The Beloved Master's Mad Dog Disciple - Chapter 35

Corpse Control was an exceedingly rare skill in the Cultivation World. After all, those who sought immortality devoted their time to enhancing their own cultivation, rarely wasting effort on learning how to manipulate corpses. Gui Nian’an’s ability to make the dead appear alive was even more exceptional.

As the gray mist enveloping He Yongshi’s corpse thickened, his wounds completely healed. Only his tattered clothes and bl00d-soaked rags remained as proof that the injuries had ever existed.

Bo Xuenong crushed the dagger that had detached from He Yongshi’s body, her gaze fixed on the increasingly lifelike figure. She parted her lips slightly. “Your ability is… extraordinary.”

‘He Yongshi’ suddenly lifted his head, his crimson eyes locking onto Bo Xuenong as he let out a low chuckle. “Thank you.”

The voice was unnervingly thin, not quite like He Yongshi’s, yet unmistakably his timbre.

This too was Gui Nian’an’s doing!

Bo Xuenong turned sharply to look at Gui Nian’an, her surprise evident. “You can control his speech?”

Controlling corpses to kill wouldn’t have surprised Bo Xuenong, as that could be seen as a form of object manipulation. Gui Nian’an could make corpses appear alive and even speak. If they could obtain the corpse of an Elder from the Heavenly Cuisine Sect… Bo Xuenong’s imagination halted when she saw the bl00d-red eyes of “He Yongshi.”

She pointed at “He Yongshi’s” eyes. “Can you do anything about these?”

Gui Nian’an nodded. “Not yet.”

Not yet meant there was potential.

The path of Corpse Cultivation was too obscure, with no precedents to follow. They could only see how far Gui Nian’an could explore.

Bo Xuenong still believed Gui Nian’an’s rare ability would prove immensely useful sooner or later.

For example…

Bo Xuenong withdrew her finger and asked Gui Nian’an earnestly, “Can you make him kowtow to me?”

Gui Nian’an’s eyes, usually as still as stagnant water, flickered slightly. Though she didn’t fully understand Bo Xuenong’s intentions, she nodded. “I can.”

Gui Nian’an glanced at “He Yongshi,” who immediately knelt, his knees slamming against the ground with a resounding thud that sounded like bones cracking.

He Yongshi’s head slammed against the ground repeatedly, leaving a large red mark on his forehead.

Bo Xuenong watched, the smile on her lips growing wider.

She felt Gui Nian’an truly understood her.

The memory of He Yongshi threatening Shen Yanting at the Imperial Tranquility Sect remained vivid in her mind. Only now, after days of pent-up anger, was she finally able to release her fury.

Bo Xuenong crouched before He Yongshi, her gaze fixed on his increasingly crimson forehead, the skin already cracked to reveal bone. Her satisfaction with Gui Nian’an’s abilities deepened. “Can you make him apologize to my Master?”

Gui Nian’an: “Has he wronged Miss Bo’s Master?”

Recalling the scene at the Imperial Tranquility Sect, Bo Xuenong’s anger flared anew, her voice rising involuntarily. “He tried to steal my Master from me!”

Standing behind Bo Xuenong, Gui Nian’an, who had moments ago worn a bewildered expression, now looked enlightened. “I understand.”

Gui Nian’an grasped the situation perfectly. She clapped her hands lightly, and He Yongshi’s head-banging intensified. The thin, ethereal voice echoed once more: “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have tried to steal your Master! I deserve to die a thousand deaths! My sins are unforgivable! Death is too good for me!”

Bo Xuenong exhaled a long, turbid breath, her gaze toward Gui Nian’an shifting slightly. “You… understand me so well.”

Though it was just a corpse, it was deeply satisfying.

Gui Nian’an replied calmly, “As long as Miss Bo is pleased.”

This was the first time Bo Xuenong had spoken so much to someone she had just met. She was about to continue the conversation when she suddenly sensed an extraordinary presence. Her expression darkened, and her gaze snapped toward the door. “He’s here.”

