Chapter 3: Entering Love

Mo Zhenfeng activated a talisman similar to the one from before, intending to capture Huo Zhi, who was currently dodging Su’er’s Wind Blades.

A large hand formed from threads of Spiritual Qi grabbed toward Huo Zhi, who was frantically using all her strength to evade.

Huo Zhi was bitter and frustrated.

That hand, which could change size and grip things—Huo Zhi remembered it. This was also her design: the Object Retrieval Talisman, specifically for grabbing objects at a distance. It was extremely flexible, like an extension of one’s own arm.

Huo Zhi dodged in a very sorry state.

While chaos erupted outside, inside the cage, Linlang’s face was flushed. Due to the activation of the Love Poison Talisman, her heat cycle had been triggered. A shameful desire rose, making her unbearably uncomfortable.

At this moment, Linlang was no longer the one who could only passively accept her fate. Her eyes were tightly shut as she focused her mind on her Sea of Consciousness. A red, circular talisman seal flickered on her Origin Soul. Simultaneously, within her Origin Soul, strands of gray threads surged out, entangling the red talisman seal.

The gray threads emitted by Linlang’s Origin Soul were called Nether Soul Threads. They were formed from the Yin Baleful Qi she had absorbed while cultivating her soul in the Ghost Domain. This qi could influence talismans formed from Spiritual Qi—it could be said to be the bane of Spiritual Qi.

No matter how insidious the Love Poison Talisman was, it was still formed from Spiritual Qi.

Her Origin Soul was not powerful at this moment, carrying only a trace of Yin Baleful Qi, so she had only a few thin strands of Nether Soul Thread.

Even these few thin strands, when they entangled the Love Poison Talisman Seal, caused the areas stained by the Nether Soul Threads to slowly corrode. The talisman’s originally smooth, rounded patterns began to break down bit by bit.

The Dao of Talismans was profound and unfathomable. Its most critical point was precision. If the talisman seal had even the slightest deviation, its effect would change, vanish, or become completely opposite to the original.

If this talisman seal truly broke in several places, naturally, it would no longer have its former function.

Like using a hair to saw through wood, Linlang’s Origin Soul poured all its mental power into a struggle against the Love Poison Talisman Seal, losing all perception of the outside world. Her body merely thrashed on instinct. Her eyes closed, she threw back her swan-like neck, her face full of unbearable longing. Her long, slender legs were pressed tightly together. The chains clinked and clanged as her body trembled.

Meanwhile, outside, Huo Zhi dodged left and right. She did want to rescue Linlang and flee, but the chains binding Linlang were extremely difficult to remove. Mo Zhenfeng had also deployed a net-like talisman that blocked the path.

Huo Zhi’s body had been cut in several places by the Wind Blades. The pain was bone-deep. She felt her strength wouldn’t last much longer. The Fox Demon body, unused to frequent activity and low in cultivation, relied primarily on its innate talents: speed and jumping height.

Huo Zhi had no talismans on her. Surrounded and attacked like this, she was about to be captured!

Steeling herself, Huo Zhi was thinking about transforming into her fox-eared girl form when she suddenly saw a red light flash from Mo Zhenfeng’s direction. It was his Fortune Guiding Talisman flashing a red warning sign—an omen of approaching danger.

Mo Zhenfeng’s face paled dramatically. The Fortune Guiding Talisman had never been wrong. Life preservation was paramount. Mo Zhenfeng hurriedly activated a Teleportation Talisman and vanished from the cave abode in an instant.

After Mo Zhenfeng disappeared, the net blocking Huo Zhi also vanished. Only Su’er’s Wind Blades continued to fly toward Huo Zhi.

“Host, Qin Ceyi is about to arrive!” 006’s voice came through.

Qin Ceyi was the original body’s master—the Elder who had picked up the original body, intending to use her as a cauldron.

He was a scheming, shameless old pervert.

Huo Zhi didn’t know if Qin Ceyi’s arrival was a blessing or a curse. Hearing Linlang’s alluring moans, alarm bells rang loudly in her heart.

