The Growth of the Inner Demon
No, buddy.
Have you already given up pretending?
You’re not even trying to hide it anymore!?
“I know you can hear me! From now on, stop controlling my phone! No spying on my privacy, or I’ll sue you!”
Chen Huaian’s serious tone was filled with frustration.
[Since the Kaimai Acupuncture is highly dangerous, selecting the correct target will greatly enhance proficiency.]
[This acupuncture will provide 20% proficiency and reduce the risk of disability by 20%.]
[Kaimai Acupuncture is powerful. It can accelerate your electronic girlfriend’s cultivation and stabilize the practitioner’s foundation.]
Chen Huaian frowned at the three game notifications.
He took a deep breath, calming down. His gaze unconsciously fell on his right leg.
Hmm… it’s not entirely impossible.
His right leg was already injured—what’s the worst that could happen? If it’s already half-useless, another disability wouldn’t make much difference, right?
Besides, this was just a game feature! The whole “risk of disability” thing? Probably just scare tactics!
A Cat’s Suspicion
[What is this kid up to now?]
The black cat climbed out of the shoebox, jumped onto the sofa, and observed Chen Huaian furiously tapping his phone.
It needed to stay close to absorb the spiritual energy from the spirit stone but dared not get too near, fearing punishment from the Ancestor Dragon on Chen Huaian’s back.
[He stares at that black box all day long…]
[Wait—what if all his treasures came from that thing?]
A wild thought struck the black cat. If this was true, then if it could snatch the black box, all of Chen Huaian’s opportunities would become its own!
Maybe the reason this human had the protection of the Ancestor Dragon was also linked to this black box.
[There’s nothing special about him, so this box must be the key!]
The black cat inched closer, one eye locked onto the phone, the other watching Chen Huaian.
But then—
Chen Huaian suddenly grabbed his set of silver needles.
The black cat’s ears perked up.
[Oh? Finally, he realizes my worth? Is he going to heal me?]
However, in the next second, Chen Huaian mercilessly stabbed the needle deep into his own right leg.
The black cat: “???”
“AOHOUUU—!!!”
A blood-curdling scream nearly shook the entire hotel.
Thankfully, it was already noon. If this had happened in the morning, the neighbors would’ve been banging on his door.
“Oh my god, why does it hurt so much!?”
Chen Huaian looked at his leg, now rapidly swelling and turning purple.
But then, something felt… different.
Moments ago, his right leg had no sensation at all.
Now, the pain was sharp and clear—meaning the needles were working!
Wasn’t this exactly what he needed?
Ignoring the pain, he continued inserting needle after needle.
The black cat watched in horror.
[This lunatic… he’s actually stabbing himself!?]
Taking its chance, the black cat arched its back and prepared to snatch the phone.
However—
As the last needle was inserted, Chen Huaian’s leg suddenly jerked up like lightning, smashing into the black cat with a brutal knee strike!
“MEOW?!”
BANG!
The black cat flew through the air in a perfect arc, landing straight back into the shoebox. The lid slammed shut behind it.
An Unexpected Recovery
“Hey! That really worked!”
Chen Huaian touched his right leg in disbelief.
Acupuncture was meant to stimulate meridians and promote blood circulation.
His injury stemmed from a combination of fractures and tumor compression. But now, he could feel his leg again!
Maybe this was some bizarre case of fighting poison with poison.
“Wait a second… what did I just hit?”
He scratched his head, glancing around the room.
Moments ago, his focus had been entirely on acupuncture. He hadn’t paid attention to his surroundings.
“Eh… probably my imagination.”
Shrugging, he dismissed the thought.
Cangyun Realm
Meanwhile, in the cultivation world—
Since obtaining her peerless dantian, Li Qingran’s cultivation had skyrocketed.
Last night, she reached the eighth level of Qi Refining.
By this afternoon, she was already approaching Qi Refining Perfection.
Her spiritual energy reserves were unmatched. Even without spiritual roots, the sheer quantity of her stored energy made her appear more powerful than ever.
A cultivator’s spiritual roots determined how they refined energy:
- A fire spiritual root would convert all absorbed energy into fire-type energy.
- A metal spiritual root would refine it into metallic energy, and so on.
Single-element spiritual roots were considered the best, while five-element or rootless cultivators were the worst.
Rootless cultivators like Li Qingran could absorb energy quickly, but their growth often stagnated due to unstable energy flow.
For years, she believed that without spiritual roots, she could never reach Foundation Establishment.
But now—
As she neared her breakthrough, she discovered something shocking:
Her new dantian was different.
Not only was her spiritual energy more refined, but it was also two to three times greater than before!
“This top-grade dantian given to me by the senior… it’s incredible!”
Even at her peak before being crippled, her energy reserves were far smaller than they were now.
If she still had spiritual roots, her total energy might surpass five ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators combined!
“Even without roots, I can still walk the path of cultivation with the senior’s help!”
With this newfound confidence, she began gathering her energy to shatter the bottleneck and step into Foundation Establishment.
But then—
A sharp pain tore through her mind.
Suddenly, the world around her turned pitch black.
The Rise of the Inner Demon
A ghostly figure emerged from the darkness.
Taoist Qingxuan—her former master—stood before her.
“Li Qingran! You injured your junior sister—how unjust!”
“You neglected your sect’s teachings—how unfilial!”
“You oppressed outer disciples—how unkind!”
“You abandoned Chiyun Jue for another master—how disloyal!”
His accusations rang through her mind like a massive bell, shattering her confidence and scattering her energy flow.
More figures emerged—
Lu Changtian sneered. “A disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unjust woman like you wants to break through? Ridiculous!“
Yun Zimo frowned. “I misjudged you, Li Qingran.”
Xiao Yifeng growled. “You dare betray us after taking my elixirs?”
Then, Zhang Hanxiao stepped forward, sword drawn.
“If you reach Foundation Establishment, I’ll personally end you!”
“No… no! I didn’t hurt anyone on purpose!”
She clutched her head, trembling in the suffocating darkness.
But no one believed her.
No one ever listened to her.
Just like that day—
She had been beaten, cast aside, and abandoned while Mu Baishuang, with only a minor wound, became the victim in everyone’s eyes.
The voices of her fellow disciples echoed:
“She should die.”
“She doesn’t deserve to live!”
“Get out of Qingyun Sect!”
At the center of it all, Mu Baishuang nestled beside Lu Changtian, smiling sweetly.
From within the darkness, only Li Qingran could hear her whisper:
“Senior Sister Qingran… disappear.”
“People like you don’t deserve to live.”
