I'm Feng Aotian—And I’m Running Away from My Wedding - Chapter 22

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

Li Baiying spent her days either training under the waterfall or diving into the pond to catch fish, keeping herself busy and thoroughly enjoying it.

She could feel the energy within her slowly growing, but the way it increased was entirely different from when she was a martial artist.

The most notable difference was that she couldn’t replenish her inner strength through normal cultivation. Only through constant external stimulation, such as the rushing waterfall or fierce battles with spirit beasts in the deep waters, could she feel that power strengthening.

To her, this sensation was novel.

She found the entire system of demonic cultivation fascinating.

“Rustle, rustle…”

Pushing aside the water weeds, Li Baiying took a deep breath and resolutely plunged into the deep pond.

The deeper she went, the clearer the water became, but the fewer fish and shrimp she saw, as if they were wary of the faint shadows lurking in the depths.

Suddenly, a tentacle hooked her foot and yanked her downward. In an instant, endless silt clung to her skin, cutting her off from her surroundings.

“Interesting, interesting. In just seven days, you’ve already reached the peak of Qi Refinement.”

Hearing the unfamiliar term for a cultivation stage, Li Baiying raised an eyebrow and retorted, “You said yourself that I have talent. So, I take it you’re satisfied with my progress?”

“Heh, heh…” The strange voice laughed, causing ripples to form in the pond. “Little one, you’re the first to dare speak to me like this.”

“But only those with spirit and integrity are worthy of becoming demonic cultivators, not those spineless cowards who bend with the wind!”

As if recalling something infuriating, her tone sharpened. “Regardless, you’ve passed my test.”

“And then?” Li Baiying, seeing that the other party had fallen silent, couldn’t help but voice her request. “Senior, if you take disciples, could you grant me a spot?”

“Take a disciple? Tsk…”

The water weeds suddenly parted to the side, and a dark red shadow slowly solidified. She had waist-length hair and an enchanting face, with captivating, upturned phoenix eyes. Strangely, the limbs visible beneath her robes were woven from water weeds, emitting a faint greenish glow.

“Little one, look closely. I am not human. Are you sure you still want to become my disciple?”

She casually picked up a fist-sized clam, bit into it with a crisp “crack,” and a faint blue stain bloomed at the corner of her lips, which she then licked away with relish.

“Yes, I want revenge.”

Li Baiying showed no emotional reaction to the sudden appearance of this stunning beauty. Instead, her gaze remained steady, tinged with a ruthless determination to achieve her goal at any cost.

“Since I jumped off the cliff, I’ve tried countless methods. In the end, only the method you taught me allowed me to regain my inner strength. I want to cultivate, and I must cultivate. So, I wish to become your disciple.”

“That’s not called inner strength. In the terminology of demonic cultivation, it’s known as… essence energy,” the woman corrected with a bewitching smile.

“Whatever it’s called, as long as it makes me stronger, I will learn it.”

“Oh? Even if it means becoming my cauldron?”

The woman reached out and pinched Li Baiying’s chin, applying slight pressure to force her to look up and meet her gaze. “Such a young and lovely little cauldron, it’s hard for me to resist taking a bite.”

“May I ask what you mean by ‘cauldron,’ Senior?” Li Baiying frowned, meeting the other’s gaze without backing down.

“Don’t be so tense. What I practice isn’t the art of dual cultivation.”

The woman released her with an amused laugh, leaning back casually. Instantly, countless water plants rose beneath her feet, weaving into a spacious seat that caught her steadily.

“All I need is for you to cultivate to the Golden Core stage and then take me out of here.”

“How would I do that?” Li Baiying asked instinctively.

“Simple. I’ll manifest an avatar, occupying a portion of your consciousness. Once I find the treasure that can break the restriction trapping me, I’ll leave your mind.”

“So, the restriction imprisoning you currently has no solution.”

“Indeed. To break the formation, we need to collect two supreme treasures: the Heavenly Mystic Snow Lotus and the Six Yang Turtle Marrow. As far as I know, these items are only found in the treasuries of major sects, with perhaps one or two specimens stored away. If we try to find them ourselves, who knows how many years it would take.”

The woman counted on her fingers, listing them off familiarly. “With your current cultivation level, if you want to plunder a sect’s treasury, you’d probably need to cultivate for over a hundred years.”

“Wait, robbery?”

“Mhm, or did you plan to trade for them?” The woman smiled playfully. “Do you have any treasures of equivalent value?”

Li Baiying shook her head honestly and fell silent for a moment. “I’ll fight until they hand over the treasures.”

She knew that major sects had challenge agreements. As long as she could defeat hundreds of disciples consecutively without losing, she could make one demand.

“Good.” The woman seemed to interpret her words differently, nodding with satisfaction. “Ruthless and merciless… From now on, you’ll be my seventh disciple.”

“Yes, Master.”

Just as Li Baiying was about to perform a formal bow, the woman waved her hand to stop her. “None of those hollow formalities. And ‘Master’ sounds terrible, change it!”

“Huh?”

“Call me Ancestor.” The woman tapped her forehead lightly, then her entire form dissipated into a wisp of smoke.

The next second, Li Baiying heard a lazy voice in her mind:

“What are you standing around for? Can you keep holding your breath underwater?”

Only then did she realize the water plants had dispersed unnoticed, and the water had enveloped her again, the familiar pressure building in her lungs.

Paddling with all four limbs, Li Baiying swiftly swam toward the surface.

“Didn’t I pass the cultivation method to you? Start practicing according to it, and don’t come to me with questions. This is just a strand of my consciousness, meant to monitor your progress. If you’re too slow, I won’t mind finding another way to leave this restriction.”

The voice in her mind remained flippant but carried an underlying threat.

“Yes, Ancestor.” Li Baiying replied solemnly.

She didn’t find this unreasonable. If she had enough power, she could be just as capricious.

By the time she reached the shore, it was already dark. She caught two fish and hurried toward the cave.

From a distance, she saw the warm orange glow of firelight and the gentle profile of a young girl.

Just like countless times before, returning “home.”

In the courtyard, her mother would always leave a small lamp lit for her, along with the ever-open gate, waiting.

“Drip, drip.” The fish in her hand soaked her clothes, but she didn’t even notice.

“Hey, snap out of it.”

The woman’s voice, laced with thick amusement, teased in her mind, “Little one, your breathing is rapid, your pupils are dilated, your heartbeat is racing, no need to get so excited just seeing your dao companion, is there?”

“She’s not my dao companion!”

Li Baiying instinctively retorted. Only after the words left her mouth did she realize how loud her voice had been.

By the campfire, Qin Yixiao had already turned to look at her, confusion flickering in her cool peach-blossom eyes.

“I, I mean…” She rarely found herself at a loss for words like this, stammering, “I’m just feeling a bit homesick, that’s all. The scenery stirred some emotions.”

“Your clothes are wet. You should change quickly.” The young woman seemed not to notice her embarrassment, stepping forward to take the two fish she was clutching tightly.

The soft pads of her fingers inadvertently brushed against Li Baiying’s exposed skin, sending a barely perceptible tingling sensation through her.

“Alright.” This time, Li Baiying heard her own heartbeat with unusual clarity.

She must have been cultivating too intensely lately, to the point of qi deviation.

That had to be it.

She and Qin Yixiao were merely friends who had weathered hardships together, nothing more.