I'm Feng Aotian—And I’m Running Away from My Wedding - Chapter 24

“But Ancestor, hadn’t you already broken through to the Unity Realm by then, allowing you to move freely in the mortal world?”

Li Baiying listened intently, but when the other party suddenly stopped, she couldn’t help but voice her disagreement.

“Hehe, little one, do you truly believe that cultivation advancement is everything?”

A shadow of dark red flickered before her. The woman no longer carried the enchanting demeanor she had when they first met. The hem of her skirt fluttered without wind, as if she were a peerless master. Suddenly, she stretched out her hand and pointed into the void:

“Rise!”

In an instant, the ice layer of the cold pond shattered completely, and water surged upward in wave after wave. In the blink of an eye, it soared to a height of ten thousand zhang, its momentum so immense it seemed to swallow even the clouds.

“Is this Water Gathering Art powerful?”

“Powerful, truly powerful!” Li Baiying stared wide-eyed, her gaze filled with eagerness. “Senior, I want to learn it too!”

“Of course.”

The woman clasped her hands behind her back, her tone slightly cold. “But you must be mentally prepared. The more you learn, the more likely you are to explode and die.”

“Explode and die?!”

“That’s right. Demonic cultivators are different from martial artists. The spiritual energy we absorb doesn’t transform into internal energy but becomes our own essence. In other words, what we cultivate is actually our own potential.”

“Shouldn’t that mean the higher our realm, the more techniques we can learn?” Li Baiying was puzzled.

“Theoretically, yes, but you’ve overlooked one thing: we were martial artists first, then we abandoned our human forms to become demonic cultivators. This inherently means that the traditional cultivation methods of demons are not suitable for us. In other words, our potential was ‘predetermined’ from the very beginning, every bit we develop diminishes what remains.”

The woman emphasized her words, then suddenly let out a self-mocking laugh. “You’re lucky to know this drawback from the start. I only realized it after breaking through to the Unity Realm, no matter what I did, I couldn’t advance further.”

“Because my body had already reached its limit, with no extra potential left to develop. Under such circumstances, even the slightest progress would lead me down a path of death, resulting in the collapse of my entire dantian, just as you experienced before.”

Li Baiying fell silent for a moment, then said unwillingly, “Is there no other way?”

“Of course there is.”

The woman chuckled lightly, her tone playful. “From the moment we met, I said I was helping you mostly because you have the qualifications to become a cauldron.”

“Breaking through the limitations of potential is simple: find someone to dual cultivate with or acquire several cauldrons. Transfer their essence into your body, and it will help you break through.”

Seeing Li Baiying’s strange expression, the woman added, “Don’t worry. A cauldron is only for transferring energy; no intimate contact is required. As for dual cultivation… that’s another matter entirely.”

“I wasn’t…” Li Baiying was too embarrassed to admit she had been worried about that very thing. Seeing her thoughts exposed, she coughed awkwardly but didn’t shy away. “So, Senior, what you mean is that after reaching a certain realm, we need to acquire the essence of others to strengthen ourselves.”

“That’s right, but it’s not outright plundering, it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. However, it requires the other person’s complete cooperation.”

The woman added lightly, “Actually, you don’t need to worry at all. I can see that your little Dao companion possesses an exceptional Xuan Water talent, which complements you perfectly. If you dual cultivate together, you can achieve a result where one plus one is greater than five.”

“No way, Senior. She clearly…” Li Baiying’s words trailed off as she suddenly realized, “Are you saying she’s been concealing her talent all along?”

“Not concealing, awakening.”

The woman corrected her thoughtfully. “On her first day of fishing, her meridians were still blocked. But each day after, they gradually cleared. She must have encountered some unique opportunity. Now she has reached the peak of the Innate Martial Artist realm and will form her Golden Core within ten days.”

“…”

Li Baiying couldn’t hide her astonishment. Over the past few days, she had been secretly pleased about being able to cultivate again, never imagining that Qin Yixiao had reached in mere days what had taken her years to achieve.

“Don’t be discouraged. That girl’s rapid progress is purely the result of accumulated effort finally paying off. If I’m not mistaken, she was trapped at the mortal realm for so long that her meridians were forced to undergo countless reinforcements. Now that they’ve suddenly been unblocked, it’s like connecting all her efforts from the past decade into a continuous thread, such rapid advancement is only natural.”

While comforting her, the woman didn’t forget to boast about herself. “Besides, you have my guidance, a blessing many cultivators would never receive in their entire lives. As long as you’re willing to endure hardship, you can form your Golden Core in less than a year.”

“Alright!” Li Baiying took a deep breath, looked steadily at the other party, and performed another formal bow of apprenticeship. “I beg for the Ancestor’s guidance.”

“First, get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow morning, we begin devil training.”

The woman noticed her eagerness but deliberately ignored it, her smile carrying a hint of amusement. “This will likely be the most restful sleep you get in the coming year. Well, except during dual cultivation sessions.”

…

Half an hour earlier.

When the pond water surged thousands of feet high, nearly everyone on Mount Taichu witnessed the astonishing sight. News that “something major has happened beneath the cliffs” spread like wildfire among the disciples.

Outside the Li Family Ancestral Hall, Qin Zhili watched coldly, with Li Ruoruo standing beside her wearing an ingratiating smile.

“Has the Young Mistress of the Li Family’s body been found yet?”

“Cousin jumped from such a height, she must be dead beyond doubt, so I-”

Slap!

Before she could finish, a heavy blow landed on her face.

Qin Zhili’s sweet face was clouded with gloom, her gaze icy cold. “Do I need to explain such a simple concept? We need to see the body if she’s dead, and see the person if she’s alive.”

“S-sorry.”

Li Ruoruo hung her head in disgrace, muttering, “I didn’t think of that at the time.”

“Hmph, send people to search immediately! Whether she’s dead or alive, I want confirmation.”

Staring at the massive water dragon circling in the sky, Qin Zhili felt her right eyelid twitch twice. “My useless cousin seems to be down there too. Though she’s been worthless her entire life, nothing to worry about.”

“Li Baiying’s meridians are completely destroyed now, making her just as worthless,” Li Ruoruo carefully observed her expression as she added.

“Don’t underestimate the Crimson Flame talent. As long as there’s a breath of energy left in her dantian, she might make a comeback.”

“I confirmed that the Five Poisons Powder has penetrated deeply. When she fought us, she was already exhausted, her cultivation plummeting. It’s only a matter of time before her dantian shatters.”

“Is that so?” Qin Zhili glanced at her sideways, her expression softening slightly. “I suppose you’re of some use after all.”

“Rise. Given your diligence, I shall put in a good word with Third Uncle to grant you direct lineage status in our clan.”

“Thank you, Lady Qin!”

Seeing the other party had no further instructions, she tactfully bowed and withdrew from the hall.

“Young Mistress, she speaks truth, the Li family’s young mistress is no longer a threat…” A masked figure materialized silently behind her.

“Qing Sha, if she fails to grasp the situation, must you share her blindness?” Qin Zhili did not turn, her voice laced with cold disdain. “Destroying Li Baiying was but a trivial move. She carries the Li family’s direct bloodline, the key to unlocking the hidden ‘treasury’ beneath Taichu Mountain. Had your subordinates not bungled the capture of her mother, leaving her whereabouts unknown, we wouldn’t need to deploy elites to retrieve a corpse.”

Her tone sharpened abruptly. “This time, bring her to me. Consider it your chance to atone.”

“Yes!”