Gui Nian’an had far more experience dealing with He Yongda. For years, she had been trapped in this courtyard, serving as a tool for his cultivation. After He Yongda completely devoured the previous Spirit Supplement, she had been forced to conceal her full strength, leaving her virtually defenseless. She endured daily beatings and harbored a deep-seated fear of him.

Her eyes remained fixed on the door, hatred nearly overflowing from her gaze. “People often come to this courtyard. We can’t make too much noise.”

“I can set up a spiritual formation to isolate the sound. Hide first, and act according to my signal.”

Bo Xuenong gestured toward the screen near the bed, but Gui Nian’an didn’t move. “He’s placed a Death Seal on me. I can’t hide. I’m better off staying here. Don’t worry, Miss Bo. He doesn’t even see me as a threat. He won’t suspect anything.”

The two quickly tidied up the room, erasing any traces of their actions. Bo Xuenong replaced the red veil over her head and sat on the bed. ‘He Yongshi’ stood guard beside her, while Gui Nian’an took up a position by the door, holding a teacup.

She lowered her head, suppressing the hatred burning in her eyes, and waited for He Yongda to appear.

When He Yongda kicked open the door and strode in, Gui Nian’an took a step forward, offering the teacup. “Senior Brother He, this is…”

Before she could finish, He Yongda delivered a brutal kick to her chest, sending her sprawling to the ground, teacup and all.

Gui Nian’an’s wrist landed squarely on the shards of the shattered cup. He Yongda stepped forward and pressed his boot down hard on her wrist, grinding the shards into her flesh. Watching the crimson bl00d well up, he curled his lips into a cruel sneer. “Trying to curry favor so I’ll spare your village? Keep dreaming. You’re just a dog Master threw to me. I’m being merciful enough not to kill you. Now get out of here with your bloody filth and don’t disturb me and my brother while we enjoy our Spirit Supplement!”

From beneath her red veil, Bo Xuenong witnessed He Yongda’s brutal treatment.

Only then did she understand why Gui Nian’an was covered in thick, foul-smelling bloodstains.

He Yongda didn’t treat Gui Nian’an like a human being at all.

To survive in this courtyard, she had to live as a filthy little dog.

Bo Xuenong had initially felt that Gui Nian’an understood her, but now she admired Gui Nian’an’s resilience. If she had been subjected to He Yongda’s abuse in this place, she wouldn’t have lasted even a few days, let alone centuries. She would have long since resorted to desperate measures, dragging He Yongda down with her in a suicidal act.

Patience and restraint had their merits.

No wonder the Village Chiefs of Lanshou Village had always come from the Gui Family. Their family’s values were truly remarkable.

Despite enduring various forms of torture for over seven centuries, not a single member had gone mad.

If she could possess even half of Gui Nian’an’s emotional stability, she might be able to suppress the murderous instincts in her bloodline and become the person Shen Yanting desired.

Gui Nian’an curled up in pain, her right hand reaching for her left wrist to pull it free from under He Yongda’s foot. He Yongda’s depravity was now fully exposed. He lightly lifted his foot and then kicked Gui Nian’an in the chest with brutal force.

A short blade sprang from the tip of his shoe, poised to pierce her chest.

Gui Nian’an leaped back, narrowly avoiding the blade’s thrust into her chest, but it still pierced her arm. The force of the kick sent her flying out of the room.

He Yongda genuinely didn’t suspect Gui Nian’an.

He was simply torturing her as casually as breathing.

Having finished his task, he approached “He Yongshi” as if nothing had happened, saying as he walked, “Brother, why haven’t you lifted the veil?”

He truly treated He Yongshi well.

His tone softened considerably when speaking to “He Yongshi.”

Just as he reached the bedside and casually reached out to lift Bo Xuenong’s red veil, a cold glint flashed. He Yongda, being a Nascent Soul cultivator, instinctively grabbed “He Yongshi” and retreated several steps, dodging the longsword that suddenly appeared between them. “You…”

Before He Yongda could finish his sentence, a sharp pain shot through his lower back.

He turned in disbelief, only to see “He Yongshi’s” right hand buried deep in his back, the entire palm submerged.

