Construction of Midas’ den was going along quite nicely!
She had already managed to dig out a large pit in the centre of the barrier and had made use of her heavy, busty (snake) body to ensure all the sand was nicely packed together. Sprinkling it with water cost her hardly any Qi as well so she already had some nice and fertile sand; it wasn’t like this stuff wasn’t able to grow plants. According to Mrs {Demon God of Knowledge} the sand sold very well to other large Sects due to how fertile it could be with a little processing; though good quality [Qi Water] was required. But if one considers that Midas’ water she recently named [Eulogy Oasis Water] was basically another cheat item for a regular cultivator…
She had no issues with that front.
Of course, it was hard to get plants that actually look good in the middle of nowhere but it was cheap enough to ste- ‘borrow’ some ‘regular’ grass seeds. Where she ‘borrowed’ it from will be left to the imagination for now (until the sun from above begins to angrily squawk at her) – Midas wasn’t worried about that though. Afterall she also ‘borrowed’ them from the feathered embodiment of eternity and even managed to also ‘borrow’ from the furry glowing embodiments of pride as well as steroid abuse. The {Radiant Lions} weren’t exactly birds though so they had no seeds but they had plenty of meat that managed to allow her to hit the peak of Core Formation just from devouring it.
<Finally a proper meal from my poor little stomach~! Power is nice and all but swallowing a whole elephant thing hole and letting it slowly dissolve inside of me? Now that is pleasure~! Those Lions really were buff though – I mean like wow – hopefully the steroid abuse doesn’t shrink their d**** ohohoho~! No wonder nobody can locate them though since they all must be in the {Heavenly Realm} except for the {True Hero} himself who plays house down here with the Mortals… Technically I’m not better though as I plan to literally milk them for cash ohohoho~!
Anyways~ my fellow {Heavenly Beasts} sure are lax in security but I suppose this amount of crop and meat hardly matters to them as they only have them for the sake of it. Like how humans don’t guard their redlight districts more than surface level; also probably didn’t expect anything to even be able or dare attack them. As far as they know they’re the only {Heavenly Beasts} afterall and they’re all very chummy. {Sovereign of Beasts} and {Sovereign of Storms} literally being knight siblings or something – not sure the exact situation since I don’t care about all that ‘honor’ stuff… A man in armour is quite appealing though ohohoho~!
It did act as a nice chance to see just how impressive my eyes are; sure enough they are both my perfect weapon and defense. It’s a good thing I have them sealed most of the time or the big wigs may get angry I made everyone into my puppet ohohoho~!>
<| Initializing <Response>{I wouldn’t fight for you… Violet may though as she is someone who appreciates favours and wouldn’t see it as a big deal. Where it’s what you did or fighting everyone else. Then again unless it involves her direct blood relatives and Oni she doesn’t see anything as a big deal; that’ll happen if you can ignore lifespan rules since even reality is too afraid to tell her she ran out 300 years ago.} |>
<Huh… What have I done to->
<| Initializing <Response>{Your presence enough greatly helps demons and you should be aware of why anyway.} |>
<Demons don’t like it but they certainly like deals ohohoho~! Question though – how come there are way less {Demon Gods} if the {Demon Realm} is not only stronger but more vast in both numbers and size? The {Heavenly Realm} makes sense since it’s basically a stretched out graveyard that only recently has received an overseer to maintain it. The {Demon Realm} on the other hand should have no obstacles for growth except the usual.>
<| Initializing <Response>{I should have shared more about this in the initial packet – fair enough since I’m part Demonic myself. Oh well, I’ll just inform you now. ‘Demonic Cultivation’ comes in two forms but unlike humans the Qi form is not able to be relied upon and is more like Weapon Cultivation to them; it’s actually rather rare for a demon to cultivate Qi directly as they have few techniques of their own. Most of the time they have to use techniques from their non-demonic counterparts that become corrupted by their demonic nature – this also makes it so they fall under Aunt Sohn-Tochter’ jurisdiction not Violet’s. Since it doesn’t actually enhance their demonic nature though they don’t increase their Existence Ranking even if they earn another Dao from it.
