Hi everyone! I'm trying to find a cultivation novel I read a long time ago, but I can't remember the title.
It begins with a poor countryside boy who's about to slaughter a green bull and at the last second he lets it go, and the bull later repays him by teaching him a cultivation technique. I remember the bull was some kind of clone/fragment of a super high-level beast cultivator.
After that, the MC keeps getting stronger and more savage, and at some point he can transform into a half-beast cultivator (or switch between a human identity and a beast identity). I only got about halfway through, so my memory is fuzzy on later arcs.
Does this ring a bell for anyone? Even partial guesses are welcome, thank you!
***
Tatsuki chuckled. "Herrscher of Thunder, have you heard of the Herrscher of Dominance?"
Herrscher of Dominance… The term flashed through her mind. Mei's pupils shrank; horror flooded her face. "You're the Herrscher of Dominance! You dominated me? That's impossible!"
A Herrscher dominating another Herrscher? Even Himeko, who overheard those words, was stunned.
Can a Herrscher even control another Herrscher? But… why? Aren't Herrschers all on the same side? Why are they fighting among themselves?
"Close enough." Tatsuki met the Herrscher of Thunder's gaze. "You're under my dominion now. And at this moment I am, in the existential sense, the God of Honkai. You should obediently call me Master."
"…"
At this distance she could feel it: the world's Honkai energy bowed to Tatsuki. He was the God of Honkai right now.
A mere human—a piece of trash, a pest in her eyes—stood before her as the Herrscher of Dominance, and with a Herrscher's body had become, in essence, a god of Honkai.
This… better to die than be humiliated! Grinding her teeth, Mei forced out the word through humiliation. "Master!"
She was, after all, the Herrscher of Thunder, an apostle of Honkai's will. Before the God of Honkai standing in front of her, all she could do was submit. Prideful as she was, the bitter sting of shame crawled over her skin.
"Very good." Tatsuki nodded, satisfied that this bristling little wildcat had finally shown her belly in surrender. Then he said, "Bring Mei out."
The Herrscher of Thunder snorted, displeased. "That coward doesn't want to come out."
She could not fathom why the owner of this body was such a spineless weakling. We're the Herrscher of Thunder! Let's destroy the world! Wipe out humanity together!Destroy your sister!
Tatsuki, hearing her dominated inner voice, flicked her forehead with his finger, "From now on, you are not to harbor thoughts of destroying the world, humanity, or civilization. That's an order from the God of Honkai."
"…Understood." The Herrscher rubbed her forehead—it hurt a little—and once again answered with humiliation.
"…" Off to the side, Himeko was even more lost.
Acknowledged by the Herrscher of Thunder as the God of Honkai himself, personally ordering a Herrscher not to destroy the world, humanity, or civilization… Am I watching hard sci-fi? Dreaming? Or did I just wake up wrong?
She pinched the cheek exposed beneath her armor.
"Ow!"
It hurt. So everything happening before her was real?
"M-Master… could you put me down?" The Herrscher of Thunder still wasn't used to the title, but being held like this felt beneath her station.
"Wait. I'll sort Mei out first."
Through dominance of the subconscious, Tatsuki stepped into Mei Raiden's inner depths.
"Pitch-black, huh." His subconscious set foot in a space of complete darkness—that, too, could count as Mei's inner world.
"Mei…" He scanned about, locking onto the direction from which those inner whispers kept spilling. "Found you."
It was me who hurt everyone!
I killed them all!
I'm the source of the Honkai!
I'm the Herrscher of destruction!
I'm the one who should die!
Tatsuki's mouth twitched. Now that's some world-class self-loathing—every thought the worst kind of negativity.
He walked forward. Before long, in a dark corner, he found Mei curled up, muttering, eyes empty.
He'd seen this a lot. People whose hearts were set on death. First Cocolia, then Talulah—now Mei.
"Sigh… looks like I was born a savior for sinners." Shaking his head, Tatsuki stepped forward until he stood before her. She didn't seem to notice, continuing her litany of despair.
"Mei." He spoke her name softly.
Only then did her body stir. She stopped mumbling, lifting her head. Her eyes, however, were still lifeless.
"Tsk." Talking like this would be useless. She needed a jolt—something to snap her awake. And when it comes to jolting a girl… Tatsuki knew exactly what worked.
He crouched until they were level. Then, bold as sin, he wrapped an arm behind her head and pressed his lips to those pale ones.
Kiana, I'm doing this for you.All yuri ends someday.
"!!!"
Outside, the Herrscher of Thunder's body shuddered. Unbelievable!
Her eyes flew to Tatsuki, horror flooding them—she'd been kissed! Even if it was in the mindscape, she and Mei shared one body; sensation was linked.
"Mmph—!!" Shock melting into another feeling, she slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide.
"…"
Himeko watched the Herrscher's reaction with a strange look. With the sharp instinct of a single woman of a certain age, she could swear the Herrscher looked… shy.
But that man named Tatsuki—aside from holding her like a gentleman—hadn't done anything, had he?
…
Inside Mei's mental space.
Now lucid, Mei gently pushed Tatsuki away, face crimson. She wiped the moisture at the corner of her lips, eyes dewy. "Y-You're Tatsuki-san?"
"Awake?" Tatsuki's lips curled, all benevolent doctor. "Looks like my method worked—you came right back to your senses."
"Method…" That kind of intense kiss counts as a wake-up method?!
Even mild-mannered Mei wanted to protest—but she couldn't deny she could finally listen now. Yet the moment she thought of all those who'd died in Changkong City because of her, the light fled her eyes again, suffocating gloom rushing back.
Seeing that, Tatsuki only grew more interested. "Feel free to spiral again. I'll wake you one more time."
"For a pretty girl like you, I don't mind at all."
"!!" Mei trembled. No matter how I think about it, that's way too intense…
Forcing herself away from the abyss of guilt, she asked in a small voice, "Tatsuki-san… what exactly do you intend to do?"
Since she wasn't slipping again, Tatsuki sighed what a pity, shrugged, and answered, "Isn't it obvious? I'm taking you out of here."
"I… I'll hurt everyone…" Tears gathered; she understood now: her power would bring only ruin and disaster. "If possible, please kill me!"
Tatsuki shook his head. "Kill you? No way."
"Why? I'm a Herrscher… a Herrscher who will destroy humanity."
"A Herrscher? Is that supposed to be scary?" He clapped his hands lightly. "Herrscher of Thunder, get over here."
"…"
No response. Tatsuki frowned slightly. "Hurry up—don't make me force you."
Bzzt!
Purple lightning flashed through the dark.
"The Herrscher of Thunder!" Mei watched a figure identical to herself step out of the gloom, aura crackling with mad, violent will.
....
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