Only then did He Yongda realize that “He Yongshi’s” eyes were bl00d-red, far beyond the realm of the living.

The flesh at his forehead had split open, revealing stark white bone beneath.

“He Yongshi” bore no obvious wounds, but his tattered robes were riddled with blade marks, the fabric stained crimson with bl00d. The chest area was the most severely damaged, bearing the marks of at least three short blades. Had those blades truly pierced those spots, He Yongshi would have had no chance of survival.

He Yongda froze, immediately severing “He Yongshi’s” arm and retreating from the figure. He glared angrily at the bed.

Bo Xuenong was no longer by the bed. The moment her Suspended Ink Sword failed to pierce He Yongda, she had leaped out of the room.

She tossed the fallen Gui Nian’an back inside before re-entering herself.

After stepping back inside, Bo Xuenong casually tossed a few spirit stones into the room’s four corners, though she had actually already opened the System Panel and spent twenty Points to activate a temporary spiritual formation that would block sound and aura. “Gui Nian’an, the formation only lasts an hour. Hurry and act!”

Her words brought a brief silence to the room. Neither Gui Nian’an nor He Yongda moved.

Bo Xuenong’s formation setup was far too casual.

He Yongda stared at Bo Xuenong, now unveiled, and sneered, “You think setting up a formation is as simple as tossing a few spirit stones? You—”

His sneer froze mid-sentence as he realized the room’s aura had indeed been sealed off.

Even a Nascent Soul cultivator like himself couldn’t sense the outside world. Bo Xuenong had actually managed to create a surprisingly potent formation.

Gui Nian’an reacted instantly. She leaned back against the corner, her fingertip tapping lightly on the ground. He Yongshi’s body jerked back to life. He tore two wooden planks from the bed and charged at He Yongda, the planks sharpened into two lethal wooden spikes by spiritual power, aimed precisely at He Yongda’s heart.

He Yongda’s face darkened. He finally realized Gui Nian’an was controlling He Yongshi. Enraged, he lunged at Gui Nian’an, but before he could reach her, a longsword stabbed toward the nape of his neck with deadly precision. He hastily channeled spiritual power to deflect the blade.

He expected his Nascent Soul cultivation to easily repel the sword, but to his shock, the blade clung stubbornly to the barrier of condensed spiritual energy he had conjured.

He Yongda whipped around in disbelief, only to see the tip of the Suspended Ink Sword locked onto the barrier, its relentless spinning force trying to pierce through and pierce his chest. He could almost sense the sword’s desperate hunger for his life.

He Yongda instinctively retreated a step, suddenly feeling a chilling presence closing in from behind.

He turned to see Bo Xuenong standing silently behind him.

Bo Xuenong’s face, usually soft and gentle like water, now held no trace of tenderness, only a resolute killing intent.

She pressed her palms together forcefully, forming an intricate hand seal.

The Suspended Ink Sword’s assault intensified, spinning faster and faster, poised to pierce through the barrier and pierce He Yongda’s chest.

He Yongda rapidly formed another hand seal, reinforcing his spiritual power barrier, making it larger and more resilient.

He sneered, “A mere peak Golden Core cultivator dares to challenge me?”

The Spiritual Qi swirling around him accelerated, pressing the barrier outward. This not only forced the Suspended Ink Sword to retreat faster but also pushed toward Bo Xuenong and Gui Nian’an. Only then did Bo Xuenong realize He Yongda was a Spirit Cultivator. This was understandable; the greatest benefit of Spirit Supplements was their enhancement of Spiritual Qi. While Spirit Supplements aided all cultivation paths, their impact on Spirit Cultivators was particularly profound.

Spirit Cultivators primarily cultivated Spiritual Qi. With sufficient Spiritual Qi, they could break through cultivation stages, unlike sword cultivators who faced additional requirements.

However, their breakthroughs required ten times the Spiritual Qi of other paths. This obstacle posed no challenge to Heavenly Cuisine Sect cultivators empowered by Spirit Supplements.