Huo Zhi dodged Su’er’s Wind Blades and leaped in front of Linlang. She pressed her paw onto Linlang’s arm and rapidly absorbed Linlang’s Spiritual Qi.

Huo Zhi remembered the original book mentioning that when a demon beast capable of shapeshifting exhausted its Spiritual Qi, it would automatically revert to its true form.

Linlang’s Spiritual Qi was already nearly depleted. Sucked away by Huo Zhi like this, her Spiritual Qi was quickly exhausted, and she transformed into the original form of a Cinnabar Bird Demon. Her body stopped trembling, and she fainted.

Huo Zhi was not faring well either. She had been used as a target for Wind Blades, getting slashed in multiple places. Moreover, since Linlang was of Fire Attribute, the small amount of Spiritual Qi Huo Zhi absorbed was scalding hot. Huo Zhi didn’t yet know how to neutralize it with her own Spiritual Qi. The pad of the paw touching Linlang was burnt so badly the outer skin was singed. Huo Zhi could even smell roasting meat.

Huo Zhi screamed inwardly. It hurt so much! She had never been in this much pain in her life!

But for her daughter, she had gone all out!

This man Qin Ceyi was even more sinister and greedy than Mo Zhenfeng.

The Love Poison Talisman had been activated, and Linlang was currently in heat. If Qin Ceyi saw this, it would be disastrous!

But in her Cinnabar Bird Demon form, with a different species, he wouldn’t go so far as to… right?

“Hmph, you hateful Fox Demon, I’ll kill you!” Su’er, having landed several consecutive hits on Huo Zhi, said viciously. She was about to kill Huo Zhi when she suddenly felt a palpitation in her heart and lost consciousness, collapsing.

“Yu’er, how did you end up here? It’s very dangerous. If I, your master, hadn’t discovered this, a great disaster could have occurred.” The moment Huo Zhi saw Su’er faint, a man’s gentle, kind voice reached her Sea of Consciousness. As the voice faded, a man in green robes silently appeared before her.

Seeing this man, who looked kind and benevolent and appeared to be around thirty, Huo Zhi shivered slightly.

The original body was named Yuheng, known to outsiders as Fairy Yuheng. This man was precisely the original body’s master, one of the four great Elders of the Sky Mist Sect, Qin Ceyi.

Qin Ceyi had found the original body over twenty years ago. Knowing she was a prime cauldron physique, he had deliberately taught her the Dao of Ruthlessness, making her cultivate and accumulate cultivation to achieve the best Dual Cultivation effect.

Qin Ceyi was now at the Late Core Formation Stage, over three hundred years old. Once he reached the Great Perfection of the Core Formation Stage, he would use the original body as a cauldron to break through from the Core Formation Stage to the Nascent Soul Stage.

The first use of the original body as a cauldron would yield the greatest effect. So he also wanted to maximize her utility.

If the original body was willing, she would cooperate with him, making the effect even better. If she was unwilling, the effect would be greatly diminished.

Thus, over the years, Qin Ceyi had treated the original body fairly well on the surface, subtly and silently brainwashing her.

His cultivation was high. Even if Huo Zhi transformed into her fox-eared girl state, she couldn’t beat him.

The fact that Qin Ceyi arrived now meant he might have been monitoring her all along.

Others might not recognize her Fox Demon aura, but Qin Ceyi certainly did.

Huo Zhi was still thinking about how to deal with Qin Ceyi when a large hand grabbed the scruff of her neck, immobilizing her completely.

“We’ll speak back at the cave abode!” Qin Ceyi’s voice came again.

“Yes, Master,” Huo Zhi transmitted.

Qin Ceyi glanced at Su’er, who was unconscious on the ground, and threw a talisman onto her body. The talisman transformed into a pattern of Spiritual Qi and instantly vanished onto Su’er.

Su’er was the granddaughter of a Sky Mist Sect Elder. Qin Ceyi naturally knew her and didn’t want this matter to be deeply investigated. So he didn’t kill her, only using a Forgetting Talisman to make her forget everything that had just happened.

