The Ice Raid

I once had a friend, a girl. She also had an Infinite Poison Body. Our friendship was very close, so much so that I cultivated the Dark Tortoise Art – a cultivation art focused on immunity and defense – so that I could remain friends with her safely.

But she was killed by an orthodox sect that saw her as a threat to the world. Even though I eventually destroyed that sect down to its very core, I still shed tears over the loss of a precious friend.

At the end of her life, she gave me a cultivation art. A cultivation art she created for people like her, for those who possess the Infinite Poison Body, so they can control the poison within themselves. And she also made a final request, that I help others with the Infinite Poison Body, so they wouldn't meet the same fate as her.

"You can overcome the poison in my body?" Velaria asked hesitantly, as if a long-buried hope was rekindling.

"Yes, of course. You can see, right? I'm so strong that your poison doesn't affect me at all."

"But why do you want to help me?" Velaria asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowing. "I'm a wicked woman, someone who's done things that could endanger the world, like stealing the Holy Sword."

"People can change. Wicked today, but perhaps good tomorrow. Everyone has the chance to redeem their sins," I answered, placing both hands behind my back, striking the pose of a wise cultivator. "The reason I'm helping you is manyfold. But the most important one is to fulfill my friend's request."

"Your friend?"

"She was just like you, with a poisonous body. And she's the one who created the method that allows people like you to control the poison within their bodies."

After hearing my explanation, Velaria placed her hand on her chin, deeply contemplating. [There's no harm in becoming his disciple, right? He might not even be a scammer. A scammer would be afraid of me and choose a safer target. More importantly, after all this time, I finally had the hope to satisfy the desires of my lover, Graem.]

Velaria looked at me after thinking, "Alright, I accept becoming your disciple."

"By the way, you have to go through a ritual first before fully becoming my disciple," I said with a smile.

"A ritual...?" Velaria frowned, sensing something off.

"You must give me your virginity and be willing to serve my desires for the rest of your life." I said the vulgar line, but my face remained as pure as an innocent saint.

"Are you a pervert?" she said, looking at me as if I were a rapist while hugging her own body.

"There's no doubt about it; I am indeed a pervert," I said confidently with a smile.

If I were a noble person, I would simply give her the cultivation art without asking for anything in return.

" What the hell is that attitude of yours? Your expression and your words don't match at all!"

"So, what will it be? Do you still want to be my disciple?"

"Impossible! My virginity and my body are reserved only for the man I love, Graem. I would never give them to you!"

"What's impossible is giving your virginity and your body to Graem. Just touching you would kill him."

Upon hearing this, Velaria's expression darkened with sadness. "Every woman only has one virginity; it's a precious thing. Why should I give it to you when you might not even be able to solve my problem?"

"You're a businesswoman, so I shouldn't have to explain this. Would you give away a product before the customer pays? The proper way is for the customer to pay before receiving the product, right?"

"Even so, I still haven't seen the product you're offering."

"Hmm…?" I thought for a moment, but suddenly I sensed Selena had already entered the black market. "Wait a bit longer, and you'll see the power of my disciple. By the way, she became my disciple just a few days ago."

"Huh...?" she was confused, but then she suddenly froze, her body encased in ice. [An raid!]

It wasn't just Velaria; everyone here, every building, even the entire black market had frozen over. This was the result of Selena's technique after cultivating the Ice Phoenix Art.

[Who? Is there a government faction aware of this auction?] Even with her body frozen, Velaria could still think.

"My disciple's name is Selena Lunaria, and she's the one launching this raid. You must know her."

[That woman is still alive! I thought my assassination plan was flawless… Worse, she knows the location of my black market and is launching an raid! I'm sorry, my love, I've failed to eliminate your competition...] Velaria thought with a mix of anger and sadness.

"I'm busy right now, so we'll talk later. I won't retract my offer, so think it over carefully."

I said goodbye to Velaria before jumping down next to the Holy Sword.

According to Selena, the Holy Sword was embedded in an altar, and only the chosen hero could pull it from the altar. Velaria, of course, couldn't pull the Holy Sword from the altar, so she brought the entire altar along with the sword. A laughable yet clever idea.

Placing my hand on the hilt of the Holy Sword, I tried to pull it out but was only met with shock. "I'm having trouble pulling it out?!"

It seemed impossible to remove it with pure physical strength, so I used qi to enhance my body.

"Please stop, I might break!" a female voice echoed. The voice was soft, mature, and alluring.

I looked around, but everyone was still frozen. No one could speak, and no one from Selena's side had arrived at the auction house. So it was the Holy Sword that was speaking.

Sometimes, with mysterious and profound forging techniques, a sword can be imbued with a spirit, becoming a living object. I hadn't expected the Holy Sword to be a living sword.

"Since you possess intelligence, this will be quick. Acknowledge me as your master, or you'll die."

"That's impossible, you are not the hero chosen by the Goddess of Light."

"Are you stupid? Death is right in front of you."

"I am bound to the Goddess of Light. Without her consent, I cannot be freed from this altar. Please understand," the Holy Sword explained patiently.

"So, in essence, you're imprisoned because you're bound by the Goddess of Light, right?"

"You could say that."

"Then, I'll just sever your connection to her."

"Hmm?"

I pulled out a sword, a black sword with a simple design, yet it radiated an ancient aura.

"This sword is called the Prime Sword, one of the Seven Heavenly Treasures. The first sword ever created, it was born along with the universe itself. You could call it a relative of the universe."

"Excuse me, sir," said the Holy Sword politely. "What do you intend to do with that terrifying sword?"

"The Prime Sword has the power to cut through anything, including absurd things like memories, connections, even emotions. I'm going to sever your connection to the Goddess of Light."

"Huh?"

"Rejoice, you're about to gain your freedom," I said, as if I were a saint.