(Side Story, Fire Dance) Lingering Regrets

(Shout out to HeavensEdge on discord for writing this awesome chapter.)

Fengling City centre

It was warm, the sun was blazing in the sky and there was not a single cloud to be seen.

A group of twenty-plus was staring up a giant one-hundred-stories tall skyscraper. In fact, it was a 133-story tall skyscraper and, not too long ago, it used to be Ouroboros' famed main headquarters.

The skyscraper was literally huge, the outside walls were entirely laid out with French windows, which reflected the light from the sky back to the ground, into the eyes of the gazing spectators. The view was magnificent.

"Stone Bear, *Cough*, I mean Xiou Yu, are you sure this is the place?"

The young man, Xiou Yu, gulped and turned his head from the sky to the teenage girl next to him.

"Yes, Xin Ya, this should be the place."

"Then, are you sure we want to continue with this?" Xin Ya looked at him with doubtful eyes.

But before Xiou Yu could answer, a deep voice interrupted the conversation.

"Of course, the twenty-two of us travelled from all over the country for this reunion, only a coward would turn around!" Zhao Yang said full of resolve.

"""Yes, Purgatory Darkness""" everyone affirmed, after being riled up by the words of their leader.

Zhao Yang was clearly the de facto leader of the group and everyone looked at him with respect.

While Zhao Yang's encouraging words motivated these twenty-plus experts, any true-expert who had fumbled a little in the Realms of Refinement would have noticed the hint of doubt in his voice.

According to the information they found on outdated real-estate advertisements, the Headquarters' interior was huge. It was divided into multiple areas, such as offices, entertainment areas, training areas and rest areas. Ouroboros's original headquarters offered state of the art training facilities and thousands of virtual gaming cabins, not to mention what it had developed into over past few months.

Every internal member would receive their own living space and the simplest room was equivalent to a luxurious four-star hotel suite, while the top-level rooms were on par with five-star hotels suites However, the headquarters was no longer financially supported by the White Clan Group and four other companies, but had changed owners and now belonged to a single guild,

Zero Wing!

Zero Wing, a guild, founded a few weeks after the launch of God's Domain, which grew into a super-first Rate Guild without any background. It was simply unheard of.

The group passed through the glass sliding doors and entered the waiting lobby where they were welcomed by the cool air from the conditioned climate.The waiting lobby was laid out with high-class white marble which gave a soothing impression. Dozens of luxurious sofas were spread out throughout the lobby, and there were even VIP waiting rooms. Furthermore, each door was guarded by a pair of watchmen, equipped with assault rifles.

On the right and the left side were long marble reception desks; however, as most meetings were held in God's Domain, it wasn't very crowded. For this reason, they were received personally, by a gorgeous young woman, who appeared to be around her early twenties. She was wearing a discrete black office attire which any woman would wear in a business district, however her young alluring figure was impossible to ignore.

"Good afternoon and welcome to Zero Wing Headquarters, I am Ling Yin, how may I be of service?"

She smiled courteously and bowed elegantly; her disposition and movements were extremely well-mannered and was presumably a daughter of a Noble family.

While it may seem demeaning serving as a receptionist, it was actually a great honor to work for a super-first Rate Guild, even for family members of Nobility. Especially in the era, were God's Domain is a second world.

Everyone was silent and were internally drooling over the receptionist's appearance.

Zhao Yang was the first to awaken from his trance and took the initiative. "Good afternoon, we wish to make an appointment."

"Of course, let's see..." The receptionist, Lin Yin, opened a holographic display from her quantum watch, as she continued "With whom and what time do you have your appointment?"

"We don't have any appointment yet." Zhao Yang said.

Lin Yin's eyebrows shot up and blinked a few times in disbelief. While the receptionist, Ling Yin, was raised in the art of courteousness and could hide her emotions in almost any situation, she couldn't help but look surprised. These twenty people barged into a super-first Rate Guild's headquarter, without an appointment! How audacious!

Yet, audacious individuals usually had an impeccable background. Could this group be from a Super Guild, a Great Super Guild or Transcendental Power?

Ling Yin recovered herself quickly and said "That shouldn't be any problem, who do you wish to have an appointment with?" while smiling pleasantly.

"We are here to visit Fire Dance"

Ling Yin shuddered of bafflement and this time she lost all composure and stared at the group with big eyes "E-Excuse me?!"

"You know her, Fire Dance?"

