Transforming the yin fire in his body into Daoist True Breath didn’t mean the problem was completely solved. Li Xun understood that very well. After making sure his body was unharmed, he thought for a moment, then tried converting the Qi once again.
The result was encouraging. Thanks to the Bone-Meridian Heartlink technique, most of the “useless” yin fire had been dispersed through his limbs and bones, then sealed away. That constant, swelling pressure that felt like it might explode at any moment was gone.
He only noticed that as the yin fire surged, the qi mechanism inside him was a little too active. He tried releasing two palm strikes, but didn’t sense anything unusual.
It was Shui Die Lan who saw more clearly. Arms crossed, she watched Li Xun moving around, lifted her brows, and said, “Idiot, can’t you tell? Right now the yin fire has merged completely with your body. You can’t use it anymore. Of course, if someone touches you, they’ll have to think twice about the backlash from the yin fire…”
Her expression tightened, her tone turning serious. “I need to warn you. I don’t know what kind of pill you took, but since ancient times, no one in the Tongxuan Realm has ever come to a good end after swallowing a so-called ‘immortal pill.’
“To sum up the ways they die: either the sudden rush of qi tears them apart on the spot, or, like this, an enormous amount of vital energy remains inside the body, putting enormous pressure on the flesh. It may not make you explode, but after some time, your body will have to adapt to that pressure, and when it does, its very nature might be forced to change…”
Li Xun’s eyelid twitched. He frowned. “Change its nature? What do you mean by that?”
“It’s simple. Think about it. With such an enormous amount of Qi pressing and twisting against your organs, every muscle, and every bone, day and night… what do you think will happen?”
She went on before Li Xun could answer, “You should know the saying: in the south an orange grows as an orange, but in the north it becomes a trifoliate. It’s the same principle. A little deformation of the body is one thing. The real trouble is this: living with the yin fire day and night, your muscles, bones, and meridians will have to adapt in order to survive. They’ll start to change.
“A short while might not matter. But if this goes on too long, the functions of your organs and meridians could shift in ways no one can predict. Think about it. The human body runs on the harmony and balance of yin and yang, the five elements, and the proper qi mechanism. If those functions fall into disorder because of this, what kind of consequences do you think that would bring?”
Li Xun’s expression shifted slightly. Without realizing it, he ran a hand along his arm, feeling the heat of his skin.
Maybe it was just his imagination, but his flesh seemed warmer than usual, while the bones beneath gave off a steady, radiating heat.
Even so, he still had a fallback. The Yin-Transforming Pool. Since Master Ghost had left word about it beforehand, there must be a solution hidden there.
What he didn’t know was whether nine months of this state would leave any lasting damage.
He didn’t want to lose composure in front of Shui Die Lan, so he forced himself to stay calm. That, in turn, left her a little surprised. “Well now. Didn’t expect you to have that much nerve. Or do you have something up your sleeve?”
Li Xun gave a small smile but said nothing.
Out of caution, he continued converting the qi several more times, only relaxing once True Breath flowed freely without obstruction.
During that span, the difference in the two women’s attitudes became clear. Gu Pin’er kept her attention fixed on him the whole time, while Shui Die Lan, after being ignored, just curled her lip and soon turned her focus to the glowing screen on the chamber wall.
By the time he finished, she was watching a fight playing out on the surface of the light film. For someone of her level it was a little dull, but better than nothing.
It was Li Xun’s first time seeing the chamber wall display that could peer across thousands of li, and he couldn’t help but marvel at it.
Of course, thanks to the knowledge passed down from the masters of Mist-Hidden Pavilion, he recognized it. “So this is the Light-Splitting Mirror. Truly a formidable artifact. If someone from the Water Mirror Sect were here, even if they couldn’t use it like the Heaven-Piercing Water Mirror to see the past and future, they could still see through heaven and earth, reaching anywhere. That’s definitely within reach.”
He paused, then asked, “Looks lively out there. What’s going on?”
“Stirring up trouble again, of course,” Shui Die Lan answered lazily. “They weren’t willing to give up. After calling in reinforcements, they started circling around. But they didn’t expect that just as their backup arrived, a whole crowd of so-called demon-slaying monks, Daoists, and smug scholars came charging in. Quite the comedy, really.”
“Demon-slaying monks, Daoists, and smug scholars?”
“That’s right. The Lotus Sutra Sect, the Void-Mist Sect, the Heavenly Vigorous Sect… even the Boundless Heaven Sect decided to join the fun. In just a few days they’ve already fought dozens of battles. Neither side can gain the upper hand. Quite entertaining, really.”
“So soon?” Li Xun was momentarily taken aback, but then understood. This had to be the work of the Rogue Cultivators’ Alliance, stirring the pot from behind the scenes to keep the Five-Sect Alliance’s elites tied down.
Even so, with Mist-Hidden Pavilion already seized by an outsider, these people probably wouldn’t be able to linger much longer.
He thought back. From the time he set out for the Southeastern Forest Sea, barely twenty days had passed. That left only a few days before the little sprite’s one-month deadline.
Still, Xiao Zhongzi was long dead, and there weren’t many left who even knew of it. From a certain angle, that meant Li Xun had already fulfilled his task.
As for whether the little sprite and the people behind her achieved their goal, that was no concern of his.
