Langtian was now practicing the Tranquil Heart Breathing Technique again.
Last time, the side effect of the Crimson Demonic Vitality Pill had come on so suddenly that without preparation, it nearly drove him insane.
So this time, he wanted to be prepared. That way, if the demonic corruption started affecting him, he’d at least be able to defend his mind against it.
Still... he’d already eaten a lot of demonic meat.
He couldn’t help but wonder... how terrifying would the side effects be this time?
An incense’s worth of time passed... then another...
Still, nothing happened.
Langtian slowly opened one eye, confused.
Was the Tranquil Heart Breathing Technique really so effective that it blocked the corruption before it even had a chance to invade his mind?
Or... could it be that his body had some kind of resistance to the demonic corruption in the meat?
Or maybe the meat just took a longer time to digest and release its effects?
Still suspicious, he dove into his spiritual sea.
Nothing had changed yet.
But when he opened his eyes again, to his surprise, Senior Sister Shangguan Yue Ling was just lounging peacefully on a wooden log, casually gazing up at the dark, starless sky.
The red glow from the crystals reflected softly on her face, her expression calm... serene... almost bored.
"S-Senior Sister... what are you doing?" he asked.
Could it be that she’d become so resistant to demonic corruption by now that she didn’t even need meditation or the Tranquil Heart Breathing Technique?
"Nothing," Yue Ling said without looking over. "I’m just resting."
"Oh..." Langtian murmured.
Yue Ling leaned down slightly, eyes narrowing with amusement.
"You look nervous. You’re waiting for the demonic corruption to kick in, aren’t you?"
"Y-Yeah," Langtian nodded, scratching the back of his neck. "Hehe... nothing escapes your eyes."
"Smart boy," Yue Ling said with a fond smile.
"So... when will the demonic corruption start to take effect?" Langtian asked hesitantly.
"Soon," Yue Ling replied. "Sometimes it happens quickly, other times it’s slow. Depending on how fast your digestive system is, it can take up to a whole shichen. But either way, when it hits... you’ll definitely know."
"I-I see..." Langtian swallowed nervously. "Then... should I keep doing the Tranquil Heart Breathing Technique?"
"Hmm... It doesn’t hurt to keep at it," she said. "But I’ll have you try something else soon. For now, just relax. Don’t overthink it, okay?"
Langtian nodded, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Relaxing and not worrying was much easier said than done.
Still, with the help of the Tranquil Heart Breathing Technique, he managed to settle his thoughts, slow his racing heart, and enter a state of calm... at least on the surface.
And so, he remained there, quietly meditating, closely monitoring every breath, every sensation, watching for the moment when something would... change.
Two incense sticks’ worth of time later...
Langtian’s eyes flew open.
Senior Sister had said that when the effects kicked in, he would know, and turns out, she wasn’t joking.
Because this feeling... he recognized it instantly.
His heart pounded like a war drum.
His breathing turned ragged and uneven.
And there was this violent, searing energy surged up from deep within his chest, twisting, raging, threatening to explode. With it came a voice, not spoken aloud, but echoing from the depths of his bones:
And the terrifying part was...
He actually wanted to follow that voice!
He staggered, trying to push himself upright.
Pain tore through him. He clutched his chest as his knees gave out.
His entire body shook. Sweat poured down his face like rain.
Tranquil Heart Breathing!
He squeezed his eyes shut and inhaled sharply, struggling to steady his mind, to reclaim some shred of calm... some thread of serenity.
The violent intent surged higher, crashing over him like a storm tide.
His vision blurred. His thoughts began to unravel.
And his self-control... was slipping.
"S-Senior Sister...!" Langtian gasped, his voice hoarse with desperation.
But instead of offering help, Yue Ling appeared before him in a flash.
Her hand clamped around his collar. And then, with strength that felt utterly inhuman, she lifted him clean off the ground, as if he weighed nothing at all.
Her crimson eyes glowed in the red mist, filled with a cold, merciless light that cut straight into his soul. Her lips parted slightly, revealing the sharp gleam of elongated canines.
But it wasn’t the warm, teasing smile he was used to.
The smile of a beast.
Langtian’s breath caught in his throat.
Without a word, Yue Ling hurled him.
Hard, breaking the sound barrier!
His body crashed into the rocky ground with bone-jarring force, rolling through dirt, gravel, and jagged stone.
Pain exploded along his ribs and back, stealing the breath from his lungs.
Groaning, he pushed himself upright on shaking arms, gasping for air as his head spun.
His thoughts were chaos—confusion, fear, pain, and a creeping sense of dread.
’What the hell is happening?!’
The mist before him stirred... then parted.
A single figure stepped out slowly, each step deliberate and calm, like a specter wreathed in red.
But she no longer looked like the Yue Ling he knew. Her presence distorted the air itself, heavy and oppressive.
With a flick of her wrist, the surrounding fog twisted, then swept aside, fleeing her like prey before a predator.
And from her Qiankun pouch, she drew a weapon.
A massive curved blade of dark steel, taller than Langtian himself.
The weapon shimmered under the eerie glow of the crystal-lit sky. Its edge glinted like ice in the dark.
And as she swung it lightly through the air—
The blade howled with power, its movement splitting the silence like thunder rolling down a mountain!
Langtian stumbled backward, nearly tripping over his own feet. His heart was hammering in his chest. His breathing came fast and shallow. Eyes wide with disbelief, he stared at the figure in front of him.
"W-What are you doing?!"
But Yue Ling didn’t answer. She simply walked forward, her crimson eyes locked onto him like a predator sizing up her prey.
Langtian continued to retreat, panic rising with every step. His heart beat violently against his ribs.
A voice crept into his mind, echoing, mingling with his own thoughts.
It screamed in his skull, savage and primal.
Langtian shouted inwardly, shaking his head.
’I can’t! She’s my Senior Sister—I won’t!’
But the voice didn’t care.
"TEAR HER TO PIECES!"
As it roared, it ignited Langtian’s meridian, filling it with surging power. Every nerve in his body was now on fire, every muscle twitched with the urge to leap forward.
To strike, to claw, to rip Yue Ling apart!
His instincts, his blood, everything demanded bloodshed.
But his mind still resisted.
’I would never do that!
’I would never hurt senior sister Shangguan!’
Yue Ling had just hurled the dàdāo forward.
It slammed into the ground right in front of him with a heavy metallic roar, the blade humming with residual force. Cracks spiderwebbed out from where it landed, earth trembling slightly beneath it.
"What...?" Langtian stared, utterly stunned. Breath caught in his throat.
He looked up, and met her gaze.
Yue Ling stood tall, red crystal light casting her silhouette in an eerie glow. The wind tugged at her robes, and the last wisps of mist curled away from her like a veil being drawn back.
Her eyes blazed with power and thirst for violence. And her lips curved into a wicked, dangerous smile.
"Pick that shit up, boy" she said coldly, "and come at me with everything you’ve got. KILL ME BEFORE I KILL YOU!"