Chapter 0: Demon Transformation
“Why would Little Friend Qin think that?” Bai Yunxi asked Qin Gou without answering directly.
“It’s just that what Peak Master Bai said just now gave me that feeling, as if Xiao Yan were somewhere in this mountain, quietly listening to our conversation.” Although Qin Gou knew this was likely just his own misunderstanding, he still voiced it immediately, unwilling to give up even a sliver of hope.
Seeing this, Bai Yunxi pondered for a moment before slowly saying, “Perhaps this is Little Friend Qin’s intuition?”
“Peak Master Bai means?!”
For a moment, Qin Gou was both surprised and delighted, almost at a loss for what to do. “So, it’s true? Yes, there are so many ways to extend lifespan in this world; how could Xiao Yan possibly…”
“Little Friend Qin, don’t get too excited first. The actual situation is not as you imagine,” Bai Yunxi said with complex eyes. “And it’s difficult to explain clearly in just a few words.”
“Since words cannot explain, let me see for myself!” Qin Gou’s gaze was burning. “At this point, Peak Master Bai, are you still going to stop me?”
“Do I really have the strength to stop Little Friend Qin? You, who have already made up your mind and are always the most persistent, can easily obliterate me, can’t you? In that case, I can only obediently follow your lead!”
With that, Bai Yunxi seemed to have finally convinced herself and turned to walk away.
“Peak Master Bai, so you were deliberately…”
Qin Gou immediately followed, gazing deeply at Bai Yunxi’s retreating back and saying, “Thank you.”
…
The two entered a deep underground palace, where the strange stones embedded in the surrounding walls kept the area brightly lit.
“What’s going on? This aura doesn’t feel like that of a Human Race cultivator,” Qin Gou keenly sensed something and muttered to himself.
Hearing this, Bai Yunxi sighed, “Little friend, you should understand soon why Xiao Yan said she didn’t want to add to your worries… I don’t know if I will regret this decision today, but I truly feel for Xiao Yan, and I feel for Little Friend Qin.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Bai Yunxi came to a halt.
Qin Gou also finally saw clearly the true source of the peculiar aura that had caught his attention.
Before him was a huge, semi-transparent, magnificent crystal.
Within it, a delicate and graceful silhouette in a black dress stood vaguely. Qin Gou instantly recognized this figure as Xiao Yan!
“Ding. Is this Daoist Gu Feiyan undergoing ‘Demon Transformation’?”
“What?”
Hearing the system’s analysis immediately, Qin Gou’s heart trembled.
If there was one unique trait of the Human Race compared to other races, whose Dao Bodies were relatively frail and at a disadvantage in the early stages of cultivation, it was their extremely tenacious and astonishing plasticity. They could become Ghost Cultivators in desperate situations, or become Demonic Cultivators in madness. And the third path was Demon Transformation!
As long as their heart is not extinguished, embers will eventually reignite.
More precisely, it was about absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the essence of the sun and moon, to reshape a pure spiritual demon body, rather than being like the Beast Land demon cultivators who sought the Dao through beast bodies.
“With Little Friend Qin’s knowledge, you must understand everything now?”
Bai Yunxi gazed gently at Gu Feiyan sleeping within the crystal. “When Xiao Yan’s Dantian was destroyed and she was severely injured, severing her Dao affinity, her realm was still too low. Not to mention that from that moment on, her cultivation was also dropping severely every second. Her soul could not smoothly enter even a spirit puppet with her body properly separated. And if she were to forcefully gather immense resentment to help Xiao Yan in that state transform into a Ghost Cultivator, how much cruel bloodshed would that cause? There was even only a chance of success, not absolute certainty.”
“Thus, after A’Yuan is born and sent back to Little Friend Qin, Xiao Yan made this decision… There are many methods for extending lifespan in this world, but she knew her condition. It was already a miracle that she could last until A’Yuan’s birth. And this girl, who has always been strong-willed, would not be satisfied with just living day by day. What she truly hoped for was to be by your side again and embark on the path of cultivation with Little Friend Qin.”
As she spoke, Bai Yunxi walked closer to the glowing crystal and slowly reached out to touch it.
“Therefore, Xiao Yan’s passing is true, and her old body is buried in the land above this underground palace, but this child has not given up, which is also true!”
“Yes, I understand everything.”
Qin Gou clenched his fists tightly until his knuckles turned white, nodding. “The reason why Xiao Yan stopped seeing me, and didn’t let even a sliver of this news leak, not even to A’Yuan, is because… this method of Demon Transformation also carries great risks. If Xiao Yan can truly succeed and be reborn, she will take the initiative to appear and celebrate this hard-won miracle with all of us. If she fails, she hopes that A’Yuan and I will never know that this ever happened!”
Memories surged in his mind like a tide.
In the Seed Demon Sacred Cult, in the Forget Self Secret Realm… whenever he was in a bitter fight, Xiao Yan stood before him. Whenever he felt lost, she would gently hold his hand.
‘Those who challenge me die!’
‘Don’t overthink it, this young lady is just to put your mind at ease.’
She always thought too much about those around her.
“Little Friend Qin is absolutely right,” Bai Yunxi took a deep breath. “At the final moment, divine lightning from the Heavenly Dao will descend, shrouding this entire Demon Transformation Crystal. Everything is an unknown, yet it is the most fitting path for Xiao Yan, whose path of cultivation is cut off and whose lifespan is dwindling, to choose based on her situation. After all, only this path does not demand her former realm and cultivation, but asks if one dares to take a final gamble and maintain their resolve through the long years.”
“Thank you, Peak Master Bai, for letting me know these things today, and for letting me know of Xiao Yan’s tireless efforts and determination all this while.”
At this moment, Qin Gou solemnly and sincerely cupped his fists in a salute to Bai Yunxi, then his eyes again gazed affectionately at the demon crystal where Xiao Yan’s consciousness was currently located, his burning gaze seeming to pierce through it. “I will do my utmost. I will absolutely not let Xiao Yan fail!”
Bai Yunxi hurriedly shook her head, explaining, “No, Little Friend Qin, please don’t misunderstand. Outsiders cannot interfere with that divine lightning from the Heavenly Dao, which represents both destruction and rebirth.”
“That’s only under normal circumstances, right?”
“Wh-what?”
“Under normal circumstances, a cultivator could never forcibly traverse two realms without any talent or ability in the laws of space and time…”
For a moment, Qin Gou was extremely resolute, his twin pupils carrying a trace of the fearless madness that was difficult to shed from his innate nature. He made up his mind. “Since Hei Pao’er could forcefully pierce the barriers between two realms to protect A’Yuan with all his might, I, too, for Xiao Yan, will spare no expense to make this so-called supreme Heavenly Dao turn a blind eye and lower its head slightly!”