Does greatly enhance their combat though demons aren’t exactly known for sharing and breaking into the {Mortal Realm} is… Rare to say the least. Even if they manage to do that it may be in a universe or planet that doesn’t cultivate; even if they do cultivate where they arrived the chance of obtaining a technique when some humans struggle to do the same…
Though it’s possible to steal one that would require getting lucky with a rogue cultivator, mechant convoy, attacking a city or even a sect. Not impossible but definitely far more difficult plus it likely wouldn’t be a good one.
Instead they are all required to enhance their [Demonic Dao Heart] they are born with which is not only far harder… But also more dangerous. It’s why only [Demonic Cultivation Techniques] over Earth Rank are truly Demonic Cultivation and allow for transformation into a demonic entity but those ranked techniques also attract the most brutal tribulation; {Nakara Tribulation of 6 Freezing &/or 6 Boiling Wind Tribulation}.
It is random which of the 12 Winds one gets but the highest level will boil one’s soul or freeze it in its entirety. The higher one’s cultivation in their Demonic Existence Rank the more rounds of tribulation one will go under – if they get real unlucky it may freeze then boil them causing them to explode.
Few could survive that without being Violet or Venus’ descendent.
Tribulations being one of the few ways to permanently kill a demon; few actually try to increase their rank beyond Demon Rank. As confusing as it may be this is akin to their rank 2 in existence but they’re so strong their rank two is akin to a Core Formation by itself; in other words a high potential Demon would be about as strong as you were in Rank 2.
This tribulation is so strong though because it was produced when Violet’s {True Wrath} breathed in and out six times each. This happened after it truly began the {Second Great War} by burrowing it’s way out of the cycle of reincarnation into what would become the {Demon Realm}.
After doing those breaths began… Have you ever seen Doom? Imagine that but it’s the {True Demon} & {Hannya Demon} against the gods; music and all. You’ve seen the {Heavenly Realm} so I needn’t explain it more than that.} |>
<… They were made again. I think I miss heard.>
Midas’ very thoughts turned completely different – the sultry style she gained as an Amphiptere and the ‘swinder from earth’ were nowhere to be seen. Instead it sounded more akin to a tyrannical king asking a fearful messenger if they really reported something that could destabilize their ironclad rule. In truth it was something very much akin to that.
<| Initializing <Response>{Violet is kind of a badass – she did make an entire realm afterall.} |>
Midas could somehow feel the overwhelming pride and smugness in the robotic voice of the System. Though if one of your moms (one of the three that contributed their DNA to your creation in other words) could do something like that would you not be just as smug? Midas couldn’t exactly blame the Multi-headed god for her behaviour.
Even so there was none of the usual banter but instead a cruel and cold calcultive persona that would casually order the beheading of their own child if that child made an attempt for their throne. Clearly very different from anything that appeared before; even then the System gave no queries to the sudden change in personality. Compared to the observable (if quick) change that occurred from swindler to slut.
It knew where this ‘persona’ came from afterall.
<So all those undead…>
<| Initializing <Response>{Yes.}
>Initializing <Response>{All of them.}
>Initializing <Response>{The entire {Heavenly Realm} worth.}
>Initializing <Response>{Every last one.} |>
<… Oh~? Well it’s nice to know that we have such a powerful supporter Ohohoho~!>
After a brief pause Midas was fully back in full swing with her sultry tone attached to even her own thoughts.
<| Initializing <Response>{In a few years – maybe even one. Most of the war was taken up trying to stop Violet from continuing to kill everything else.} |>
And Midas was gone again…
<How is that plausible! With such power maybe my own power could be ignored, no that can’t be so! For not even I, the supreme possessor absolute {Primordial Tyrant Soul – Dea-}!>
<| Initializing <Response>{Your character is slipping; be careful since Elizabeth is always watching people who gain her interest. With a mind as purposely twisted by their own lies as yours to not gain her interest…} |>
<I have no idea what you are talking about ohohoho~!>
With that reminder from System Midas decided she was done with questions for now; Violet was a wormhole of ‘how the f*** does that work’ that not even she was prepared for apparently. The giant snake just hissed out loud in a defeated way and curled up in the bottom of the pit it created. She decided to rest a little – but to call it sleep would be a bit of a lie since she could be considered far more active.
