Cultivation Struggles of a Lowly Fox

The Evolution was undergoing, the huge black cloud was discharging arcs of lightning.

It was quite the sight to behold, but...

’Why does it feel like this lightning is different from what I got?’ Aiko tilted her head. She was sure that this lightning was different and she did not mean just size.

It felt like there was something otherworldly mixed inside.

Aiko was sure that this was a special kind of Evolution, but she didn’t expect this kind of ’specialness’.

Aiko tilted her head. She was looking forward to the destruction and creation.

-----

Mei was meditating and stabilising her energy. This Heavenly Lightning Cloud was huge, much bigger than what she expected or experienced.

She already took the Dew Drop from Aiko and there was a thick energy coursing through her body, creating a dominant barrier around her body.

It would not allow other energies to enter until it was depleted.

This was both a good and bad thing.

It meant that she would be protected from the Heavenly Dao, but at the same time, she would not be tempered by it.

Thus, her body would be a lot weaker.

’I’m glad I took it in advance, I can absorb most of it, so it allows energy to pass into my body. That way I will have a barrier and tempering at the same time.’ Mei was quite happy about this find.

’I still can’t believe how much Vitality she poured into this single Dew Drop.’ Mei frowned. That was once again both a good and bad thing.

Good, because storing it was easier as it didn’t take all that much space and bad, because if others found out, Aiko would definitely be enslaved at all cost.

’If she can just give out Vitality and be able to regenerate it, then she would be able to make anyone Immortal.’ Mei frowned. She understood that there was some loss and they would not be truly Immortal, but that possibility was still there and Humans were greedy by nature.

They would certainly try to get Aiko if they knew this information.

’I will have to prevent that at all costs!’ Mei nodded. She was currently slightly distracted, which was fine since the clouds were still gathering.

Mei had plenty of time to absorb the Dew Drop and prepare for the upcoming change.

She was unsure how this would pan out, since in her previous life she first reached the next stage and only after that she then went ahead, obtaining the Human Form.

In this life that’s different since she is doing it while getting her next Beast Rank.

Mei was looking forward to this. While experimenting like this was not good, she could not help herself with this one.

-----

Aiko stared at the cloud that was getting bigger.

”Are we still outside of its range? Aiko asked them gently.

”We are fine.” The group of Beasts grunted.

Aiko pouted and went to seek the Blood Fox.

...

”Can you believe them that they would just ignore me?” Aiko pouted while complaining to the Blood Fox.

”They are trying their best.” The Blood Fox combed Aiko’s tails gently. ’I will have to entangle so much stuff.’ She sighed gently.

”What’s wrong?” Aiko asked.

”Nothing, it’s just that I will have to soon train even more skills.” The Blood Fox sighed gently.

”I hear ya.” Aiko chuckled. She had enough of her Skills, she would have to upgrade them later, but since she was bothered by either the cost or requirements. She didn’t put too much priority on it.

’It was fine until now, so it should be fine to do it later.’ Aiko nodded. ’Maybe after Evolution, I will eat more meat to Level up and then I will upgrade the Skills.’ Aiko nodded, that way she would have plenty of Skill Points to use on it.

The cloud finally stopped expanding and Aiko looked forward. ’I hope Mei will be alright...

-----

Mei was creating a barrier out of her internal energy in order to not anger the Heavens.

The Heavens acted like rowdy children if you disrespected them, which is what Mei was trying to avoid.

’That way I will be able to gain more out of this, since the ’tempering’ will go into my Beast Core too.’ Mei smiled. That was one of the ways one could increase the capacity of their Beast Cores, but most would not do this, since it had a high chance of breaking their Beast Cores.

Mei was like that too, but since she had so much Vitality in her body, it allowed her to take this risk, since at worst only the Vitality barrier would suffer.

The Heavenly Transformation Clouds rumbled. They finally achieved their final form for this type of Evolution and were ready to strike Mei.

Mei steeled her resolve as she saw those towering clouds above her.

’Now I can understand why nobody does it like this.’ She had to say that the sight was quite terrifying, but not enough to regret her decision.

She would be able to temper not only her Beast Form, but Human Form as well.

’That way I can stay one step ahead of Aiko.’ Mei nodded. She would not be left behind like other individuals!

*Rumble*

The Transformation Lightning descended on Mei’s barrier.

The barrier creaked and almost shattered with the first bolt.

’Hahaha!’ Mei laughed with a shocked expression. ’This is insane!’ She could not believe that the first strike was so powerful and the next one would have even more power!