"Don't worry, I know who Fire Dance is. I was just thinking I was hearing things. However, unfortunately nobody is authorised to have a meeting with her. So, I am afraid this is a farewell." She said with a smile, yet with a trace of disdain in her eyes.

Fire Dance was one of the peerless experts and core upper echelon of Zero Wing, while she didn't understand much about combat, all she had to know was that her social status was equivalent to royalty in the workshop.

If the Zero Wing System in her quantum watch indicated it was impossible to arrange a meeting, then it was simply impossible, no exceptions.

"Wait, we are old friends of Fire Dance!" Xin Ya, the teenage girl of the group added.

"Friends? From which guild are you from?"

As one of the head receptionists of Zero Wing, she had done her research on the important figures within Zero Wing; however, she had always thought that Zero Wing was Fire Dance's first guild she joined.

"We are actually from Dark Soul." The young man, Xiou Yu added.

"Dark Soul, that dark guild that is bothering Zero Wing from time to time? Preposterous, and you claim to be related to Yu Qiaoqiao, this is the funniest joke I've heard all week!" Yin Ling finally lost all composure and couldn't help but ridicule the group from such a petty background.

"It's true, look here, we have a group picture!"

Yin Ling took the photo, and looked at it carefully. She was baffled. It was this group before her, together with Fire Dance!

Could they really be her friends?

...

Pshhhh...

Multiple hydraulic locks around a steel door opened one after the other.

While the steel door slowly opened, a mist of Nutrient Fluid particles escaped through the gaps.

When it had completely opened a slim voluptuous figure enveloped by mist awakened and leaped lithely out of the training cabin. Her refined and masterly control over her movements made it seem as if gravity didn't affect her.

While she slowly walked out of the mist her accentuated sexy and provocative features became visible. She had an attractive oval face and slender eyebrows. The girl was very beautiful, like a dazzling pearl or fluorescent jade, and beneath her provocative and sexy body she hid a faint lovely tenderness.

The consumption of the Immortal Drinks had amplified the production of feminine hormones to inhumane quantities, which consequently had transformed her into to an otherworldly alluring beauty.

Her natural facial features looked like as if she was wearing make-up and her skin had become as smooth as a mirror, reflecting light as if she was a polished gemstone, yet in reality, it was so tender as if she had been born yesterday.

She used to have eyes clear as water, yet now it was as if staring into endless galaxies.

It was none other than Fire Dance.

She had just finished her daily internal training, which was comprised from all the Legacies of the Realms of Refinement Zero Wing had procured from other guilds.

While her Domain Realm training program relentlessly consumed the precious High-level Energy, the results were remarkable.

"I think I have made a breakthrough" she mumbled to herself as she examined her peerless hands and focused her senses on the ambient surroundings.

Before her quantum watch could receive the signal she already pressed on the 'accept' button.

Did I sense the signal even before my quantum watch?

This was the first time she sensed signals within the radio frequency spectrum. However, it was a common occurrence that she discovered new things after making breakthroughs in physical or mental development.

Shi Feng remained her idol, but it frustrated her endlessly that he didn't properly explained them anything! For example, he didn't tell them about the Realms of Truth or the possibility to unlock the Mana Body beyond 100%, yet he told them only after they had already discovered it themself!

A holographic window projected itself in the air from her quantum watch, it was Ling Yin.

"Excuse me to interrupt, core disciple Yu, I noticed in the Zero Wing System that you just finished a training session and therefor I dared to interrup-"

But before Ling Yin could finish her sentence Fire Dance waved her hand majestically.

"Ling Yin, please, drop the formalities, what is it?"

Yu Qiaoqiao was acquainted with Ling Yin; they conversed sometimes with each other during a lunch break. She really liked her personality, Ling Yin was extremely well mannered, but after all pretence was dropped, she became hilariously savage!

"There is here a group who want to meet with you, I wanted to decline them, but they claim to be your friends."

"Friends? I don't talk to my friends from my school days, or friends outside Zero W-"

But before Fire Damce finished her sentence, she noticed the photo Ling Yin was holding.

She was very familiar with this group picture, it was the team she used to play virtual reality games with, before joining God's Domain.

These were the people she used to call brothers and sisters, whom she shared both bitter and sweet times.

"Ling Yin, prepare a meeting in the centre hall. I'll be coming down soon."

