I'm Feng Aotian—And I’m Running Away from My Wedding - Chapter 26

What was happening to her?

Li Baiying lay sprawled awkwardly on the ground. The crimson flame in her dantian, which had previously devoured the fragments of the golden core, had now swelled to a height of three feet without her noticing, resembling a slowly rising fireball. Even her meridians felt scorched.

What caused her even more excruciating pain was the skin on her calves, which seemed to be torn by an immense force. The previous numbness and itchiness had intensified dramatically.

Something was breaking through her flesh, growing wildly.

She gritted her teeth, refusing to let out a cry of pain. It was similar to the time scales had sprouted from her palms, but this time, the assault was far more violent. She felt as though she were submerged in a sea of fire, aware of nothing but the searing heat.

Sweat evaporated instantly from her back. It felt as if her body had become an endlessly burning furnace, threatening to melt her entirely.

And this was only the first step in her demonic cultivation.

“No matter what, I must endure this. I will avenge my clan!” Li Baiying clenched her fists fiercely, using sheer willpower to resist the tearing sensation.

Gradually, the violent force subsided, merging instead with her equally boiling blood.

By chance, she glanced down and froze in disbelief:

“Where are my legs?!”

A crimson dragon’s tail now extended from where her calves had been. The scales gleamed like fine rubies, vivid and lustrous, their mysterious sheen indicating they were far more than mere decoration.

“Not bad, youngster. The first step of your True Dragon Form has awakened.”

The Ancestor’s voice held a rare note of surprise, followed by an admiring click of the tongue. “It seems you’ve turned misfortune into fortune.”

“True Dragon Form? What is that?”

Before Li Baiying could fully process the changes in her body, the unfamiliar term snapped her to attention, and she pressed for an explanation.

“You could say that a trace of true dragon bloodline existed among your ancestors, and by chance, it has been activated in you.” The woman paused, then elaborated, “We are not natural-born demons but martial artists who have transformed into demonic forms. Under normal circumstances, one can only reincarnate into relatively ordinary spiritual plants or herbivorous spirit beasts. Without sufficient opportunity, ordinary people cannot attain the body of a truly powerful demon.”

“Your True Dragon Form likely stems from an ancestral union with a demon clan, leaving a residual bloodline. I recall your innate talent is Crimson Flame, which corresponds to the Red Dragon among true dragons. Its unique ability is Nirvana Rebirth. In other words, your shift from martial arts to demonic cultivation, though accidental, was the right path.”

“Our ancestors…” Li Baiying fell into deep thought. “My mother rarely spoke of the past, but the Li Clan has resided on Taichu Mountain for nearly a thousand years. It’s said that this area was once overrun with demonic beasts. If one of the clan leaders had intermarried with a demon, it’s not impossible.”

The reason this had never been widely known probably lay in the martial artists’ tradition of exclusivity, fearing it would diminish the clan leader’s standing or even brand them as colluding with demonic cultivators.

Pulling her thoughts back, Li Baiying realized a more pressing issue.

“Ancestor, how am I supposed to run the remaining eighteen laps like this?”

She couldn’t possibly hop forward using her tail, could she?

“Heh, I’ll teach you an incantation. Calm your mind and focus, then repeat after me.”

The woman uttered a series of ancient, mystical notes, profound and obscure, yet melodious and captivating, stirring one’s very soul.

“Cast aside all distractions and focus on comprehending,” she commanded sharply. Hearing this, Li Baiying quickly snapped out of her daze, gathering her concentration to silently recite along with her.

After roughly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, she noticed that the astonishing dragon tail had vanished, replaced by familiar legs. However, faint red scales still shimmered on the surface of her skin, making them strikingly conspicuous.

“Your current strength only allows for this level of transformation. To maintain a fully human form, you must advance your cultivation, at least to the level of Divine Transformation. Until then, you can use a robe to cover it up.”

“Understood,” Li Baiying nodded, quickly composing herself before dashing forward along the path.

Mist rose over the cold pond, and the cool breeze brushed past, yet her heart burned with growing fervor. This was only the first step. With strength, she held the hope of avenging her family.

The thought of reducing Li Ruoruo and the others to ashes made a fire seem to ignite within her.

To her delight, she now felt light on her feet, completely free of the exhaustion she had felt earlier, as if she had regained the physical prowess of her prime.

By six in the afternoon, she had completed all eighteen laps.

“Ancestor, I’ve finished the task!”

She stopped in front of the cave, her breathing steady, showing no signs of having trained for seven days and nights without rest.

“What is the incantation for the Water Gathering Art?”

She was eager to test the technique’s power with the pond water, but the woman’s tone grew solemn:

“Young one, I’m afraid you must pack up quickly. A group of people is descending the mountain, less than three hundred meters from here.”

Someone was coming! Li Baiying frowned, her mind racing through several possibilities.

No matter the scenario, it boded ill for her.

With the Li family destroyed, only the other two families remained, most likely hostile rather than friendly.

Realizing this, she hurried to the pond’s edge and found Qin Yixiao preparing dinner.

“We need to leave quickly. Someone is approaching, likely looking for us.”

Seeing her grave expression, the young girl wisely refrained from asking questions and swiftly packed up her fishing rod, slinging it over her back.

They had few belongings to begin with. After a quick packing, they took all the dry provisions they could carry and set fire to anything too cumbersome to bring. Then, Li Baiying covered the traces of their recent stay with weeds before they hurried on their way.

Every moment of delay counted.

“Ancestor, which direction are they coming from?”

Li Baiying continuously communicated with the woman in her mind.

“From all directions, north, south, east, and west. There are about a hundred in total,” the ancestor replied lazily, as if the impending crisis had nothing to do with her. “I suggest you head toward the Toxic Marsh. The natural formations there can buy you some time.”

“Alright.”

Li Baiying didn’t ask what they would do once they entered, that was a problem for later. For now, shaking off their pursuers was paramount.

She was no longer the arrogant girl from six years ago who challenged Qin Zhili, even surpassing her level. After experiencing dramatic rises and falls, she understood that her past successes had been backed by her family, allowing her to advance smoothly without fear of envy.

Now, she could rely only on herself. And precisely because of that, every step she took forward had to be carefully weighed, considering all advantages and disadvantages.

After all, if she were captured again, the Li family would truly have no successor, and all plans for revenge would become nothing but empty talk on paper.

She would never allow such a situation to happen. As long as she still had a breath left in her, she would ensure that the betrayers paid with their blood.