My Apocalypse System Arrives 10 Years Early

The deer antlers must have been from old stock. Li Xiang had seized them from a medicinal herb market warehouse—several tons of them, all finely processed and exquisitely packaged as medicinal slices.

"Master, allow Yuki to attend to you in your bath." Chiba Yuki came up behind Li Xiang, gently massaging his shoulders and patting his back with considerable skill.

Li Xiang nodded, standing up and allowing Chiba Yuki to help him undress.

Amid the sulfur-scented steam of the hot spring, Aoi Monshou answered the summons. The one-eyed, beautiful nun shed her monastic robes, revealing a dark gold lace bustier and black garter stockings beneath. As she bowed her head to pour wine, the sutra tattoos at the edge of her eyepatch were faintly visible. "My Lord, please enjoy this thirty-year-aged Kiku-Masamune."

Red Wisdom, naturally, would not be absent. The Shikigami entered the pool barefoot, her delicate ankles, wrapped in gold chains, dipping into the water. She wore a scarlet bodice, and her slender wrist shot out, audaciously lifting Li Xiang’s chin with her Folding Fan. "My Lord, would you care to taste... a more delicious prey?"

Chiba Yuki lowered her gaze. She’d had the fiery Red Wisdom try what she herself didn’t dare to do. Now, her heart pounded in her chest, terrified that Li Xiang would scold her for being impudent.

Both Shikigami were under her control, so their actions naturally represented her own intentions. She felt that, ultimately, she needed to be more proactive and take that step.

As the saying goes, when a woman pursues a man, there’s but a thin veil between them. If she tried enough times, she was bound to succeed, right?

’The only regret was that Aoi Monshou and Red Wisdom weren’t real people.’

Chiba Yuki’s pearly white skin looked like a jade carving in the steam. She entered the water as well, gently scrubbing Li Xiang’s back. The sandalwood from Aoi Monshou, the incense from Red Wisdom, and the white sandalwood from Chiba Yuki’s hair wove together into a web of scents. Li Xiang thoroughly enjoyed the Japanese-style tenderness.

Unbeknownst to them, on the surface, inside one of the rooms, Chiba Yukigiri was tucked into a futon on the tatami floor. She breathed into her palm, and a small mirror formed from Ice Crystals materialized, reflecting the overlapping silhouettes in the underground hot spring.

Chiba Yuki was passing sake to him with her lips, Aoi Monshou’s gold-chained foot was hooking a wine cup, and Red Wisdom’s Folding Fan barely concealed the tangled strands of their three heads of hair.

The Twin Gouyu huddled together, the two little girls watching the scene with great interest.

This was Chiba Yukigiri’s newly awakened Superpower, called "Glimmering Moon Ice Mirror." She had already advanced to become a Tier Two Extraordinary.

This Superpower was quite unique, capable of spying on scenes deep underground.

Asatsuyu’s Cultivation was synchronized with Yukigiri’s, and she had also smoothly reached Tier Two.

Asatsuyu’s second Superpower was called "Red Kite Flying Wings," which allowed her to release small, crimson spirit birds.

When "Glimmering Moon Ice Mirror" and "Red Kite Flying Wings" were used together, they were a top-tier reconnaissance method. However, their Cultivation was still low, so they could only detect targets within a few dozen meters. If they advanced further, their detection capabilities would be no weaker than Luo Feifei’s "Insight." In terms of visual clarity, it was even better than Li Xiang’s "Earth Vein Perception Ability" and Luo Feifei’s "Water Vein Perception Ability."

Of course, they were only Tier Two right now, a far cry from being comparable to Li Xiang and Luo Feifei.

A thought stirred in Li Xiang’s mind, and he suddenly looked up.

The spying Twin Gouyu jumped in fright, because their Foster Father’s gaze seemed to pierce right through the mirror and see them directly.

The "Glimmering Moon Ice Mirror" instantly shattered.

The Twin Gouyu giggled, then immediately dove under the covers and pretended to be asleep.

"Master, what is it?" Chiba Yuki asked. Her Cultivation was lower, still at Tier Two, and she hadn’t noticed her daughters’ little prank.

Li Xiang whispered a few words, telling her what had just happened.

Chiba Yuki was speechless.

’I really need to focus on my Cultivation,’ she thought. ’I can’t let my two daughters surpass me.’

Li Xiang asked about her Cultivation progress and gave her some pointers.

In the process of guiding her, Li Xiang ultimately couldn’t hold back and devoured the alluring Chiba Yuki.

He was brimming with excess energy and vitality, and having long since tasted that particular pleasure, how could he possibly resist the combined "siege" of Chiba Yuki, Aoi Monshou, and Red Wisdom?