’Curse you Heavens!’ Mei cursed the Heavenly Dao in her mind, but she still circulated her energy in order to mend that barrier.

’This is going to hurt.’ She could feel her Beast Core expanding, but at the same time, it was creaking. Fortunately, because of the abundance of Vitality, it was quickly repaired.

’I might use more Vitality than I expected...’ Mei frowned.

Another Transformation lightning struck her barrier. It was completely crumbling this time, but it didn’t shatter yet.

’I’m surprised it survived the second bolt.’ Mei was pleasantly surprised that she didn’t feel all that much pain and her Beast Core expanded even more.

The third Transformation Lightning struck her barrier. It shattered and the Vitality barrier absorbed the rest.

’6 to go.’ Mei frowned. She immediately tried to erect another barrier, but it was once again shattered.

The fifth and sixth Transformation Lightning strikes turned in a similar fashion.

The seventh Transformation lightning completely ignored Mei’s barrier, striking her directly.

’This hurts!’ Mei cried inside her mind. It was a lot more painful than she expected.

In her first life, she was able to achieve her Human Form without much trouble since she had weak Bloodlines and even weaker Beast Core.

Unfortunately, now that she was powerful and someone gave her a new Bloodline, the Transformation Lightning was incomparably strong.

’I won’t succumb to you! I still have to deal with that hag and those shitty emperors!’ Mei’s eyes lit ablaze. She would not die here! She would live and survive!

The eight Transformation Lightning struck her body. Mei grunted in pain, but she was still mostly uninjured.

The ninth Transformation Lightning struck her body and she could feel it tempering her Human Form.

’Just one lightning should be enough.’ Mei nodded gently.

She wiped the trickling blood around her lip and sighed.

She paused for a few moments and looked up.

”Why isn’t it disappearing...?” Mei’s eyebrows twitched.

*Rumble*

”Fuck!” Mei cursed as she hastily erected a barrier.

*BOOM*

An incomparably powerful Transformation Lightning struck her body. Mei immediately coughed up blood.

”What the fuck-” Mei wanted to curse and question the Heavens, but...

*Rumble*

”...” Mei silently cursed as she prepared Pills and Treasures. She would have to sacrifice quite a lot to survive this!

*BOOM*

Her precious Treasure and Pill shattered, but she could feel her body transforming greatly.

Mei coughed up Blood as she prepared even more Treasures.

”I will survive!” Mei shouted at the top of her lungs.

*Rumble*

...

*Rumble**Rumble**Rumble**Rumble**Rumble**Rumble*

”Motherfucker, that is not a repeater-!” Mei cursed the Heavens openly now.

*BOOM**BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM*

...

Mei could no longer speak as her body was completely charred.

She no longer had ears nor tails, but a weak Human body...

...

Aiko felt the connection to Mei weakening a lot and she panicked.

She immediately rushed to where Mei was Evolving.

The cloud above was likewise vanishing, as if satisfied with what it did.

Aiko would curse it and kick it later, but Mei was more important now!

She arrived where Mei was Evolving and gasped.

There was just a charred Human body and nothing else. The surrounding was pretty much levelled into a huge crater.

Aiko rushed near Mei, but she could not squeeze more Vitality out of her body. Fortunately, she prepared one Vitality bead in her tails as a sort of experiment, in order to see if she could keep the more rare materials inside her tails without them decaying.

The small Vitality bead was certainly decayed, which upset Aiko, but it still had plenty of Vitality inside for Mei to use.

Aiko fed Mei the Vitality bead and prepared a comfortable bed nearby. It was not wise to move Mei too much in such a condition, or at least that’s what Aiko thought.

The bed was made out of Spirit Crystals and several layers of fluffy furs from her Storage Ring.

She still had that silk, but she would rather not use it on Mei and risk her skin sticking to it.

Aiko turned around and to her relief, under that completely charred skin was a new and pristine one.

She gently patted her own shoulder. ’You did good.’

The Beasts were too occupied with their own stuff and they also didn’t believe that this Transformation Lightning was all that difficult, so they didn’t come.

Aiko’s team wanted to come and look, but were stopped by the Azure Dragon, so that they would not disturb Mei.

Aiko was the only one that was able to pass past them, since she was too slimy to be kept in place.

It was not that they wanted to keep Aiko here, since they knew that with a Human body, there would be some unease from Aiko.

Aiko was still in a Fox Form, while her partner was in a Human Form. It was obvious that they might argue or bicker, probably even break up or at least that’s what the Black Tortoise hoped.

But contrary to everyone’s belief, Aiko gently takes care of Mei...