It was more accurate to call it stasis as the Amphiptere basically turned off all ‘non-required facilities’ of her body to ‘recharge’. She could also do it while flying but she ‘recharged her mental facilities’ at a slower pace – it did massively improve on one of the greatest weaknesses of the lazy lizards (Dragons).
Their massive ‘naps’ that spanned decades if not centuries.
It also didn’t leave the Amphiptere as defencless as the heat detection and sight were still fully usable as well as the {Golden Eulogy Amphiptere Qi Dispersing Shield}. Some things of course were giving up such as their ability to sense vibrations and smell as those would very easily send too much information. Their pheromone production was also turned off but while resting that could hardly be called a weakness – though even if they were attacked they could still retaliate instantly. Actually it was more accurate to say they likely would attack anything that got too close but not out of fear or anger. Due to their cunning nature as snakes an Amphiptere would likely attack anything that approached because it served as an easy snack; easily explained away by them being ‘startled at their approach’.
This meant it was more likely you would get attacked if you did approach.
So, she spent the remaining brain activity considering her next moves to remove all thoughts about a certain Wrathful Demonesstm. The hole she slept in it was very deep but it needed to be large in order to be able to fully hold her current size let alone when she was larger; in truth it spanned hundreds of meters in size so despite literally just being a giant hole it was impressive. Then again despite everything she had done so far it was basically just a giant hole in the ground with a lot of wet ‘dirt’ a few meters away from it.
Said dirt not even really dirt since it was wet ‘sand’; though it also wasn’t sand but [Gold Sand] that could only be obtained from this desert. The sand worked very well with the racial traits of the [Golden Eulogy Amphiptere] which was why she could do so much in so little time.
<To think I could easily bind all the sand in my barrier as if it was an artefact just by splashing some water on it – I truly am the god of the desert ohohoho~! Makes me excited for the next step and I should have enough [Eulogy Gold] for the job. All I need to do is change it inot a liquid state… Actually since this is going to be the first of many [Eulogy Oasis’] I may as well coat the entire thing in [Eulogy Gold] while I’m at it~! It will ensure my first and future clutches will develop at a rapid pace ohohoho~!
Oh, I just got a nice idea for my hair style now… Guess rest is for the wicked and I’m even better than a saint ohohoho~!>
So with that last thought she got to work.
The first step was to open her mouth and barf out several tons of gold. As painful as it may sound it was quite easy – it wasn’t like she actually had the [Eulogy Gold] inside of herself but in a separate pocket space she hadn’t found the limit for. In truth it couldn’t be easier as she literally just needed to have her mouth open and let it all fall out.
A snake doesn’t have a gag reflex after all.
Since she could control the things within her pocket space Midas had already made most of her gold less ‘people’ shaped. Instead what came out was thin slips of Gold that appeared as if it were paper money. The design was simply a rectangle with three ovals (center larger than the other two but all in the centre side by side) that had the short edge positioned opposite to that of the rectangles.
Around the ovals in the centre were three snakes making a larger oval – these were the three most famous serpents ever. The first and oldest of which were {Demon King of Swallowing Wood, Annoyer of Infinite Mother and 3rd Son of the True Demon – Jourmengander Bloodleaf}, second {Ancient Divine Dragon of That One Kid That Sucks His Finger But It’s His Tail, Part Time Dragon Cannibal and Son of Jourmengander & Dreamer – Ouroboros Bloodleaf} then the last and greatest {True Supreme Absolute Genius – Midas Ankh}!