While he was mulling it over, figures flitted across the glowing screen, light flashing as the clash raged. Even without sound, the intensity of the battle was clear. Li Xun adjusted the controls to keep the view focused on the two combatants as they moved. This made Shui Die Lan quite pleased. “Now that’s better. Much clearer. Before it would just show random fragments, which was so frustrating. Take your little sweetheart, for example; she really does care about her fellow disciples’ lives.”
Hearing that, Li Xun’s heart stirred, and he turned his head toward Gu Pin’er.
Now that his injuries had healed, her spirits had improved somewhat. When she noticed his gaze shift to her, her cheeks flushed, but the color quickly faded, leaving her face clouded as if weighed down by some unspoken thought.
Li Xun gave her a questioning look.
Gu Pin’er had never been good at resisting his eyes. After a brief hesitation, she lowered her voice and said, “I… I have something to ask you. Will you agree to it?”
It was obvious she still wasn’t used to speaking to him of her own accord. The fact that she couldn't even bring herself to use his name said it all.
To be honest, Li Xun wasn’t used to it either. In his memory, Gu Pin’er had always been either a lively, spirited girl with a hint of stubbornness, or a hollowed-out shell, robbed of vitality and reduced to a vessel for others’ desires.
In those days, he could either banter with her casually or press her beneath him for pleasure, dealing with her easily and without much thought.
But now, she was neither the playful girl nor the lifeless puppet. Instead, she leaned on him as her support, living in a state of mind that most people would never be able to comprehend.
Li Xun had no experience dealing with this kind of situation. Instinct told him that toward someone this loyal—though he couldn’t quite define what she was to him yet, and so could only think of her as a “person”—he ought to show a measure of respect, or perhaps one could call it a reward, even if reason said it wasn’t necessary.
So he smiled and said, “Just call me Senior Brother. What is it you want?”
That single, simple line lit up Gu Pin’er’s face as though it might shine. She looked all the more radiant and striking.
She drew a breath, her voice a little louder than before. “Senior Brother, I want to return to the sect.”
“Oh? Back to the sect?”
“Yes, I want to go back!” For a moment the light in Gu Pin’er’s clear eyes dimmed, but almost at once it grew bright again.
Her voice, too, grew steadier and more resolute. “I don’t know exactly what Senior Brother intends, but I really want to do something to help you. Yet by your side, I’m of no real use, so…” Her eyes flicked toward Shui Die Lan, and in that instant Li Xun suddenly understood her meaning.
Of course. Compared to Shui Die Lan, Gu Pin’er’s abilities were almost negligible. That she would feel a pang of inferiority was only natural.
To put it more rationally, Gu Pin’er’s decision was actually quite beneficial for him.
It was like driving a nail into the Heavenly Vigorous Sect. He might not have meant it as a direct strike against that sect, but in certain situations, Gu Pin’er could prove to be extremely valuable. And as her standing within the sect continued to rise, so would her usefulness.
Just like someone else...
He suddenly lost his focus and, as a result, didn’t answer right away.
The silence made Gu Pin’er a little nervous, while Shui Die Lan, watching from the side, only smiled and made no move to intervene.
Li Xun didn’t drift off for long. Before Gu Pin’er’s courage could completely fade, he finally spoke: “I’m glad you see it this way.”
She hadn’t expected such a straightforward response. Relief washed over her, though it was mixed with a faint sense of disappointment.
Li Xun noticed it all, but said nothing. Instead, he crooked his finger at her. Gu Pin’er hesitated for a moment, then obediently stepped forward.
All at once, Li Xun stretched out his arms and pulled her into a firm embrace.
Of course, such an action wasn’t proper etiquette, but given their relationship, it didn’t really matter.
Still, Gu Pin’er could sense that this embrace was completely different from their past moments of intimacy. What exactly was different, though, she couldn’t quite put into words.
All she could do was let Li Xun’s aura surround her layer by layer, feel the heavy weight of his chin resting on her shoulder, and let her mind go utterly blank.
Li Xun said nothing. He just kept holding her in that posture, ignoring Shui Dielan’s amused, even faintly astonished expression off to the side.
The truth was, his own mind was just as blank at that moment. Or rather, he was deliberately forcing it into that state, trying to spare himself the torment of the tangled thoughts he didn’t want to face.
Gradually, Gu Pin’er’s body softened in his arms. She tried her best to raise her hands and wrap them around his waist. At a time like this, she didn’t even dare to breathe, afraid that the slightest movement might shatter the dreamlike spell around them.
But no matter how carefully she acted, the control was never in her hands.
Li Xun quickly realized his lapse. He breathed softly by Gu Pin’er’s ear, “Go get ready. Think about what you should say. Even though we’ve taken this place, I don’t want anyone finding out about it anytime soon.”
His tone turned cold with the last sentence.
Sending Gu Pin’er back to the sect without raising suspicion was, in fact, the easiest thing in the world. With all the chaos that had erupted under the lake, who could possibly know how she had managed to escape?
The only half-witness, Flayer of Yin, wouldn’t dare to say a word. As long as she claimed she had escaped on her own and gone into hiding to heal, that would be more than enough.
And with her earlier act of risking her life to preserve that last trace of Ti Wujiu’s spirit, her standing within the Heavenly Vigorous Sect had already risen to a whole new level. No one would ever think to doubt her.