Chapter 35
"That's it, my belly band was seen by my senior. I'm so embarrassed..."
"Why did I have to embroider lotus leaves and frogs on it? My senior must think I'm so childish..."
"Li Qingran, you're really stupid, seriously..."
"Woo woo woo, it's over. I don't even know how to face my senior in the future..."
With Chen Huai'an's antics, the matter of the heart demon seemed less important.
The girl was consumed with thoughts about how to conduct herself in front of her senior from now on.
Even after Chen Huai'an finished his acupuncture, Li Qingran was still lost in her premonitions of future awkward encounters.
"Ah, all done. Your cultivation level is safe."
Chen Huai'an sighed in relief as he looked at Li Qingran, who remained at the peak of Qi Refinement.
The effect of the supreme Heart Protecting Pill was to stabilize one's cultivation.
Originally, the backlash from the heart demon was severe; even the Heart Protecting Pill might not have fully preserved her level. But with his Chen "Gold-Plated" Xianzun's acupuncture technique and exclusive acupressure skills, dealing with the heart demon's backlash was a piece of cake.
"Next, we need to figure out how to deal with this heart demon."
Chen Huai'an frowned.
According to the predictions of the heavenly machine, Li Qingran needed to return to Qingyun Sect to sever her karmic ties.
To be honest, if he had a choice, he wouldn't want Li Qingran to take the risk of going back to Qingyun Sect.
Unfortunately, the game's plot was designed this way, leaving him with no other options.
If Li Qingran went back, she would probably be in danger...
And just when he was at his wit's end, pondering what to do next, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Knock, knock, knock—!
A cold voice came from outside:
"Li Qingran, open the door. I know you're in there."
...
...
------------
Chapter 35: A Resolution (Tianxing Dizhi +1)
The visitor was Lu Changtian.
Li Qingran would never mistake that voice.
Having spent three years on Chixiao Peak, she was all too familiar with Lu Changtian's tone. At the same time, she sensed a faint killing intent and a probing spiritual awareness.
"Li Qingran, you've reached the peak of Qi Refinement? How is that possible?"
Lu Changtian's voice was filled with disbelief.
Li Qingran's dantian had been destroyed, so logically, she shouldn't have been able to cultivate normally. Even if she forced herself, it was impossible to reach the peak of Qi Refinement in such a short time.
He wanted to see for himself and pushed against the door.
【Someone is attempting to intrude into your electronic girlfriend's private space. Please choose a countermeasure.】
〈1〉Unleash a palm strike to send him flying, so he knows the consequences of touching your electronic girlfriend.
〈2〉Use your overwhelming presence to force him to kneel, teaching him what respect means.
〈3〉Let out a cold snort, shatter his eardrums with your inner strength, and make him leave while he's terrified. (This option will lead him to suspect you are a demonic cultivator.)
Chen Huai'an looked at the choices presented by the game and was not satisfied.
This person outside was one of Li Qingran's obsessions, her senior brother Lu Changtian. He arrived quickly, marked as a neutral yellow dot on the map, so there was no prior warning of danger.
This yellow dot likely meant it could turn into a red or green dot at any moment, representing hostility or friendliness, respectively.
"I'll pay extra. Can I just kill him outright?"
Chen Huai'an's face darkened.
In the real world, he would have to grapple with his conscience before casually killing someone, but this was just a game, and he had no moral qualms about eliminating Lu Changtian.
After waiting for a while, no other recharge options popped up in the game, clearly indicating that killing Lu Changtian was not part of the plot.
But soon, Chen Huai'an realized something.
Lu Changtian was essentially Li Qingran's heart demon. The customer service had said that Li Qingran needed to sever her own heart demon, so it was indeed up to her to deal with Lu Changtian. He just didn't know how the subsequent plot would unfold.
After some thought, he ultimately chose option 〈2〉. Since Lu Changtian was a stepping stone for Li Qingran, he decided not to interfere.
"Why can't this damn door open?"
Outside, Lu Changtian was getting anxious. Just as he was about to channel his spiritual energy to punch the door open, a terrifying pressure suddenly descended upon him, like a mountain pressing down.
"Ugh..."
Crack—!
