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  “I remember when the first delegation came back from the Beheaded Phoenix Sect about a decade ago, during the early days of our alliance. Winter had settled in fully, the Sun was gone, and our Sect Sisters starved, as was the norm. The Seniors hunted for every morsel of Yang flesh they could find within the monastery compound, and when that was gone, they sated themselves on the innocence of their younger disciples instead.

  Of the ten that went with the envoy, only two returned. The rest choose to stay till spring. In their arms, I saw the organs and flesh of cultivator men — donations from our Young Mistress’s betrothed. From the moment I took that first bite, I fell in love.

  That fiery satiation, I thought, surpassed even the taste of our Divine Corpse.”

  — Account from a young disciple of the Split-headed Carnivore

  “I bet I’m not the Young Miss you were hoping to see,” Lingyu jested, her light tone ill-matching the piercing look she gave him.

  Most people would describe the younger Chen sister as a near-identical replica of her older sibling. They both shared the same jade-pale skin, the same shadowed saurian eyes, and the same dark azure hair. Moreover, while the younger Miss was several years younger and still in the throes of adolescence, there were already signs that she would one day mature into the same great beauty as her elder sister.

  There were a few key differences, however. Compared to her older sister’s longer tresses, Lingyu cropped her hair only to neck length. Her eyes were of a different shade as well; unlike Lianshi’s smouldering gold-orange irises, Lingyu’s were a soft, honeyed amber, framed by dark scleras.

  Their height marked the greatest difference in physical stature as well. Whereas Lianshi towered over men and cultivators alike, Lingyu barely came up to Feng’s chest. Her body was already showing signs of development, owing in part to the rigorous ordeals of Sect training that helped build stores of hardened muscles, but also because of the influence of their Dead Divine patron shaping their growth into one of feminine appeal.

  Carnivores of men-flesh, in all aspects. Even their looks had been altered to aid them towards that nutritive goal. But Lingyu had not grown to the ranks of those fabled predators yet, and for that, Feng was glad.

  “On the contrary, you are exactly the Young Miss I was hoping to see,” the Young Master replied easily, keeping pace with her levity despite their macabre surroundings. Qi laced their voices, making their words easily heard despite the raucous background. “I already found your sister earlier, and I would be a poor host if I did not greet all of my Sect’s esteemed guests.”

  Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Lianshi was the one who found him, rather than the other way around. From what he heard, the prodigy had demanded to see him the moment her Sect’s delegation arrived at the outer gates. The disciples and Elder assigned to welcome the foreign dignitaries were too intimidated to refuse her request, granting her near-unrestricted access to the Hei Clan’s private compound. There, she quickly located him in his secluded study and promptly dragged him away for their impromptu sparring session.

  He reminded himself to visit the Elder in charge of guiding the delegation later. Formal allies or not, foreign cultivators had no business wandering around their Sect without an accompanying escort, especially when their Young Miss just proved herself capable of sneaking all the way into the Hei’s compound without detection.

  Well, mostly without detection. Father probably had noticed her intrusion but allowed it on account of what he deemed to be a ‘healthy bonding session between Sects’. Or perhaps Lianshi’s abilities at subterfuge had already surpassed even his Honoured Father’s capabilities to detect.

  The Young Master was not sure which possibility was more terrifying.

  In any case, a reprimand was in order, though that would come after he settled his affairs here.

  “I see,” Lingyu’s tone was decidedly neutral. “Your wish to greet me is but a mere formality, is it? To fulfil your… dutiful obligations as the Sect’s Young Master?”

  Feng chuckled. Prickly as always, yet there was something oddly refreshing to be found in it. “In part. Your sister made plenty of boasts about you earlier. After hearing her praises, I wanted to see the results of your advancement for myself.”

  The Young Master extended his qi to her, seeking permission. After a moment's hesitation, she mingled hers together with the offered hand. Feng sensed her advancement and smiled.

  “It seems she was not lying. Congratulations on your breakthrough into the Second Realm, Lingyu. You have grown splendidly.”

  Second Realm, at her tender age. Even Feng had not managed to achieve such a feat. Anyone would be proud of such an accomplishment. Sects and Clans would have showered such a prodigy with praises and cultivation gifts so that they might develop their talents further. Most of all, they would have announced the news far and wide, if only so that the other Sects may seethe at their rival’s fortune in securing a worthy heiress.

  And yet, Feng had not heard of any such insights — not even so much as gossip — regarding the girl’s miraculous breakthrough. It was not until Lianshi herself personally informed him that he was made aware of her sister’s remarkable progress. That the Sect had kept such promising news a secret…

  Such a thing did not necessarily bode ill, yet all the same, he worried for her.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The Young Miss turned away at his compliment. His words pleased her, but her eyes were still downcast. “It is hardly anything to be proud of. My sister did it when she was twelve. An entire year younger than me.”

  “And I only managed to achieve it when I was fourteen, an entire year older than you.” He lamented with a dramatic sigh. “For the sake of your lesser, please don’t speak so ill of yourself, Lingyu. The ego of a Young Master is a fragile thing, and mine is especially vulnerable.”

  That statement finally got her to laugh. They shared a smile, and the mirth on her face was more genuine this time.

  “Your progress leaves nothing to be desired,” Feng reassured her. “Do not let the words of jealous Elders darken your worth. There is no need to compare yourself against your sister’s advancement. She overshadows all of us equally.”

  “I suppose,” the Young Miss conceded. Her saurian golden eyes appraised him. “You look well, Brother-In-Law. Your standing has even improved by another Step since I last saw you.”

