Ria, Mei Ling

Mei Ling strode down the dusty road, her quick steps causing people to scatter out of her way. Some whispered and pointed as she passed, while others pretended not to notice her presence. It was clear that she was not someone to be trifled with.

She had long, straight jet-black hair that cascaded down to her mid-back, framing her cold blue almond-shaped eyes and creamy ivory skin. Her lithe and athletic build moved with grace and fluidity, and a big tattoo of a dragon adorned her back. Her small but full red lips and bright blue eyes with long black lashes completed her captivating look.

She wore a dark blue one-piece dress that hugged her curves perfectly, exposing her back and smooth skin, with high-side slits that ran up to her hipbones, revealing her toned legs and part of her buttocks. The deep navy blue fabric shimmered in the light, accentuating her hourglass figure and complimenting her complexion.

Her long katana swung back and forth in its sheath, carried like a shoulder bag with a long strap, rather than attached to her hip.

Mei Ling's presence was marked by a waft of jasmine and sandalwood, a scent of distant deserts and bygone days.

Rumors had started to spread throughout the city about a new visiting sect that was recruiting both cultivators and mortals. Mortals!

It was said that they could receive a jinx spirit and then cultivate it like the soldiers of the provincial lords. However, not many people had the ability to give jinx spirits, so it was likely that the sect had powerful backing from one of the Wind Lands' major sects or clans.

As a rogue cultivator without a sect or clan, Mei Ling had never ventured into any of the major sects. Few would accept a rogue cultivator outside of special events, and Mei found it difficult to trust anyone. She had been stuck at the Peak Qi Realm, also known as the Foundation Establishment Realm, for years and had yet to break through.

Despite appearing to be in her twenties, she was actually over 40, thanks to the benefits of being a cultivator that granted eternal beauty. The average lifespan of a person in the Peak Qi Realm was 200 years if they didn't advance to the Golden Core Realm.

Mei Ling was confident that if she could join a small but resourceful sect, she would almost certainly be able to break through the bottleneck. However, there were also disadvantages to joining such sects. Small sects without strong backing were vulnerable and could easily be taken out by larger sects.

The appearance of new sects was uncommon and not well-received by established sects, as they viewed competition as a negative thing. However, Mei Ling couldn't help but wonder about the new sect that was able to turn mortals into cultivators. Such a feat was not easily accomplished without the support of a powerful clan or sect.

She eventually made her way to the inn where the sect was taking applications and found a large crowd of both mortals and cultivators vying for a chance to join. People were talking about Desmor, the leader of this mysterious group, an unknown but powerful Soul-Sea cultivator, as strong as a Greater Elder in one of the big sects. He was also said to be a disciple of the Yinpai Sect, one of the most renowned sects in all of Wind Land.

As she pushed her way through to get closer, she finally came face-to-face with Desmor. He was intimidatingly tall and muscular despite his young age - twenty years old at most - with long black raven hair cascading down his back. His dark clothing hugged his body like a second skin, emphasizing his strength. Yet despite being frighteningly powerful, Desmor had an alluring quality that drew onlookers like moths to a flame. Mei Ling couldn't help but find him sexy and alluring as her eyes met his deep green ones.

Mei Ling was sure that Desmor had noticed her staring, and she felt embarrassed as he looked in her direction with a faint smile. He spoke up and addressed the crowd, but Mei's attention was locked on him. It seemed like he was looking at her specifically.

"I invite everyone to join our sect - even you." He pointed straight at... at her... Without being aware of it, Mei Ling blushed heavily.

We welcome mortals and cultivators alike," said Desmor as he stared directly into Mei Ling's eyes. His voice was hypnotic and captivating. She felt like she couldn't look away even if she wanted to.

Mei Ling could hardly believe what had just happened; Desmor had actually noticed her! Something inside of her stirred as he invited her personally to join his sect. Her hesitation melted away as she stepped forward and nodded to him in acceptance, feeling oddly drawn to this mysterious man who had somehow seen past all of her flaws and weaknesses. As she stood before him, Desmor moved closer until he was right in front of her, his dark eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her heart race.

"Good," he said softly, the sound of his voice sending shivers down Mei Ling's spine. "I knew you belonged here the moment I laid eyes on you. You have a fire inside of you, Mei Ling, a strength that few possess. With the right training, you will become a very powerful cultivator in the Wind Land."

Mei Ling felt a surge of pride at his words, and her face lit up with excitement. She had always dreamed of becoming a cultivator, and to have Desmor offering to train her personally was more than she had ever hoped for.

"Thank you," she whispered, unable to take her eyes off him. "I won't let you down."

Desmor smiled, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face. Mei Ling's heart thundered in her chest at his touch, and she resisted the urge to lean into it.

****************

Desmor had been tasked with recruiting cultivators and mortals for Rias' new sect, and he had finally managed to find a group of seven cultivators and seven mortals who were willing to join. He couldn't believe how easy it had been to find them, but there was a slight problem with the gender distribution.

Out of the group, there were only two male cultivators and eight mortals, leaving the remaining members to be women. Desmor wondered what Ria would think of this, as she had emphasized the importance of a balanced gender ratio in the sect. This was because dual cultivation, which involved using both yin and yang qi to create true qi and improve one's cultivation ability, required a partner of the opposite gender.

Despite this, there were other types of qi that could be cultivated, such as natural qi and soul qi. Natural qi was everywhere, but it was thin and required a lot of time and effort to cultivate. On the other hand, soul qi was a much more potent type of qi that could be absorbed from living beings after killing them.

Desmor knew that Ria would have to come up with a solution to the gender ratio issue, as having an unbalanced group could hinder their cultivation progress. Nonetheless, he was relieved that he had found a group of willing members and was excited to see how Ria would lead them in their cultivation journey.

Mei stood out as the most gifted cultivator in the group, and Desmor couldn't help but marvel at her natural talent. He knew that only a rare few had the ability to cultivate, and even among those, only a select few could break through to the higher realms. With her innate abilities, Mei would have eventually reached the Golden Core Realm on her own, but with Ria's guidance, her progress would undoubtedly be accelerated. It was amazing that she manages to get to Peak Qi Realm or Foundation Establishment Realm without any help.

However, Desmor also knew the harsh reality of cultivation. Only one in ten individuals had the potential to cultivate, and of those, only one in ten could breakthrough into the Golden Core Realm. The number of people who could reach the Nascent Realm was even smaller. In a city with a hundred thousand people, there were only a thousand individuals who could potentially reach the Golden Core Realm under optimal conditions. The odds were against them, but with Mei's exceptional talent and Ria's guidance, Desmor felt they had a fighting chance.

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As the group left the city, Mei Ling was filled with awe. The scenery changed from dense forests to open plains before her eyes, and she couldn't help but marvel at its beauty. She had never seen this much open space before in her life, and she found it breathtaking.

The group soon came across a man on horseback. He had long white hair that was almost silver, and his muscled build made him seem powerful as well as sexy. It was Cyrus, Ria's other disciple whom Desmor had told them about earlier.

Cyrus quickly directed them towards their destination - their new sect where they would meet Ria in person. As they set off on horseback under a starry sky, Mei Ling felt a sense of anticipation bubbling inside her.