His blood surged, and his organs felt as if they were being squeezed by an iron hand. Lu Changtian couldn't hold on any longer and fell to his knees, shattering the floor tiles beneath him.
Panic gripped Lu Changtian's heart.
In the entire Qingyun Sect, only his master, the sect leader, and a few elders could make him kneel with mere pressure. Compared to those elders, this overwhelming force was even more crushing, leaving him with no thought of resistance.
"I am Lu Changtian, a direct disciple of Chixiao Peak from Qingyun Sect. I didn't know a senior was in the room, and I apologize for my rudeness..."
【Shut up!】
A booming voice echoed from within.
A gust of wind blew the door open, then slammed it shut again.
Lu Changtian was thrown backward, crashing into a thunder pit, feeling as if his abdomen had been struck hard. His organs twisted painfully, and the words he wanted to say were swallowed back down.
【Qingran, this is someone from your former sect. I won't interfere.】
"Yes, thank you, senior."
...
Li Qingran actually called that person "senior"?
Their relationship seemed quite close.
Could it be that Li Qingran's recovery was thanks to this senior's help? Was Song Jiaojiao also killed by this senior? Had Li Qingran turned to the demonic sect? But the pressure just now was so calm, without a trace of demonic energy. That senior didn't seem like a demonic cultivator at all.
But how did Li Qingran get involved with such a powerful figure?
Lu Changtian's mind was a tangled mess when the small door opened, and Li Qingran, now dressed in different clothes, stepped out, a faint blush still lingering on her cheeks.
"Lu Changtian, what do you want?"
Lu Changtian looked up at this former junior sister. It hadn't been long, but she had undergone a tremendous transformation.
At this moment, Li Qingran exuded a cold elegance, no longer resembling the weak and pitiful girl who had once pleaded with them. She was like a sword drawn from its sheath, radiating a subtle sharpness.
This junior sister had become a stranger.
Faced with such a Li Qingran, and with that mysterious senior inside the small room, Lu Changtian unconsciously dropped his senior brother's airs.
He pressed his hand to his chest and stood up, speaking in a calm tone, "Junior sister, I've come to take you back to Qingyun Sect. Although you injured the sixth junior sister during the sect competition, it’s not a death sentence. I didn’t know that Zhang Hanxiao, that scoundrel, would leave you here in the Wanshan Mountains to die. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have stood by and done nothing."
"Not a death sentence... not a death sentence?"
A bitter smile appeared on Li Qingran's face as her icy gaze fixed on Lu Changtian. "Not a death sentence, so you destroyed my dantian? Not a death sentence, so you took my spiritual root? What a great 'not a death sentence'! Lu Changtian, you should know what the spiritual root and dantian mean to a cultivator. You didn’t directly kill me, but you’ve made my life worse than death!"
Lu Changtian frowned at Li Qingran's aggressive demeanor.
In the past, if he had simply said he was taking Li Qingran back to the sect, she would have been grateful. Now, she looked as if she was ready to fight to the death.
Since she could still cultivate, her dantian was likely just damaged, not completely destroyed. With the help of that mysterious senior, taking some foundational pills would probably resolve the issue.
Lu Changtian bit his lip and said, "Junior sister, it was wrong to destroy your dantian, but you can still cultivate, right? My master and I will find a way to help you repair it further. As for your spiritual root, we can find you another one."
"What about my spiritual root?" The coldness in Li Qingran's eyes surged like a tide, her voice trembling.
"Your spiritual root..."
Lu Changtian hesitated, finally steeling himself to say, "You know, the little junior sister was weak and sickly, with a poor foundation, so we gave your water spiritual root to her. But don’t worry, junior sister, I will definitely help you find another single spiritual root, even if I have to sell everything to auction for it!"
Li Qingran lowered her head, her bangs hiding a shadow of despair. Her hands, which hung at her sides, clenched into fists and then relaxed, only to clench again, as if she were lost in thought. Tears streamed down her cheeks, falling to the ground with soft 'plops.'
Outside the 'game,' Chen Huai'an, who had been watching the entire conversation, couldn't help but laugh in anger.
The people from Chixiao Peak really knew how to play.
They took Li Qingran's spiritual root and gave it to that little junior sister?
Had they lost their minds?
Table of Contents