Spirit Cultivators excelled in Techniques, their greatest advantage being Spiritual Qi reserves dozens of times greater than those of their peers. While their combat prowess didn’t match that of sword cultivators, He Yongda’s cultivation stage far surpassed Bo Xuenong’s, and Gui Nian’an had learned no useful combat skills at the Heavenly Cuisine Sect.

Gui Nian’an retrieved the Jade Spirit Pill Bo Xuenong had given her, but before she could swallow it, Bo Xuenong seized her wrist.

Bo Xuenong’s eyes held no fear of the stronger opponent, only a bloodthirsty eagerness. “Make that corpse charge in.”

Gui Nian’an, believing Bo Xuenong didn’t grasp the terrifying nature of He Yongda’s defensive technique—its ability to crush everything touched by spiritual power—tried to explain the gravity of the situation. “It will be crushed.”

Bo Xuenong remained unmoved, not even glancing at Gui Nian’an as her gaze toward He Yongda grew increasingly fervent. “Just do as I say.”

Gui Nian’an flicked her fingers. The corpse of “He Yongshi,” sealed outside the formation, charged at the barrier without hesitation, wielding two wooden stakes. The barrier instantly crushed the stakes, and He Yongshi’s corpse fared no better. In an instant, bl00d and flesh splattered across the room. He Yongda’s brow furrowed as he glared at Gui Nian’an, who controlled the macabre display. “You’re courting death!”

Bo Xuenong stepped in front of Gui Nian’an, meeting He Yongda’s gaze.

She retrieved a short blade from her Storage Ring, tossed it high into the air, and formed a hand seal with two fingers.

In an instant, the blade transformed into hundreds of ice blades, which rained down upon the barrier. Within moments, they were crushed into icy water.

He Yongda was thoroughly enraged. The barrier expanded with increasing speed, pressing toward Bo Xuenong and Gui Nian’an with unstoppable force. Unbeknownst to him, the ice water and bl00d within the barrier were coalescing. By the time he noticed, they had already fused into countless bl00d blades, which surged toward him.

He Yongda hastily channeled more spiritual power, conjuring a luminous mist before his chest that crushed every bl00d blade that approached.

As the overwhelming spiritual power devoured the bl00d blades, He Yongda’s mocking laughter died in his throat. A sudden, searing pain erupted in his lower back. Before he could react, an ice blade pierced his abdomen. He cried out in agony, his spiritual power faltering for a split second. In that instant, the Suspended Ink Sword shattered the barrier and lunged toward him.

He Yongda staggered backward, desperate to evade the strike. Realizing he couldn’t dodge in time, he frantically conjured another luminous mist.

The hastily formed mist proved insufficient to block the Suspended Ink Sword, which had concentrated its spiritual power at its tip. In an instant, the sword pierced He Yongda’s heart, dripping with his bl00d as it returned to Bo Xuenong. The sword’s vibrating blade seemed to be boasting of its triumph.

Bo Xuenong reached out and caught Xuan Mo, her breathing growing more rapid.

Fragrant.

So fragrant.

The bl00d of a Nascent Soul cultivator was even more intoxicating, its rich, metallic scent overwhelming her senses.

Bo Xuenong instinctively moved toward He Yongda. After taking two steps, she suddenly snapped out of her daze and turned to Gui Nian’an, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. “Gui Nian’an, we’re truly fortunate. We didn’t even need to use a Jade Spirit Pill to kill a high-level Nascent Soul cultivator.”

Was it really just luck?

Gui Nian’an had clearly seen Bo Xuenong manipulate He Yongshi’s hand, which had been plunged into He Yongda’s lower back, transforming it into an ice blade that pierced He Yongshi’s abdomen and damaged his Nascent Soul. This momentary disruption of his spiritual power had created the opening Xuan Mo needed to strike.

Bo Xuenong had used an ice blade to kill He Yongshi earlier, and his corpse undoubtedly retained traces of her residual power. Thus, Gui Nian’an wasn’t surprised that Bo Xuenong could transform He Yongshi’s arm into an ice blade.