The large oval in the centre had the side profile of Akaibu’s face and since it was the highest rank possible (being made out of literal gods etc.) they had the ‘main head’. Meanwhile within the 9 commonly seen ‘existence ranks’ was the profile of the Sub-Akaibu’s with the veil and all; it was made easy to tell their total worth as well since the existence rank it was useful for was in the other two (smaller) ovels. For example most of Akaibu’s cash was 9’s with some 10’s and even 11’s. This was due to her killing a lot of ‘ex-low gods’ and rank 8 ex-{Heavenly Beasts} some even being both hence the 11’s; there were higher ranks bu~t they were actually intelligent undead so wouldn’t be out in the middle of nowhere… Plus Midas wouldn’t exactly be able to treat them the same.On the other end the dumb kids she ran into before turned into a few dozen 2’s; this was even further than the difference between heaven & earth. Afterall at the lowest level it was the difference between an idiot with resources and a literal god (though lesser) or an {Immortal Heavenly Beast}.
The golden cash began to ‘melt’ then spread out across the pit – coating about ¾’s of the pit in high quality [Eulogy Gold] while the rest was of course the gold sand. Of course, she couldn’t just leave it as blank gold but she decided to do that last while waiting for water to build up. The second task she took up was building a giant gold monolith/obelisk – a colossal megalith may be a better description as it’s base was so massive she couldn’t fully coil around it. Perhaps she couldn’t even make it half way around? It even went far up into the air above the pit to the point it almost touched the top of the massive barrier she prepared… Though the megalith produced far more than enough qi to fuel said barrier.
A bridge of gold was then formed between the megalith and a bit under the beach then from the connection point a platform was produced to encircle the entire Megalith. This was of course just as oversized as everything else involved in this project (she had to prepare for the future after all). She had to think about what she wanted to do next though so she paused for a bit on top of the pillar.
<Hm… Let me think for a second. I need to consider what to put on the obelisk and walls as well as decide how much liquid [Eulogy Gold] I want at the bottom of the oasis; the obvious would be making use of them to produce the clouds as well as act as basically one big cheat. This will be the ‘Holy Land’ of the [Golden Eulogy Amphiptere] and it would be better to be the same for the entire desert so it would be good if I could store some tre- that’s it~! I could even use it to make the rules of my oasis clear to all ohohoho~!>
With her goal set she dropped a month’s worth of [Eulogy Gold] from farming the {Heavenly Realm} and it began to liquidate creating a pool of gold at the bottom of the basin. With how many undead she killed up there it was very likely worth more than an entire Large Sect by a large margin – it definitely had more qi than they did. In other words, she wouldn’t get the same amount let alone quality even if she went full Midas on one of the strongest/largest sects in the {Mortal Realm}. It actually filled the entire basin full of liquid [Golden Eulogy Qi] when it was done but even if that was done she wasn’t.
Flying up in the air to overlook the behemoth lake; her own qi began to glow as she opened her mouth once again and spit out something she would never spend if she didn’t need to. Her most treasured [Eulogy Spirit Gold] that required her to basically kill someone instantly to gain multiple from the same individual. The appearance was mostly the same as her ‘regular’ gold except for having a bluish tinge.
Though despite her actions the gold didn’t overflow but rather seemed to shrink as golden sparks of electricity shot through the gold below seemingly causing it to vapourize… But if one was to sense the qi they wouldn’t mistake this as a loss in amount but rather improvement in concentration. The [Eulogy Spirit Gold] on the other hand just wormed its way into the walls and obelisk to seemingly make some symbol engravings inside the gold. Producing rows (each row split up by the same three serpents as the cash) of ‘hieroglyphs’ that seemed to radiate profound meanings to any who come close never mind gaze upon them.
Eventually a tired Midas was finished with this process – her black tongue resting outside her mouth while ‘yawning’ in an attempt to cool herself down from hard work. Looking down she took special notice of the view of the ‘hieroglyphs’ by the liquid gold (which ended ⅔’s of the way up the gold coating).
After seeming pleased with herself she sank under the liquid gold to recharge once more; which took all of 30 seconds.