Huo Zhi saw yet another talisman from this world.

The talisman’s shape was strange and complex, but Huo Zhi recognized it at a glance.

Wasn’t this the exact shape of the Forgetting Talisman she had designed?!

She might not have any talismans on her, but she could draw her own!

A ‘thud’ sound interrupted Huo Zhi’s fanciful thinking. Qin Ceyi waved his hand, removed the chains binding Linlang, and hauled Linlang out as well.

So roughly grabbing the little Cinnabar Bird’s neck! Huo Zhi was both angry and worried. She didn’t know how long Qin Ceyi had been monitoring with his Spiritual Sense. He’d noticed Linlang!

Originally, Huo Zhi had been thinking about how to rescue Linlang from Beast Slave Peak. Linlang’s chains had special talisman seals and required corresponding talismans to unlock.

Qin Ceyi removing Linlang’s chains resolved one problem, but what followed might be even more troublesome!

Linlang was now in heat. If she turned back into a human, would this old pervert Qin Ceyi be able to remain indifferent toward Linlang?

Qin Ceyi’s cultivation was very high, and his intentions were malicious. His danger and greed were no less than Mo Zhenfeng’s.

As Huo Zhi grew anxious, Qin Ceyi remained kind and amiable. With one hand holding the thin neck of Linlang, he threw out another talisman with his other hand. Inside the cage, another Cinnabar Bird Demon, identical to Linlang, appeared—Qin Ceyi had used an Obscuring Talisman.

“This Cinnabar Bird Demon likely holds some secret. Why not take her back for further interrogation?” Qin Ceyi said.

Linlang had been captured by other Elders. Qin Ceyi had only heard about it and hadn’t seen her in person while in seclusion. He came now because he sensed Huo Zhi moving and followed to investigate.

Qin Ceyi moved extremely fast. After throwing the talisman, he grabbed the fur of Huo Zhi’s neck. A pale yellow rune appeared above his head, and soon they all vanished from the cave abode.

Huo Zhi spoke with 006 in her mind.

“Qin Ceyi placed a Positioning Talisman on you. He can sense your location but cannot perceive other people. If his Spiritual Sense didn’t sweep into the cave abode, he wouldn’t know what happened inside. Right now, Linlang’s Happiness Value is stalled at -8752. She’s unconscious,” 006 said.

“Poor daughter. Can you restore her to normal, get rid of this heat cycle?” Huo Zhi said. Linlang was injured and now, because of the Love Poison Talisman, plunged into a heat cycle. She might have fainted while struggling against it. She was too pitiful!

If she suffered wounds like these, adding such humiliation, perhaps she would hit -9999 directly, a Bad Ending.

“About that, I do have a Points Mall. I can exchange for items of this world. But points must be earned by converting Linlang’s Happiness Value. Her Happiness Value is currently negative and cannot be used for exchanges,” 006 said.

“Can’t you make an exception?” Huo Zhi asked.

“System settings cannot be bypassed,” 006 said.

“If I try to take Linlang and flee, can we escape?” Huo Zhi asked after a silence.

“The probability is zero. First, you cannot seize Linlang from Qin Ceyi’s grasp. Second, you have Qin Ceyi’s Positioning Talisman on you. Even if you escape, you’ll be captured within a few steps. No matter where you go, he can find you.” 006 told Huo Zhi a cruel fact in a flat tone.

“…” Huo Zhi was speechless.

It figured. Qin Ceyi viewed the original body as a crucial treasure for breaking through the Core Formation Stage. It was impossible for him to let her roam freely. The fact that he hadn’t locked her up was only because he didn’t want her to resist too strongly. He probably knew the moment she stepped out of her cave abode; he could monitor her constantly.

Qin Ceyi’s cultivation was higher than hers, and he had Celestial knew how many talismans at his disposal. Huo Zhi was absolutely no match for him. She could only resort to cunning.

But how could she win by wits?

Qin Ceyi already harbored filthy intentions toward her original body. Don’t let him covet Linlang too, right?!

