Li Fei opened her eyes to find countless fragments of the cave walls crumbling down around her. The dense spiritual energy within the Sweet Splendor Realm had been completely absorbed by her, causing the long-saturated cave walls to change instantly. The small lake inside the cave was no longer clear, and even the black stone platform began to peel and crack.
Yet she still felt it was far from enough—she craved more spiritual energy. Was this how every Graftwood Seed had felt throughout the ages?
She could sense it—starting from the heart of the Central Land, vast stretches of rich spiritual energy spread out like mountain ranges, twisting and winding until they weakened at the Eastern Sea. The waters of the Eastern Sea held irregular, immense reserves of spiritual energy scattered everywhere, vanishing tens of thousands of miles beyond the sea. Where should she go next? The Eastern Sea or the heart of the Central Land?
Though her rational mind knew she shouldn’t be doing this now, the thirst for spiritual energy after her metamorphosis was uncontrollable. Such a powerful instinct made her feel less like a normal person capable of controlling her actions and thoughts.
Near Green Mound, there were several familiar spiritual energy fluctuations—Master Chongyi and the others. Had Lei Xiuyuan rescued them? She should go see them; there was so much she needed to confess and apologize for. But she couldn’t. If she saw them, she would inevitably absorb the little spiritual energy they had left—even if it were Xiu Yuan, it would likely be the same.
Better to avoid them for now.
Li Fei swiftly flew out of the Sweet Splendor Realm. This once spirit-rich Grotto Heaven, now drained of its energy, could no longer maintain its cavernous form and would soon turn into an ordinary mountain. Another trace of her master had been erased by her.
She flew toward the heart of the Central Land, hoping to satisfy her craving quickly. Otherwise, she couldn’t face anyone—she didn’t know if she could suppress this terrifying, overwhelming instinct.
Suddenly, the spiritual energy fluctuations of Master Chongyi and the others began to follow her from afar. Li Fei’s heart skipped a beat—Master Chongyi was most adept at detecting subtle spiritual energy flows. After her metamorphosis, her thirst for energy was too strong to conceal her tracks. They must have discovered her.
Torn with indecision, the Horn of the Rhinoceros seemed to sense its master’s hesitation, hovering midair with an uneasy hum.
"Li Fei!" Su Wan’s voice rang out excitedly in the distance, echoing across the mountains.
Li Fei stood frozen for a long time before slowly turning around. Summoning all her willpower, she halted the Spirit Absorption.
Master Chongyi and the others reached her in moments. At the sight of her, Zhaomin’s eyes reddened, and she rushed forward to embrace her. But Li Fei flinched back in panic. Puzzled, Zhaomin stopped and whispered, "Li Fei?"
The girl seated on the Horn of the Rhinoceros kept her head lowered. Her silk-like hair, unbound, cascaded down her back. The white robes she wore were of an ancient and strange design, unlike anything they had seen before. Her slender frame trembled faintly, and up close, the violent fluctuations of spiritual energy around her felt countless times stronger than before.
"Master, Senior Sister, Senior Brother Deng, Su Wan... I’ve troubled you all," she said, her voice weary, each word spoken with great difficulty.
Su Wan exclaimed impatiently, "Why bother with greetings now? Hurry up and tell us what happened! I’m dying of curiosity!"Chongyi Zhenren noticed her prolonged silence and the dazed expression on her lowered face, finding it rather peculiar. He then spoke gently, "It's too sudden, so it's normal if you don't know where to begin. Li Fei, are you and Lei Xiuyuan both from overseas?"
Li Fei remained silent for a long, long time before finally forcing out the words with difficulty, "I am a disciple of Qing Cheng Xian Ren. He brought me from overseas and raised me. Now that he has passed away, I plan to go overseas with Xiu Yuan."
At these words, everyone was stunned. Even Chongyi Zhenren exclaimed urgently, "Qing Cheng Xian Ren was your Master?!"
Su Wan was even more agitated, "Then are you and Lei Xiuyuan both Yaksa? Why did Qing Cheng Xian Ren bring you back to the Central Land?"
After a flurry of questions from everyone, they noticed Li Fei trembling more and more violently. Suddenly, she turned and dashed away. They hurriedly gave chase, but Chongyi Zhenren felt the surrounding spiritual energy being drawn into a massive vortex, rapidly flowing past him toward the front. Even the spiritual energy within his own body began to stir uncontrollably. Grabbing Su Wan, who was at the forefront of the pursuit, he cried out in alarm, "Stop! This child... is absorbing spiritual energy?"
The suction grew stronger, and the spiritual energy within each person's body began to spill out uncontrollably. In shock, everyone hastily retreated several miles before landing on the ground, only then feeling the surging outflow of spiritual energy cease. This sudden turn of events left them bewildered, exchanging confused and fearful glances, unsure of what to do.
Su Wan said in a trembling voice, "Is this the ability of a Yaksa?"
To forcibly seize the spiritual energy of cultivators—how terrifying!
"No," Chongyi Zhenren slowly regained his composure, pondering before adding, "Yaksa possess bodies of steel, move like the wind, and do not have such bizarre abilities."
Li Fei had only spoken a few brief sentences, yet they contained a wealth of information. Previously, both he and Guangwei had speculated that Qing Cheng Xian Ren had gone overseas, but they never imagined such a coincidence—the Master Li Fei had constantly remembered was actually Qing Cheng Xian Ren. Judging by her reaction, she must have just learned of this as well.