What truly astonished Gui Nian’an was Bo Xuenong’s meticulous planning.

The Suspended Ink Sword had been a feint, and He Yongshi had been a pawn.

Even the thrown ice blade had been a distraction. Yet without these diversions, they would never have breached He Yongda’s spiritual barrier.

This wasn’t luck.

Although their success was partly due to He Yongda’s arrogance, they wouldn’t have achieved such a smooth victory without Bo Xuenong’s seamless execution of every killing move.

Gui Nian’an was puzzled.

She had always thought Bo Xuenong wasn’t particularly clever, even appearing somewhat dazed when her Master was mentioned. Yet, when killing, she planned every step with such clarity and executed them with such practiced skill.

Gui Nian’an’s gaze toward Bo Xuenong shifted, now tinged with curiosity.

Unaware of Gui Nian’an’s scrutiny, Bo Xuenong retreated further from He Yongda’s heart-pierced corpse.

She felt a growing unease at the scent of his fresh bl00d.

Just as she was about to back into a corner, she noticed He Yongda reaching for a medicinal pill. In a flash, Bo Xuenong appeared before him, her Suspended Ink Sword slashing down to sever his limbs, ensuring he couldn’t swallow the pill. Only then did she retreat again, asking as she backed away, “Where did you send the other two?”

Gui Nian’an finally snapped out of her daze. She reached out to Bo Xuenong. “Miss Bo, may I borrow a blade?”

Bo Xuenong had no shortage of blades. She tossed one to Gui Nian’an and retreated even faster.

Gui Nian’an was puzzled by Bo Xuenong’s fear of the dying He Yongda, despite not fearing him when he possessed the full cultivation of a high-level Nascent Soul cultivator. She didn’t press the matter, however, and instead approached He Yongda, knife in hand.

She stopped before him and slowly crouched down.

With the blade pointed downward, she plunged it into He Yongda’s abdomen without hesitation. “Senior Brother He, Miss Bo is asking you a question.”

He Yongda was in a wretched state. The spiritual power within him circulated too slowly to heal such grievous wounds.

Realizing he was about to die here, he spat out, “You despicable wretch!”

“Despicable!” Gui Nian’an scoffed as if hearing a ridiculous joke. She plunged the knife into the hole in He Yongda’s chest, driving it through his mangled heart and out the other side, severing several ribs in the process. Bl00d splattered across her face as He Yongda let out a low, pained roar.

Bl00d blurred her vision, but Gui Nian’an didn’t pause. “You used the villagers to threaten my grandmother and turned her into a Human Talisman! You used the village children to force the elders to willingly become your Spirit Supplements! You brought us to the Heavenly Cuisine Sect and starved us to force us to become Demonic Cultivators! He Yongda, it’s you and everyone in the Heavenly Cuisine Sect who are the despicable ones!”

By the time she finished speaking, Bo Xuenong had already severed every bone in He Yongda’s body. Had it not been for his advanced cultivation, he would have died instantly.

Bo Xuenong watched from afar, swallowing hard. She longed to torture He Yongda as Gui Nian’an did, to satisfy the bloodlust burning within her. But she dared not, fearing she would lose control.

He Yongda’s bl00d smelled too intoxicating. If her Bloodline were to dominate her consciousness, she might forfeit her right to be Shen Yanting’s disciple.

Bo Xuenong huddled in a corner, shrinking into a tiny ball. Unexpectedly, Gui Nian’an turned to her. “Miss Bo, he refuses to speak.”

Noticing Bo Xuenong’s fear, Gui Nian’an approached her. “Miss Bo, you…”

Before Gui Nian’an could finish, Bo Xuenong seized her by the throat. Only then did Gui Nian’an notice the sharp fang that had grown at the corner of Bo Xuenong’s mouth and the half-formed, pitch-black ear sprouting from her head. She couldn’t identify the creature Bo Xuenong was becoming, but she felt the grip on her throat tightening relentlessly.

She was dying.

Not at the hands of the Heavenly Cuisine Sect, but at the hands of her rescuers.

