Xie Linlang opened his eyes.
The sky was dim, and the air was filled with the clear fragrance of pills, mixed with a hint of fiery aura—it seemed someone had lit a furnace to refine pills.
He slowly propped himself up and only then noticed the soft cushion beneath him, with an Azure Flame Leopard sprawled beside him.
The pitch-black leopard stared with its large yellow eyes, its pupils dilated to the maximum in the dim light, as if assessing his condition.
Xie Linlang looked around but did not see Shen He’s figure.
“…He went to find materials?”
The Azure Flame Leopard impatiently swished its large tail.
Xie Linlang said softly, “Thank you for watching over me.”
The Azure Flame Leopard tilted its head again, scrutinizing Xie Linlang.
Xie Linlang ignored the Azure Flame Leopard and carefully examined his own physical condition.
He had used a Nine Revolutions Return to Truth Pill to reconstruct his true body, only to face one stimulation after another shortly after. At that moment, the demonic qi in his body rampaged through his meridians like fireworks.
Xie Linlang licked his lips, tasting a faint licorice flavor in his mouth.
Clearly, Shen He had noticed his poor condition and fed him a Harmonizing Pill to balance the demonic qi.
Xie Linlang sighed and tried his best to clear the chaotic thoughts from his mind. He sat cross-legged, exhaled, and began cultivating according to the Treasure Tree Scripture.
Soon, the chaotic demonic qi was gradually smoothed out. The originally turbid aura became light and illusory, and the unstable, restless feeling on Xie Linlang’s body vanished, restoring his serene and unfathomable demeanor.
A night passed. When dawn broke and Xie Linlang opened his eyes, he absorbed the purple haze light that sucked in the yin-yang transformations of demonic qi within the secret realm, finally purifying the filth and ominous qi from his demonic qi completely.
His cultivation stabilized, and he naturally advanced from Qi Refining Layer 9 to Qi Refining Layer 10. He could now consider Foundation Establishment.
Xie Linlang glanced at the black leopard lying to the side.
He asked softly, “Is He’er safe?”
The Azure Flame Leopard let out a low growl, as if answering.
Xie Linlang saw no anxiety in the Azure Flame Leopard’s eyes and guessed that Shen He was still out exploring and gathering materials. “Then, please continue to guard me.”
The Azure Flame Leopard continued to observe the two-legged beast before it.
Xie Linlang took out an array disk and a blue short sword from his Storage Bag.
They were the Seven Stars Sword and Bagua Jade Jue Array that Le Qingping had given him.
The Seven Stars Sword and Bagua Jade Jue Array were magical artifacts for Golden Core Stage cultivators. Xie Linlang, being merely a Qi Refining cultivator, could not use them at all.
But Xie Linlang had his own methods. As a pill master, using high-grade pill furnaces beyond one’s level was commonplace.
He disassembled the Seven Stars Sword and Jade Jue Array, refined the Seven Stars Sword alone, and continuously swallowed Qi Gathering Pills during the refinement process.
As the demonic qi flowing through Xie Linlang’s meridians became increasingly pure, the sword body of the Seven Stars Sword gradually flickered to life, lighting up seven stars one by one.
The Azure Flame Leopard seemed to sense something. It no longer lay down but assumed a vigilant posture and retreated slightly.
Xie Linlang continued to focus entirely on refining the Seven Stars Sword.
At the moment the final star lit up, not only did Xie Linlang succeed in refining it, but the vast demonic qi in his body surged like a river into his dantian, successfully achieving Foundation Establishment.
Through this resonance and tempering, Xie Linlang successfully stored the Seven Stars Sword in his dantian, accomplishing the feat that only Golden Core Stage cultivators could achieve by housing a spirit sword within their body.
Xie Linlang breathed a sigh of relief.
He summoned the Seven Stars Sword, which transformed into seven star-like light points that danced and orbited lightly around his hand, dreamy and beautiful.
As a sword array magical artifact set usable only by Golden Core Stage cultivators, the Seven Stars Sword contained three layers of restrictions and two attached spells. When combined with the Jade Jue Array, the sword array gained two more spells, making it extremely powerful.
Xie Linlang even suspected that Le Qingping’s master had prepared this magical artifact for her in advance.
Then Le Qingping had given it to him.
In fact, Le Qingping was subtly expressing thanks for not killing her, Senior.
Xie Linlang stored the Seven Stars Sword away. Feeling the surging demonic qi and magical power within him, his previously low and depressed mood improved somewhat.
No matter what he wanted to do, he always needed strength.
With that thought, Xie Linlang took out the Lotus-Colored Long Rope and Nine-Branched Banyan Ruyi Knot, infusing the first layer of restrictions into both artifacts and elevating their quality to Foundation Establishment level.
After organizing his commonly used magical artifacts, Xie Linlang finally relaxed.
He pondered deeply.
Though he did not understand why Pei Ji was still alive yet had not come to find him, there must be a reason.
Perhaps he hated him, or had abandoned that relationship, or there was some other reason not to be shared with outsiders.
If he rushed to Pei Ji demanding answers, Pei Ji might not tell the truth.
Xie Linlang mused that he needed to first investigate what had happened back then and clarify Pei Ji’s situation.
He suppressed the emotions in his chest; it was hard to describe his current mood.
He was joyful—Pei Ji was still alive, still in the mortal world.
He was sorrowful—Pei Ji was alive yet had not come to find him, leaving him alone to struggle bitterly. It was too much.
He was somewhat angry, even wanting to rush to Pei Ji and demand a reason why. Yet reason reminded Xie Linlang not to act impulsively, to trust Pei Ji. Pei Ji had always valued promises over life and death; perhaps he had encountered other matters and had no choice.
But in the end, all these complex and vexing emotions converged into sweetness.
No matter what, he and Pei Ji both lived in this mortal world.