"Of course, core disciple Yu, I'll arrange a unit of servants and have it prepared immediately; it should take about 8 minutes." She said before making a deep bow.

"Alright, I'm counting on you." Then Fire Dance ended the call with flick of her wrist.

Even before joining God's Domain, the team of twenty-two were all veteran gamers of virtual reality games.

In those virtual reality games of the past, she and her friends played just for amusement and killed other players for a good laugh. They were red named PVP experts and joined the dark forces only to slaughter, they didn't care much about other matters.

However, the virtual reality games of the past had only a player base of a few hundred thousand and the top-tier Guilds only had several thousand members.

God's Domain was different, right after launch it had already a player base of two billion and the largest Guilds had members numbering in the millions.

Consequently, as the average combat standard had increased significantly, they realised they could no longer consider themselves experts.

Nevertheless, after much difficulty they stuck together and joined God's Domain, dreaming of reaching some achievements.

There she discovered an unranked Guild, Martial Union, had set a bounty on her Idol, Shi Feng.

Thus, under her command, they relentlessly slaughtered any and all Martial Union members, just like they had always slaughtered in the past. The others agreed as Shi Feng had also put a bounty on each Martial Union member's head.

While Yu Qiaoqiao wanted to develop in the virtual reality game and always dreamt of becoming a God's Domain expert, her friends didn't have any great ambitions.

The group started playing God's Domain to pass the time, while they did have dreams of achieving something in God's Domain, they weren't willing to join any Guild or large team.

They were afraid to experience constraints and preferred to play casually, mess around and be free. Consequently, they didn't want to be dragged along with Fire Dance ambitious dreams.

Eventually, only she and her closest friend, the Berserker Water Buffalo, joined Zero Wing.

However, due to Martial Union's cruel oppression the group of twenty-two were forced to turn on her and Water Buffalo, otherwise they would be hunted throughout God's Domain forever.

...

"Please have a seat, she will be meeting you shortly."

The receptionist, Ling Yin and four equally gorgeous servants had had prepared a long table with twenty-two luxurious seats on both sides. They were currently sitting in the centre of a gigantic round hall, which was located in the middle of the skyscraper.

When they looked up, they realised that the round hall reached all the way to the top floor, but the view was blocked by countless bridges that interconnected the hundred-plus floors with each other.

The view was mesmerising.

"She has a very busy schedule, while you are waiting, would you like some tea?" Ling Yin asked the group with a smile that could melt any man's heart.

Everyone nodded, yet with wary complexions. After this receptionist had a conversation through her quantum watch her entire disposition switched like flipping a light switch.

A person who can fake her emotions to this extend was beyond scary!

Ling Yin started serving tea to everyone, starting with Zhao Yang, who was sitting next to the head of the table.

Her art in courteousness didn't cover only pleasant gestures, she was also skilled in making and pouring tea.

The technique was mesmerising, as the tea was poured into the teacup the steam didn't escape but revolved as a layer on top of the tea cup. This technique preserved the flavour and reduced the speed at which the tea cooled down, consequently allowing everyone savour a warm cup of tea simultaneously.

But the blockheaded Zhao Yang didn't understand the concept of the exquisite technique and started sipping his cup.

"What is this amazing tea?! It is actually more nutritious than A-Rank Nutrient Fluid!"

"What really?"

"You're right it is amazing!"

"One more!"

This was actually the precious Harmony Tea and the group shamelessly gulped the expensive tea as if it was water.

Zero Wing received a batch from Green God Company as a bonus to strengthen their relationship. While the group were savoring the priceless tea, Xin Ya had a bad premonition.

If Zero Wing can offer such precious beverage to mere guests, what can we possibly offer her? But before she could voice her concerns in the group, she heard an elevator bell. Two elevator doors opened.

As if an angel had descended from the heavens, there she was, Yu Qiaoqiao.

She was wearing an exquisite golden kimono, handmade from precious fabric and her well-groomed hair was put up with a thick needle. Although a kimono was quite loose clothing, her discrete voluptuous outline of her body was impossible to hide.

"S-Sister Fire!" Xin Ya yelled excitedly Upon hearing that, everyone turned their gazes. "I-Is that really sister Fire Dance?"

"Is that a projection or a real person?

"No, she's real, what a stunner."

"Wow, she matured excellently, am I right?"