A pang of resentment stirred within her.

Gui Nian’an parted her lips slightly, a weak voice squeezing from her throat: “Your… Master… will be… displeased.”

Gui Nian’an wasn’t sure if it would work, but she sensed that Bo Xuenong’s feelings for her Master were extraordinary. Taking a chance, she never expected Bo Xuenong to actually release her.

Master! Master!

Bo Xuenong regained a sliver of rationality. She loosened her grip on Gui Nian’an, a rare flicker of remorse crossing her face. “I’m sorry. I… Don’t tell my Master, or I’ll definitely kill you!”

Even as she threatened Gui Nian’an, her body curled inward, all traces of ferocity vanished.

Bo Xuenong couldn’t care less about Gui Nian’an’s opinion. She barely dared to breathe, the intoxicating fragrance growing stronger, not weaker. A chorus of voices erupted in her mind, each urging her to kill Gui Nian’an.

This murderous urge felt different from her usual impulses, terrifying Bo Xuenong even more.

It wasn’t the act of killing itself that frightened her.

She was terrified that Shen Yanting would witness her greedy, bloodthirsty nature.

I can’t kill good people.

Gui Nian’an had just helped her; she was a good person. I can’t kill her.

I can’t.

Bo Xuenong steeled her resolve.

Under Gui Nian’an’s shocked gaze, Bo Xuenong crawled toward the dying He Yongda. She plunged the Suspended Ink Sword into his body, her trembling hand reaching for his neck. With a brutal twist, she snapped his neck, the sound of cracking bones ringing in her ears like a macabre melody.

Bo Xuenong withdrew her hand with a satisfied sigh. Before she could retrieve the Suspended Ink Sword, her spiritual power suddenly began to surge uncontrollably.

She scrambled to her feet and immediately sat cross-legged, focusing her Divine Sense inward.

The outer shell of her Golden Core was cracking, revealing glimpses of pale, delicate skin beneath.

Suddenly, several black hairs erupted from the opposite end of the Golden Core, startling Bo Xuenong so badly that she tried to halt the flow of spiritual power. But her control had completely vanished.

Only now did she realize that He Yongda’s bl00d had been unusually sweet. This wasn’t because he was a Nascent Soul cultivator, but because she was on the verge of a breakthrough.

This might be a side effect of achieving a breakthrough through killing.

Bo Xuenong couldn’t be sure if her theory was correct, but she knew she had to regain control quickly. She absolutely couldn’t let Shen Yanting see her in this state.

He Yongda’s bl00d hadn’t been sweet at all, and she had no desire to kill Gui Nian’an.

That’s right!

Bo Xuenong mentally steeled herself. Soon, the agitation began to subside. The alluring scent faded, and her murderous intent waned.

The Golden Core had completely transformed, taking the form of a tiny infant. Upon closer inspection, its features bore a striking resemblance to Bo Xuenong’s.

What was truly bizarre was that the other half of the Golden Core had morphed into a small beast with pitch-black fur covering its entire body, save for a patch of golden fur on its forehead.

As if sensing Bo Xuenong’s gaze, the beast yawned softly, its tightly closed eyes cracking open slightly to peer at her. A blinding golden light erupted from its eyes, forcing Bo Xuenong to withdraw her Divine Sense.

She had reached the Nascent Soul stage.

Bo Xuenong remained frozen in place for a long while, yet no Thunder Tribulation descended. Uncertain, she opened her eyes and glanced skyward.

Could it be that breakthroughs achieved through killing don’t require facing the Thunder Tribulation?

If that were true, it explained why members of her Zong had become crazed cannibals, even devouring their own flesh and bl00d relatives.

Regardless of their path, cultivators feared two things most: inner demons and the Thunder Tribulation. A single inner demon could easily lead one astray, while countless prodigies with exceptional Innate Talent had perished under the Thunder Tribulation’s wrath.

No need to face the Thunder Tribulation… What an irresistible temptation.

After repeatedly confirming the absence of a Thunder Tribulation, Bo Xuenong rose to her feet. The peculiar, overpowering fragrance had indeed diminished, returning to a level she could suppress.