  The Young Master was currently within the Second Step of the Third Realm. When they last saw each other nearly six months ago, he had been in the First Step, enjoying the newly acquired benefits of his breakthrough into the Tempering Realm.

  Feng shook his head. “My achievements are the result of the Sect’s generous investment in me, nothing more. If I did not advance by at least this much, I would be a disappointment to all.”

  “It seems we both have lofty expectations to live up to,” Lingyu said wistfully. A frown overtook her face when her wandering gaze landed upon the edges of his robes. “A word of advice?”

  Feng raised an eyebrow.

  “The next time you and my sister sneak off on an illicit rendezvous, I would advise changing your clothes afterwards, lest people start getting the wrong idea about the two of you.”

  “Ah.” He looked down and saw a distinctive claw mark at the fringes of his attire. Had he missed that all morning? “Be at ease. The two of us were just sparring.”

  “Of course you were. A pair of betrothed teenagers sneaking off into the Sect’s private compound, with no one supervising…”

  “You are too young to be talking about such things, Lingyu,” Feng chided. “And I think you know me better than that to believe I hold such impure intentions for your sister before our wedding.”

  “Who said I was worried about her?” The Young Miss’s voice was utterly deadpan as she looked at him pityingly. “You weren’t the one stuck in a wagon with that love-sick woman for the entire week, hearing her gush about all the things she was going to do to you once we arrived at your Sect. Honestly, I’m surprised you got away from her in one piece.”

  The Young Master winced. “Ah, well… that’s—”

  Another explosion rang throughout the ceiling of the sparring hall. This time, two bodies fell from the highest platforms, landing splat against the ground. Once more, despite the horrific damage incurred and the missing limbs from their person, their heads and necks were intact. Feng relaxed, while the Young Miss wrinkled her nose in distaste.

  “I didn’t know you would be here, Lingyu,” Feng remarked, tactlessly changing their earlier subject. “This is hardly a place for a lady such as yourself.”

  Lingyu frowned. “And who are you to know where a young lady like myself should and shouldn’t be? I am a cultivator, same as you. I deserved to be in these training halls.”

  “That may be true, and normally I won’t deter you from coming here, but…” As if to illustrate his point, another bisected Inner Disciple came flying, his upper torso splattering the walls above them with roasted intestines. Feng stepped away as pieces of his guts fell from the panel, while Lingyu reached out and caught a handful of the burning entrails instead. She sniffed the offal for a moment, judging it inadequate before tossing it aside.

  “The Beheaded Phoenix Sect is going through a bit of an uproar at the moment,” the Young Master finished as he positioned himself. The savaged Disciple clung to the walls for several seconds — the sheer force of the impact, combined with the stickiness of his blood-soaked torso, adhering him to the vertical surface like a wet sponge.

  But eventually, gravity took its hold, and the crumpled heap of flesh peeled away from the panel before falling gracelessly into the waiting arms of the Young Master. After ensuring the victim’s neck was still in place, Hei Feng passed the sagging body of the broken disciple to a nearby medical acolyte, who apologised profusely for inconveniencing the young lord.

  “Ah, yes… Your upcoming nuptial has certainly caused quite some commotion,” Lingyu sardonically noted, before sighing. “Though I cannot say the same has not been happening to my Sect as well.”

  “Your disciples are engaged in excessive internal fighting?”

  “Excessive competition would be a better word for it. We are not as barbaric as your blood-bound Sect.”

  Feng raised an eyebrow at the Young Miss, his scepticism plain. She looked away with a vaguely embarrassed cough.

  “Alright, fine. It’s just as bad. Maybe worse, seeing how our techniques differ from yours…” Lingyu unsheathed the bone stinger hidden inside her wrist, idly playing with the poisoned tip before continuing. “But could you really blame them? The Sects had hardly been subtle about the oncoming festivities. Nor about the potential rewards and opportunities attached to them. Such enthusiasm is nothing short of expected. This house of violence is solely devoted to your honour. You should be flattered.”

  Feng frowned at her words. He placed his attention on the state of the surrounding disciples, who threw themselves into combat with reckless zeal. Most looked blood-crazed, and more than a few were missing limbs.

  An orgy of bloodshed suffered in his name. Pain and violence freely given, for the scant honour of performing at his marriage.

  He was to commend this unsightly display?

  Had he the choice, he would rather burn down the entire building than suffer another moment of this devotion.

  Divine Beings, Part 2

  As of the current Era, there is not a single recorded living Divine Beast left in existence. However, the corpses of these Heavenly creatures still play a vital role in the Flesh-Grafted Empire, as they serve as its main source of Spiritual Energy. When the bodies of gods decay, the corpses release a surfeit of qi that enriches the land, creating an environment worthy of cultivation. The once-barren continent of Qiangyu is now a thriving, vibrant domain of transcendent creatures and spiritually enlightened human societies.

  The Divine Corpses form the basis of most Sects, as the land is generally richer in Cultivation resources and ambient qi the closer one gets to them. Nearly every Sect founded their monastery within proximity to or atop a Divine Corpse, allowing its members to better take advantage of the qi-rich territory for their cultivation.

  It is common for the Sect to eventually develop singularly powerful and unique Martial Techniques that hold a similar attribute to the Divine Beast’s spiritual disposition, known as Divine Arts. With their cultivation being so heavily influenced by and dependent on the entity’s presence, cultivators would also sometimes develop physical traits and abilities that mirror the key attributes of their Dead Divine patron.

  – Excerpt from An Account of Divine Corpses