The group was shocked by how Fire Dance had transformed. Not only how she looked but how she felt. Her aura felt oddly familiar, as if they were unworthy of being in her presence. It was similar to the sensation of standing in the face of a higher life form in God's Domain.

Fire Dance walked lofty to the head of the table; her meticulous movements were so weightless as if she was really a hologram.

She used to be well acquainted with the three people sitting closest the head of table.

Xiou Yu, the twenty-one-year-old Berserker, also known as Stone Bear. He was known for his perfectly-timed usage of his Skills.

Xin Ya, the female teenage Elementalist, also known as Red Emerald. She was a particularly talented individual, even though she was of a young age she was able to fight Xiou Yu to a draw.

Zhao Yang, the middle-aged Assassin, also known as Purgatory Darkness. He was second in command back then, but seeing his attitude now, he probably took over command after I left the team.

These three might be considered experts back then, however, compared to Zero Wing's current standards, they aren't even considered elite members.

Fire Dance had a particular bitter aftertaste of Zhao Yang as he was the one who stabbed directly at her heart, before being parried by Shi Feng in that final confrontation.

Nevertheless, that was a long time ago, she didn't want to linger on trivialities of the past. This group before her used to be her friends, people she used to consider comrades and companions. Fire took the seat at the head of the long table and spoke to everyone.

"Hello everyone, I'm very happy to see everyone; it's been a while, I hope everyone is doing well."

"Hello sister Fire, we are hanging in there, how about you?" "As you can see, not too bad." She said with a pleasant smile.

The majority of the group lived in in the same Third-Rate City where she also originated from, but it was rather far away. She was pleasantly surprised that her former friend took the trouble to come meet her all the way in Fenglin City, despite the fact that they had separated on bad terms in the past. To be fair, how things had ended with her old friend had always been a thorn in her heart. She was happy she could finally redress her sorrows.

Fire then eyed Ling Yin, who was standing with her arms behind her back a distance from the table; Yu Qiaoqiao raised her eyebrows as if saying 'aren't you forgetting something?'.

Ling Yin flustered, and horridly, yet skilfully, poured a cup of tea for Yu Qiaoqiao.

"My apologies, Madam Yu!" Like every time she laid her eyes on Fire Damce, she fell into a trance and completely forgot her own existence.

"Thank you, Yin." She picked up the tea cup majestically, and took a sip.

The group fell into a hypnotic trance and watched Fire Dance in utter silence. Every movement she made was like a piece of art.

"Well, as you can see, despite your reluctance to follow Black Flame, it turns out it was actually the right choice." Fire Dance chuckled with a smile that could melt even the sun.

"Black Flame? Hmph, you were obsessed with that guy, that Ye Feng and followed him despite you already had a team." Xiou Yu scoffed with a hint of jealousy.

"Oh, have you guys been living under a rock. It is public knowledge that Ye Feng is in fact Black Flame."

"That Ye Feng is Black Flame? Impossible! Ye Feng is only in his twenties, but Black Flame is rumoured to be a hundred-year-old peerless monster from an ancient family!" Zhao Yang said with a deep voice full of confidence.

"Right! That Black Flame is just an old pervert who disguises as a young man and seduces all the beauties of God's Domain to join Zero Wing. I heard the old geezer has bewitched Phoenix Rain and Blue Phoenix as well!" Xiou Yu added with disdain in his eyes.

Then a faint voice interrupted their monologue.

"G-Guys, she may be right..." Xin Ya said with a hesitant tone. She had opened the forum on a holographic display from her quantum watch and stared at several articles, confirming Shi Feng was in fact the renown Black Flame.

"W-What? H-He is Black Flame?" Xiou Yu said in disbelief while staring blankly at Xin Ya.

"Whether or not it is true, Fire, it was foolish to follow a random guy, only because he had above average skill. You had practically dug your own grave by joining him, you've only been lucky to escape from Martial Union's clutches." Zhao Yang said matter-of- factly.

The twenty-two other team members nodded in agreement.

As Zhao Yang continued, "However, we are not here to play catch up and reminisce about your foolhearted decision of the past. We came here with a purpose; in fact, a preposition."

"What is it?" Fire Dance asked with a faint trace of sadness.

A sensation of disappointment squeezed around her heart, she had hoped to just have a warm-hearted conversation with her old friends and put the past to rest. Yet, they came here with a preposition instead, she had an awful premonition.

"We heard your skills have developed not too bad; as your brothers and sisters we know it is due to your natural talent.