<Now we have our own language that only we can understand but at the same time can be transmitted to others for complex understanding beyond possible with image or text alone… But it also allows me to give complex insights – possibly allowing the fools to finally make a decent cultivation technique. And it even informs people who are around the rules of my [Midas Divine Eulogy Oasis]! That’s only what’s viewable to the other races; not my little perfect beings ohohoho~!
That is just the benefits from me writing some simple observations in my newly created language while not even touching on the benefits of the [Eulogy Oasis Water] upon ingestion. Also just passively having more qi available thanks to my generous helping of [Eulogy Gold].] I will have to make sitting by the obelisk far more expensive but drinking the water will be far cheaper and entering cheaper still. Still pricey though ohohoho~!
Should be a good time to lay a clutch now; got to wait till the water fills up…>
Luckily for her there just so happens to be the perfect spot to lay her first batch to ensure they hatch as strong & independent women (serpents)! The depth of the lake made it so one would need to be prepared to swim that low but the amount of qi could easily poison a lesser bloodline anyway so even if one didn’t need to worry about the lack of oxygen it was deadly in the water anyway.
Being Midas she would of course abuse all this so her first clutch was released rather unceremoniously from her cloaca. The amount of eggs being a large 420 eggs! Though considering her size and these eggs were about as big as a regular snake it made the batch seem a little small if anything. The eggs were a faint gold in colour while having the egg be made from a weak variant of [Eulogy Gold] that produced a barrier around the egg; one egg stood out from the rest though. Upon it was a very familiar Ankh that would make Midas smile if she had the muscles to.
<Seems, in the words of my last life, RNGesus is with me ohohoho~!>
The egg was slightly smaller than the rest but based on her joyus mood this didn’t matter to Midas at all. She carefully licked all over that egg to clean in while paying far more attention to this.
<You may be a runt but you’ll be my runt who the others of our race have to call princess~! Wait… Should I go by the typical system? Something to think about while I wait – I may as well go ahead and hunt while waiting for it to fill…>
With that thought she quickly left her clutch with full confidence they would be fine. The first thing she did was play around with her abilities, hissing softly it didn’t take long for her powerful illusionary ability to take effect. If anyone was there she’d see her slowly vanishing, scale by scale, as she turned invisible to all those around her. An important thing to not being that this was an illusion not light manipulation so it didn’t just hide her from sight but could distort other senses as well; after making sure everything was sorted on that front she decided to check the situation inside her barrier only to let out happy little hiss before swimming up.
Although swimming isn’t as fast as flying she was faster than most fishes let alone humans so it didn’t take too long to exit the lake and slither across the sand. Her tongue came out of her mouth to sense her surroundings which confirmed to her what she felt through her barrier; some lucky animals had already found this area but due to her aura being on everything they were very cautious to approach the slowly filling water… Well slow compared to the total amount there could be in the basin.
Not everyone was as smart as she could see a large dust coloured hound confidently strutting it’s stuff with a smug look. This hound was a Nascent Soul Realm {Desert Hound} – a simple name for the beast and they often hunted in small packs unless they were the strongest in the area. When that happened they would confidently stride around like this one was doing; eating everything and keeping only the women and next generation around after killing it’s brothers.
Despite the rule to offer something of at least one realm lower than oneself or a certain amount of spirit stones this hound brought nothing – how could Midas let that fly!
Appearing off to the side of the hound it got quite the shock but before it could do anything the snake lunged forth to bite into it’s neck before retracting once more. After doing that the giant snake just slithered away leaving the dog dumbfounded; the snake could’ve coiled around him easily yet it vanished just as quickly as it appeared? Clearly it didn’t have the guts to fight it head one…
Yet it felt it’s body slowly ache. It’s reactions slowed down. On top of everything it felt numb on the tips of it’s limbs and that feeling was slowly spreading; it didn’t take long for the {Desert Hound} to trip on it’s descent causing it to tumble down into the water bellow. This was obviously the vicious Midas at work but she saw no reason to finish it off – couldn’t breath under water let alone gold. As for eating it? It would serve as a great meal for when her precious little princess hatched in a month!
As such she just kept slithering~!