She had been brought from overseas by Qing Cheng Xian Ren, and her constitution and abilities were so unusual that she couldn't possibly be a Yaksa. She must belong to some rare Otherkin tribe from overseas. Given Qing Cheng Xian Ren's discerning standards, he would never have risked bringing an ordinary Otherkin back to the Central Land from such a distance. Li Fei must be an exceptionally rare kind.
But these details were no longer the main concern... Chongyi Zhenren sighed inwardly. This child's feelings for her Master ran deep. Having spent six years at No Moon Court, growing up in an environment where many children forgot even their blood relatives under the harsh demands of cultivation, she had never stopped mentioning Qing Cheng Xian Ren, almost daily. With such profound emotions, and now discovering that her Master had been driven to his death by Cui Xuan Xianren and the others—what might she do?
Lei Xiuyuan had said he promised Li Fei not to harm anyone, but was that truly possible? With overwhelming power and hatred buried in her heart, how many in this world could truly let go?
"What do we do now? Should we chase after her?" Zhaomin's eyes were still red. Though much older than Li Fei, she had always treated her not just as a younger sister but almost as a daughter. As a woman, she was more perceptive and had noticed Li Fei's emotional turmoil, yet she didn't know how to comfort her. Now, unable to even approach her, she felt utterly helpless.Chongyi Zhenren shook his head. "Let's not chase after her for now. She's already told us the main points. Judging by her pained and conflicted expression earlier, it seems she can't control the act of absorbing spiritual energy. Knowing she's safe is enough for now."
At this, he chuckled softly. "With such an ability, there's even less to worry about regarding her self-preservation. The power to drain spiritual energy from cultivators—she might even be able to command monstrous creatures. The ones who should be concerned are us."
Su Wan waved her hands frantically. "Li Fei would never! She would never turn against us!"
Though their time together hadn't been long, Li Fei was someone who deeply valued relationships. If someone showed her even a sliver of kindness, she would remember it forever and find a way to repay it tenfold. Whether she was an Otherkin from overseas or not even human, Jiang Li Fei was still the same Jiang Li Fei they knew.
Deng Xiguang also rubbed his nose and muttered, "Yeah... I can totally accept that Jiang Shi Mei isn't ordinary! She's so breathtakingly beautiful—it's obvious she's no commoner!"
This made both Su Wan and Zhaomin laugh.
Chongyi Zhenren smiled as well, though a faint bitterness lingered in his heart. They were still children, full of loyalty, unwavering promises, and unreserved trust—qualities only the young possessed. The more experiences one accumulated, the less simple their perspective of Li Fei could be. Even as her master, while he felt relieved, he couldn't entirely let go of that sliver of wariness in his heart.
The longer one lived, the narrower one's capacity for openness seemed to become.
Chongyi Zhenren shook his head with a self-deprecating smile. He could vaguely guess why Qing Cheng Xian Ren had brought Li Fei from overseas to the Central Land. The terrifying Sea Fall disaster that occurred every five hundred years—perhaps he intended to provide an opportunity. But how many truly understood? In all the world, those who shared his insight were likely few.
Suddenly, the rustling of leaves sounded behind them. Chongyi Zhenren reacted the fastest, turning immediately and casting multiple layers of Earthen Guardian over everyone. Someone was behind them? Why couldn't he sense even the slightest spiritual energy fluctuation?
The dense foliage parted with a rustle, revealing a figure drenched in blood from head to toe. A gruesome wound on his chest still oozed blood. He neither spoke nor moved, only staring intently ahead with burning eyes.
Su Wan studied him for a long moment before gasping in shock. "...Lei Shi Di?!"
How had he been injured so badly? Weren't the Yaksa supposed to be formidable? They had been searching for Li Fei in Green Mound for days—when had he gotten hurt? And why was he still bleeding today?
She initially wanted to cast a Healing Net, but upon spotting the bloodied horns at his temples, she hesitated for some reason. Su Wan glanced awkwardly at the others—clearly, they shared the same thought. Was the blood on him solely his own, or did it belong to other Celestials from No Moon Court?
Lei Xiuyuan seemed not to hear her or notice their subtle reactions. With his face streaked in blood, his golden eyes gleamed eerily bright, and his distant gaze carried an indescribable intensity—both greedy and frenzied, sending chills down the spine.
"Lei Shi Di?" Su Wan called again softly.
Lei Xiuyuan glanced at them indifferently before speaking in a hoarse, cracked voice. "Where is she?"
"W-what are you planning?" Su Wan grew wary at his strange demeanor.Before she could finish speaking, Lei Xiuyuan suddenly leaped into the air. Without any visible foothold, he moved faster than flight, darting across the treetops like lightning and vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Li Fei clenched her teeth, using every ounce of her strength to suppress the urge to turn back and absorb the spiritual energy from everyone's bodies.
The Horn of the Rhinoceros carried her swiftly forward, faster than ever before, flickering like a ghostly apparition. In just a few dozen miles, the sparse spiritual energy in the mountains was devoured by her like a whale gulping water. Gradually, their spiritual energy fluctuations were left too far behind to sense any longer.
Just as Li Fei began to relax, she suddenly felt a tremendous force slam into her body. A pair of arms, like iron hoops, clamped around her with such force that her arm and rib bones nearly snapped. She cried out in pain, and when she focused her gaze, she saw Lei Xiuyuan—somehow having caught up from nowhere. Drenched in blood from head to toe, he nonetheless radiated a dazzling golden light.
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