We also know you are too good for Zero Wing; however, Zero Wing pretends your progress is due to their investments.

Moreover, Zero Wing exploits your talents, they waste your talents in strict schedules, arduous training sessions and endless quests and dungeon grinds, which only benefit the guild.

But what do you get in return? Nothing!

We however, found a real place to call home, a guild without restrictions and responsibilities, where everyone has freedom. And we want you to join our guild, Dark Soul." Zhao Yang said with all his devotion.

Ling Yin's eye widened; while she was standing a distance from the table, she could hear those last words clearly.

Are they delusional? Are they tired of living? Do they want their guild to cease to exist? Black Flame removed four superpowers from God's Domain only over a little quarrel with Lei Bao. Let alone attempting to poach one of his cherished experts! Who knows what he will do?!

Xin Ya, however, examined her delicate hand, balled a fist then stretched her fingers.

What is this shivering sensation in my joints? Is it because of the tea?

Yu Qiaoqiao looked emotionless at Zhao Yang "And why do you think I would want that?"

"As you know Dark Soul isn't like any other guild with 24-hour surveillance. It is a dark guild with freedom and no responsibilities. By joining Dark Soul with us, we can play God's Domain like we used to in the old games; relentlessly slaughter players, without strict schedules, training sessions and pointless Quests and Dungeon raiding. Moreover, if you join Dark Soul with us, Dark Soul shall grant you with a full set of Level 130 Fine-Gold Set Equipment!" Zhao Yang said with excitement in his eyes.

"I think I'll pass." Fire Dance said expressionlessly, without any further explanation.

Xin Ya held her delicate hand against her chest

Why is my heart beating so rapidly? Was there something strange in the tea?

Then Xiou Yu assisted "Why? How can you enjoy life while being so constrained by a Guild? That's right, we know about Zero Wing restrictive contract. Dark Soul has bought the info from Green Eye, one of the adventurer team that specializes in information gathering. It is detestable what they expect from their members. Shi Feng is an utter fool to waste a talent like you!"

Xin Ya pulled on her shirt, which was sitting uncomfortably; however, she noticed her clothes were soaked with moisture. Several others of the group similarly examined their sweaty palms in confusion. How can the humidity be so high in such a large conditioned room?

"I think we are done here." Fire Dance made a discrete nod to Ling Yin, as if gesturing she could let the guests out.

Before Yu Qiaoqiao could stand up Xiou Yu added "How can you stand being around these fakes of Zero Wing and waste your talents to be their poster girl. Zero wing doesn't consider you as anything special, they exploit you only for your looks, just like those other girls."

That's right!" Zhao Yang chuckled. "This Violet Cloud, some pitiful under-aged girl from an unranked City; recordings of the early stages of the game have recently surfaced on the forums, revealing that Violet Cloud used to be openly selling Fruit Juice in the streets, for 1 copper per cup!"

The group laughed and snickered with contempt.

Despicable

"Shi Feng is just some paedophile who got his perverted claws on an under-aged girl, who knows what revolting acts he is guilty of behind the scenes." Xiou Yu sneered in disdain.

Despicable

Zhoa Yang laughed out loud.

"Gentle Snow, or should I say Bai Qingxue, aside from being a poster girl, she has nothing else to offer. Bai Qingxue, the failure of a Guild Leader who led the famous First-rate Guild, Ouroboros, right into the ground. Cao Chenghua, he was the rightful Guild Leader of Ouroboros, yet the insolent and brainless wench stuck her nose in business where it didn't belong and forcefully took the position from the great man.

Furthermore, her supposed talent is a charade, a smokescreen and mirrors! Her family, the Bai Family from the White Clan, bribes her to the top of God's Domain Expert list and tampers with her battle records."

Despicable

"Or that Aqua Rose, another traitorous wench who has nothing else to offer than her looks. Well, at least this one didn't singlehandedly destroy her family's guild, Twilight Echo. Instead, this hollow-hearted damsel abandoned her family altogether, resulting in the decline of Twilight Echo and forcing them to be annexed by their sponsor, Open Source Corporation.

Just like Bai Qingxue, this parasitic lass didn't achieve anything herself, but corrupted her way up the expert list, relying on her family's wealth, the Sun and Moon Group's wealth." Xiou Yu scoffed.

Despicable

"The lives of all these women went to hell because they were misled by this miserable and foolish catastrophe called Shi Feng!"

