returning back to Natalya's body. One could see that she was still shy to outsiders, but Ivy Aries didn't seem to mind and was reveling in this encounter.
Meeting a Peak-Level Ninth Stage Spirit was a miraculous experience for her. She couldn't help but suspect Iesha's origins but knew she had already seen and heard much without giving anything that she couldn't help but feel embarrassed about. Instead, she praised Natalya.
"Thank you for letting me know of this secret. However, to have a connection with a spirit is not a simple matter. Iesha didn't seem slave-marked as well, so- oh wait, you just called her sister."Dive into Stories, Embrace Enchantment: N♡vεlB¡n.
"I did. We are very close~"
Natalya smiled deeply. However, Ivy Aries didn't seem to catch the nuance but smiled.
"It is extremely rare to see such an amicable relationship between a human and a spirit. I wish I could form a contract with a water spirit, but there are none out there to my knowledge, and my World Devouring Water Body repels most Water Essences as it devours their spirituality, so I can only remain alone. Sigh..." Ivy Aries seemed helpless, her beautiful, limpid eyes filled with a kind of yearning.
"Your Jade Lotus Valley has the ability to contract with spirits?" Natalya raised her brows.
"As for those powerful men without a single woman by their side, they're not worth mentioning. They prefer to act alone, but the truth is that they couldn't conquer the hearts of women. Even if they could, it's hard to tell if they could still keep them happy. On that note, the Emperor of Death is quite good. Not only has he conquered all your hearts, but he also keeps you all satisfied from what I've seen from my place. That's not something any man could accomplish, and if they couldn't, their women would usually have an affair or two, giving them a huge blow that'll turn them into monsters."
Natalya raised her brows. Was she being duped?
"I thought you didn't know the world."
She said, causing Ivy Aries to shake her head.
"The Jade Lotus Valley may be isolated, but without men, how could we reproduce? How could we have new blood? We do not hate men, but we like to stay away from trouble. A gathering of beauties is nothing but a disaster lying in wait to consume them. That's where the Emperor Sword Sect steps in and rarely, the Pill Refining Sect as well, but it's no longer the case as they declined. However, stepping out of the Jade Lotus Valley for the first time in my life, my horizons have truly broadened. All this time, I thought the way Jade Lotus Valley and the Emperor Sword Sect conducted marriages were normal, but it seems that's not the case."
"What do you mean?"
"The disciples of our two sects could only meet twice a year in our Jade Lotus Valley for exchanging pointers. We are free to pursue whoever we want, but even if we became a couple, we'd be restricted to meeting four times a year. After marriage, we still can't be together all the time as we'd be restricted to meeting twelve times a year. In other words, once a month. I thought such intricacies was normal, but glimpsing at the women here be together with their spouses, happily laughing, or doing something despicable, my horizons have truly widened."
"Nonetheless, if a boy is born, he'll be taken away by the Emperor Sword Sect or the Pill Refining Sect, but if a girl is born, our Jade Lotus Valley acquires her without question."
Natalya seemed a bit angered as her brows scrunched. What kind of rules was this? The respect she built for the Jade Lotus Valley's founding ancestors instantly vanished.
"Do you want to break these rules?" She couldn't help but ask
"I do. Many do, but since we saw that as normal, we never spoke a word but now..."
A strange glimmer shone in Ivy Aries's eyes, but there was also a kind of fear of blaspheming against the teachings of the founding ancestor. Nevertheless, gritting her teeth, she spoke.
"I want to see my senior sisters happy. They crave to meet their husbands, looking listless sometimes... If they could just be together..."
Natalya's heart fell. Did this mean that they still have to kill the Jade Lotus Valley's people and also Ivy Aries? Although she annoyed her just a moment ago, she didn't want her to die just by having this kind of fruitful session with her.
"But those bastards from the Shard Family... They think they're high and above... toying with us as they please...!"
Ivy Aries continued as she trembled, slamming the pillar of rock by her side with her fist.
"Back then, it was said that the Emperor Sword Sect was full of righteous men, but now... those from the Shard Family always try to emasculate their fellow disciples from the Emperor Sword Sect, sometimes even-"
Ivy Aries's expression froze. She suddenly realized that she had talked too much, becoming emotional.
"Excuse me. I was rude. I had a good time learning insights from you, and if fate would have it, we'll meet next time somewhere else. I'll take my leave then."
Standing up, she floated into the skies without looking back, intending to return.
"Wait...!"
However, hearing Natalya's voice, she stopped and turned to look back, wanting to say that their discussion was over and there was nothing else to talk about when her brows narrowed, looking at the object on Natalya's hand.