As a widow, Chiba Yuki’s various techniques were far beyond what an inexperienced girl could compare to.

Li Xiang also taught her the Dual Cultivation method of "Star Dome Concerto: Simurgh’s Nine Melodies." After a night of Cultivation, Chiba Yuki was overcome with joyful surprise. Thanks to her night with Li Xiang, she had jumped two levels in a row, becoming a Tier Four Extraordinary.

"Being with you, Master, has truly changed my life." Chiba Yuki’s gaze toward Li Xiang was one of infatuation. She felt that meeting him was a blessing bestowed upon her by the heavens, a sign of their pity.

Li Xiang gently pinched Chiba Yuki’s smooth, tender skin and asked, "What is your new Superpower? Hmm, it should be two new Shikigami, right?"

"Yes, nothing escapes you, Master." Although Chiba Yuki was sore and exhausted, since Li Xiang was asking, she mustered her Spiritual Power and summoned the two new Shikigami she had acquired for his appraisal.

"Master, the one in white is ’White Hidden Master,’ and the one in the black dress is ’Moon Night Viewing.’" Chiba Yuki summoned the two Shikigami and began her detailed introduction.

White Hidden Master was a fox-faced youth with waist-length silver hair. A Cyan Jade Bell hung from its left ear, and its right eye was covered by a frost-colored silk ribbon. The small part of its face that was visible was completely androgynous.

It wore a snow-white Hunting Kimono adorned with Ice Crystal Hexagonal Patterns. Its bare feet were wrapped in a Shimenawa, and with every step, an Ice Lotus bloomed beneath its soles. Behind it floated nine Fox Tails, a mix of real and illusion, each tail tip condensing an Ice Ridge of a different shape—a Sword, a Folding Fan, Prayer Beads, and more.

Li Xiang looked closely and asked, "Is it a he or a she?" At first, he thought it was a young man, but on closer inspection, it seemed a bit effeminate. It had no Adam’s apple, and its eyes held a certain seductive charm. All in all, it was impossible to tell.

Chiba Yuki chuckled. "She’s a girl, of course. It’s just that, well, her looks and dress are rather androgynous."

Chiba Yuki held nothing back from Li Xiang, explaining White Hidden Master’s abilities in detail. Her Fox Tails could separate into sixteen Ice Wheels, and the trails of their cuts would leave behind Frozen Qi, creating a Deceleration Domain. This was called "Sixteen Frosty Nights."

Then, any shattered Ice Crystals would automatically reform into an Ice Coffin, sealing an enemy’s Spiritual Power flow for ten seconds. This skill was called "Pure Glaze Coffin."

Additionally, she possessed the special skills "Snow Maze" and "Instant Teleportation." The Shimenawa could mark three coordinates for teleportation, though the current range wasn’t great, at most a few hundred meters.

Li Xiang nodded. Even so, it was incredibly powerful. This "Instant Teleportation" skill was somewhat similar to Lei Xiaohui’s "Starfire Transition," but the principles behind them were completely different.

"What about ’Moon Night Viewing’?" Li Xiang asked, turning his gaze to Chiba Yuki’s fourth Shikigami.

"Moon Night Viewing" was a tall, cool beauty in an ink-black jūnihitoe. The hem of her robe flowed with specks of light like a Star River. A tortoiseshell comb was tucked into her beautiful crescent-moon bun. At her waist hung a three-foot-three-inch "Glimmering Moon" Tachi, and her gaze was sharp.

Chiba Yuki explained her abilities. This cool beauty was proficient in three formidable Sword Skills:

The first was "Glimmering Moonless Slash." The opening stance was like a new moon appearing and disappearing. The blade’s light flickered indeterminately, and the slash’s trajectory left three after-image Illusions of the moon’s changing phases: new moon → full moon → waning moon. It also came with a Spiritual Attack; those struck would fall into a three-second sensory stasis, as if plunged into an ignorant darkness.

The second was "Eternal Damnation One-Character." It was quite similar to the "One Tachi" of Iaido, but faster and more ferocious. Each strike was like a calamity.

The third was "Starburst Residual Light: Celestial Reversing Scale." This Sword Skill was fierce and vicious, a supreme display of Martial Arts specializing in breaking defenses and executing foes.

As Chiba Yuki explained, she had the two Shikigami demonstrate their Martial Arts. Li Xiang praised them inwardly. He hadn’t expected Chiba Yuki to exceed his expectations so much; he’d really struck gold.

"Thank you for your praise, Master. Yuki is unwaveringly loyal to you," Chiba Yuki said joyfully. Being a smart woman, she could naturally feel her status in Li Xiang’s heart rising.

"By the way, there will be a super flood in the summer two years from now. You should start preparing for it," Li Xiang said, remembering something and giving her a warning.