Zhoa Yang snickered and the group sneered and nodded in approval. Then they heard a faint voice.

"Despicable..."

And with that faint voice came a world of indescribable horror. As if the heavens had torn open and all nine circles hell descended onto the world.

Everyone's faces paled and started to sweat profusely, sweat trickled from their foreheads and down their backs.

They were hearing a high-pitched whistle in their ears, as if they had just witnessed a traumatising scene.

Their sense of touch disappeared from their bodies, tea cups shattered on the ground left and right.

What is this sensation?

Level suppression?

Tier suppression?

Life-Rating suppression?

...or all at once?

But this isn't God's Domain, but the real world!

Xin Ya looked at Fire Dance with horror in her eyes. She knew... In God's Domain she had become an Archmage, a Tier 4 Elementalist. She had comprehended the principle behind multiple flows of energy due to her experience with high mana affinity, including energy suppression. In fact, energy suppression was not an active ability, energy naturally steered clear of purer or more concentrated sources; consequently, energy stagnated in the body of the suppressed victim.

... and this suppression originated from her, she was a horrifying monster!

Fire Dance stood up with her eyes closed, as if being disappointed. Yet, she was trying her utter best to prevent her aura from leaking out.

Zhoa Yang did sense the odd sensation, but he was a blockhead and shoved the feeling off as mere trivialities.

"Fire Dance , this is your fault!"

"Stop!" Xin Ya shouted to Zhoa Yang, with absolute horror in her voice.

However, the obstinate blockhead, Zhoa Yang, continued.

"You owe this favour to us to compensate for our losses. You are responsible, it was your selfish decision that has caused our setback, you destroyed our foundation and future success.

After you let us rot in Red Leaf Town, we barely struggled to the position we are now.

If you hadn't backstabbed us, we would have founded our own super-first Rate Guild and would be filthy rich!" Zhoa Yang yelled resentfully.

Fire Dance had already turned her back to the group, ready to take her leave. However, she turned to Zhoa Yang and opened her galaxies of eyes and looked straight at him.

Then he saw it, the source of this horrifying sensation which he was trying to ignore.

The sensation of being eyed by higher being, an entity that could snuff out his life with a single thought.

His instinctual fears went on high alert.

Escape!

Monster!

"H-How..." Zhao Yang stuttered with a shuddering hoarse voice. 2

But due to the group's shameful display, the thorn in Fire Dance heart had finally loosened. She didn't have to feel guilt or regret for such shameful people, her grievances had finally settled and her mind was finally at peace.

As she didn't have any sentimental feelings for the group, she let go of her constraints and let her aura and killing intent soar like a raging sun.

The air became as heavy as mercury, everyone felt an ice-cold, almost tangible, sensation enveloping their bodies, as if they had been frozen in a solid block of ice. They gasped for air and breathed heavily as if they were out of breath and their hearts beat as if their life was on the line.

Zhao Yang who was in the centre of Fire Dance killing intent had collapsed to the ground. As his sense of touch had completely left his body, he struggled to sit op straight while he was vomiting tea over the floor.

"If I hear one more word stained with guilt, I will personally eradicate Dark Soul from the face of God's Domain and cleanse your words with your blood."

As everyone was enveloped by Fire Dance aura, her words were absolute and undefiable. Nobody dared to utter a single sound and looked at her in complete silence with eyes filled with horror.

With those words Fire Dance left the centre hall.

Five minutes later, Ling Yin finally freed herself from her shock. She was standing a distance from the table, so she hadn't received the full blunt of Fire's aura. Nevertheless, her face had paled, her control over her body had not completely recovered and her heart was still beating rapidly.

She looked at Zhao Yang, who was laying in a pool of vomit and pee.

"Gross... I'm getting an external cleaning company for this mess." Ling Yin mumbled to herself.

...

On the higher floors, Fire Dance was examining her internal body and she was very satisfied. 1

She discovered that her lingering regret had obstructed her internal energy flow, as she could finally let go of her past, she had reached a new plateau. Now she could finally fully embrace the words Shi Feng told her back then;

'if you constantly mind how others look at you, you will never truly improve your own strength and techniques. You don't have to care how others look at you. It is enough as long as you advance on the path that you wish to take. Only with that can you become a true expert.'

"Hmph, I've wasted enough time already." Yu Qiaoqiao mumbled to herself

"It is time to join God's Domain!"