Huo Zhi’s mind was racing with possibilities when Qin Ceyi had already brought her and Linlang to the entrance of her cave abode. Without needing the owner’s permission, he effortlessly passed through the Protective Talisman Array and entered.

“Yu’er, why are you so naughty and disobedient? What did I say before? Look, you’re hurt. Do you know it pains me, your master, to see this?” Qin Ceyi interrupted Huo Zhi’s thoughts, throwing Linlang on the ground and placing Huo Zhi on the divan. He spoke smilingly, his tone impossibly gentle.

Huo Zhi got goosebumps.

“Master told Yu’er to stay in the cave abode and cultivate well, not to go outside. Yu’er knows her mistake and begs Master’s forgiveness.” Huo Zhi transmitted to Qin Ceyi, enduring the discomfort, her voice weak and pitiful.

She absolutely couldn’t transform into human form right now. She had no clothes.

“Yu’er, your identity is special and cannot be tolerated by the world. Only I, your master, treat you like family, not viewing you as an outsider. If you were discovered by others, you’d be flayed, your bones and flesh put to full use. If anything happened to you, how could I, your master, go on living alone?” Qin Ceyi looked at Huo Zhi, his voice mournful, as if he cared deeply for her.

Huo Zhi felt like she was going to retch.

If she hadn’t read the plot, she might have been fooled.

This Qin Ceyi truly had top-tier acting skills and shamelessness.

“Yu’er thanks Master for saving her life. From now on, Yu’er will never dare again. Yu’er will obey Master in everything. Please forgive me, Master.” Huo Zhi replied, cringing so hard she wanted to scratch the walls.

“I spoke harshly just now out of concern, not anger at Yu’er. Alright now, Yu’er, let your master heal your wounds.” Qin Ceyi said, taking out a yellow talisman. He activated it, suspending it above Huo Zhi. Strands of cool qi washed over her body.

This talisman was a Healing Talisman.

That pattern—Huo Zhi was familiar with it. It combined elements of a red cross, needles, thread, bandages, a surgical knife, and other such elements in its design.

This type of healing effect was indeed very good, with noticeable results.

Huo Zhi glanced at Linlang. She lay motionless on the ground. Up close, you could smell the blood from her wounds.

If that talisman had been used on Linlang, she wouldn’t be in such pain…

“There, the external bleeding has been stopped and the wounds have scabbed over. They will be fully healed in a few days.” Qin Ceyi withdrew the talisman.

This single Healing Talisman was not cheap. Qin Ceyi didn’t want to waste too much on Huo Zhi. He stopped once the wounds had scabbed over on the surface.

“Thank you, Master!” Huo Zhi transmitted. Her wounds still hurt slightly. She naturally knew this old scoundrel Qin Ceyi was stingy. If only she could draw that Healing Talisman herself!

“Yu’er, be very careful in your cultivation these days. The Dao of Ruthlessness is indeed hard to endure. Whatever is in your heart, you can tell your master. Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, I will accompany you.” Qin Ceyi said slowly, his tone meaningful.

When she contained all her emotions, she was in human form. Now, in this little Fox Demon form, having run to the cave abode where demon beasts were kept, could it be that she was thinking of worldly desires?

He was just a hair’s breadth away from the Great Perfection of the Core Formation Stage. Soon…

“…Thank you, Master!” Huo Zhi replied weakly. She felt like every single strand of fur on her body was uncomfortable.

“This little Cinnabar Bird. The sect has interrogated her for a long time with no result and has mostly given up. Just now, Elder Mu’s granddaughter Su’er was also there; she might have gotten some information. You rest well and don’t go out again. I will take this little Cinnabar Bird back for further interrogation. If she truly possesses the legendary Inherited Spirit Talisman, no matter where it is, your master will find it for certain and help you absorb it.” Qin Ceyi said to Huo Zhi kindly, picking up Linlang from the ground.

Hearing Qin Ceyi’s words, Huo Zhi felt a jolt. This old scoundrel wanted to take Linlang away alone!