Advanced Cultivation Civilization

             ACC Chapter 14 Different Worlds

Livia(POV)

The Sect era had been glorious to the creature known as the man. The woman hadn't had the audacity to pursue whatever they wanted. As long as you were even moderately beautiful, you ended up in the bed of some cultivator you didn't even know the names of.

For those of us born in powerful clans and direct descendancy. Our lives were a little better. But even then, we were meant to be the means through which clans could establish ties. If you were so talented that you surpassed even your brothers, there was a chance that you would be killed, or even used as bargaining material to get closer to an even stronger power.

It had been a bleak era for the human known as the woman. And I, Livia, had been born in such an era. Maneuvering and clawing my way to the top hadn't been easy.

But I had had it better than most, having been born in a powerful clan with multiple Nascent Souls, I had survived some small misshaps, but I still hadn't been completely out of the loop.

I could still remember the tragedy of my friend, Sarah. She had been forced to marry a cultivator from my clan because her family had wanted to suck up to mine, only for her to die in three years because of her abusive husband, my brother.

Even now, I still couldn't get rid of the chills that came with recalling the memory of how gruesome her wounds had been when her body had been discovered. The bastard hadn't even gone through the trouble of incinerating the body, as if wanting to exhibit her everyone.

And the most infuriating thing had been the complete and utter disregard by my father, as if something like that had been a minor accident. I had broken down in tears that night and cried till morning, after which I had vowed to become strong. Stronger than any of the men in the world!

The truth is, I am not disgusted by men. There is one particular caste that I hate, the sect hardliners. 

My father had been a Core Formation elder of the clan, not the patriarch, and that alone had allowed me to take revenge. I hadn't done it out in the open, but secretively, to make sure that my Nascent Soul grandfather wouldn't catch on. My brother on the other hand had met his end before I could get revenge.

The people I detested the most were a different breed of women, those who would do anything to marry a powerful cultivator, like this little girl, Lily. What even made me amused was the fact that she wasn't even masking her jealousy, blatantly advertising it for all to see.

Too young! And ambitious! Ambition wasn't wrong, instead it was the way someone went about it. What made her think that she couldn't achieve anything of note herself?

Maybe it was because of my shifted perspective from my broadened mind due to my experiences?

I had already made myself a valuable person in this world, whereby even the elders of the clan couldn't move against me easily, not to mention the fact that there were many more who would protect me before such a thing came to pass. I had raised my own power and influence, having nurtured both from the ground up.

Lily had done it too, so why did she believe that in order to reach the Nascent Soul, she had to find a partner?

"So, this is the mutation. I heard about what the Pipe Sect is doing. Could it have been your handiwork?" 

I asked Reed. Honestly, I enjoyed this man's company. It was very very rare to find someone like him among the powerful cultivators. Most of them had to conform to some sort of persona to handle the outside world, but only he was mostly genuine.

So far, I hadn't developed any thoughts of getting a man, but I had already made a list of those from whom I could choose if I ever made the decision... And he had been listed as a solid number one.

Lily, this secretary was still too young. If I wanted, I could have his heart within my grasp in a matter of weeks. But I loved natural progression more.

"Nah, Lily did it. You know me. I wouldn't be able to go with the subtle. I would have used force..."

"...and that would have led to battle, or a contest of some sort. And to you, that would have been a hassle." I completed, chuckling a little at the imagination of him wishing for the ground to swallow him the moment it leaked to the press.

-----

Lily(POV)

Livia!

Just the thought of the name made my teeth ache. Why? She was the woman with everything that I wanted, and yet, here she was, trying to steal my ticket... My chance!

I had elevated my clan, which had only had two Foundation Establishment cultivators as the main stays, to its current behemoth, with hundreds at that stage and five elders in the Core Formation stage.

But Livia had been born privileged. I hadn't even been part of the main line, having had to think and politically maneuver situations in my favor to reach my current station.

She was clad in an armor I was 100% sure I wouldn't get to own unless I probably reached the late Nascent Soul stage!

She had dulled down on its visual effects and aura, allowing me to gain a glimpse into some of the rare materials it was composed of. Just the amorphous glass used in the rune workings had already exceeded the entire net worth of my clan!

The wealth that sat in her vault, coupled with the highly priced valuables she was adorning, like that pair of moon-shaped earrings, was enough to leave me stewing in envy. If I was really being honest with myself, I'd say that the jealousy I was projecting onto her was because I wanted to be her. I wished to have her life!

While I worried about rising up in the world, she had already reached the peak, with her only worry being to go beyond it.

And then the other thing, the one thing I was sure that I wouldn't be able to have even if I reached her level, was the chemistry between her and Mr. Reed.

They just had far too many things in common because of their similar fields. Both were researchers, the kind of people we as administrators hated the most. Why? Because most of them lacked tact.

Though, my womanly instincts had already told me that Livia wasn't a woman to be trifled with.

With a quick manipulation of my aura, I jolted my brain from the slump I was about to fall under. Livia was better than me...that was a fact. But I shouldn't let that get the better of me! I had risen to this level with hard work. If I just continued like this, I was most definitely going to reach her level!

Those thoughts even made my body feel as if it had been rejuvenated, with I feeling myself getting lighter with each step while making it out of the farm.

-----

We stood upon the railing of the hangar, watching a dot of light get dimmer by the second as it disappeared into the distance. Livia, the woman who had been giving me a lot of pressure just by being in her presence had finally left.

"Mr. Reed, are you perhaps... Smitten?" I teased him upon seeing his eyes not leaving the emptiness of space.

"Nah. Am just thinking of the trouble I have just gotten myself into."

"What do you mean?"

"There were many eyes during the battle. And now that Simba has been possessed by a Devil... Coupled with the conversation at the end... You just have to connect with the wider network."

I did as Mr. Reed suggested, finding myself being bombarded with notifications and alerts. Most, were from people with a sliver of connection to my boss, while others were from some information outlets, requesting an interview, or even a communication request.

For a split second, there was bewilderment. And Simba had become possessed by a Devil?!

Kasoli had vanished the moment the battle had started, making it so that I had simply been left to twiddle my thumbs, only for Mr. Reed to return with Livia. 

That had impressed upon me the idea that Livia had mediated the conflict. And because I had been so preoccupied with jealousy, my mind had failed to come up with new avenues of thought, which would have allowed me to pick up on the small inconsistences.

(A Demon King possessed by the Devil himself...Is it safe to be close to them?)

A bold headline greeted me the moment I snuck a peek into one of the main news articles, with even a vivid photo of the Demon king himself, with half of his masked face as black as charcoal. 

"You said that I had an interview in a few days, right? Release a statement that all will be clarified at that time."