Bo Xuenong exhaled in relief.

She absolutely didn’t want Shen Yanting to see her driven mad by her bloodlust.

Next time!

Next time, before breaking through, I absolutely won’t kill anyone!

Bo Xuenong was completely unmoved by the unique advantage of breaking through via killing, which allowed one to bypass the Thunder Tribulation. Her mind was consumed by the absolute necessity of preventing Shen Yanting from witnessing her strange transformation.

As she secretly resolved this, she suddenly noticed Gui Nian’an staring at her with a peculiar expression. The thought that Gui Nian’an had just witnessed her disheveled and frenzied state made her want to silence the witness permanently.

Gui Nian’an, sensing her murderous intent, quickly raised four fingers. “I swear I’ll never tell your Master!”

As Gui Nian’an swore, a phantom image materialized behind her, burrowed into her body, and vanished without a trace.

Bo Xuenong stared at Gui Nian’an in astonishment. She hadn’t expected Gui Nian’an to take an Immortal Oath. In the Cultivation World, breaking such an oath invited the wrath of the Thunder Tribulation—not necessarily death, but certain injury.

The Thunder Tribulation was a ferocious divine punishment, rarely survived unscathed.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Bo Xuenong found it difficult to maintain her murderous intent toward Gui Nian’an.

Gui Nian’an, having received Bo Xuenong’s kindness, didn’t dwell on her mercurial behavior. She pressed a fist to her lips and cleared her throat. “Miss Bo, there’s something I need to tell you. Your Lifebound Sword seemed to be absorbing He Yongda’s corpse qi just now.”

Sword cultivators typically follow the righteous path, but absorbing corpse qi clearly deviates from it. While such a phenomenon might occur with other sword cultivators, it shouldn’t be happening to Bo Xuenong.

Shen Yanting’s sword would never absorb corpse qi.

Bo Xuenong raised the Suspended Ink Sword, asking Gui Nian’an uncertainly, “Are you talking about my sword?”

Gui Nian’an nodded. “As a Corpse Cultivator, I’m more sensitive to corpse qi. Though the absorption rate is slow, your sword has indeed absorbed a significant amount of it—more specifically, the corpse qi from He Yongda’s Nascent Soul.”

After breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, the condensed Nascent Soul becomes like a cultivator’s second life. Only the simultaneous destruction of both lives can bring about complete annihilation.

Her sword is absorbing the corpse qi from a Nascent Soul?

Logically, Bo Xuenong should trust her Lifebound Sword. Yet Gui Nian’an had willingly allowed her to imprint the Death Seal and even offered an Immortal Oath to reassure her. She… seemed to have no reason to deceive her.

Bo Xuenong glanced at the sword, then back at Gui Nian’an.

Without a word, she silently sheathed the sword into her Storage Jade Bracelet.

With both the sword and Gui Nian’an appearing trustworthy, she had to trust Shen Yanting. After all, Shen Yanting had given her this sword. Perhaps Shen Yanting would know the source of the problem.

Bo Xuenong’s System-exchanged space had already expired. She planned to take Gui Nian’an to find Shen Yanting and Liu Huairou before anyone from the Heavenly Cuisine Sect came looking for them. But just as she took half a step forward, Gui Nian’an called out, “Miss Bo, there’s one more thing…”

Bo Xuenong stopped, but Gui Nian’an didn’t speak.

Gui Nian’an’s gaze was strange, constantly drifting upward toward Bo Xuenong’s head, giving her an uneasy feeling. “Can you just say what’s on your mind?”

Gui Nian’an’s face twitched slightly as she forced out the words, “Um… Miss Bo, you’ve grown an ear.”

What kind of nonsense is that? I’ve always had ears!

Bo Xuenong wanted to argue, but her hand instinctively followed Gui Nian’an’s gaze upward. The moment her palm brushed against something soft and furry on her head, her eyes widened in disbelief. She frantically pulled out a bronze mirror and stared into it. Sure enough, reflected back at her was a pure black, furry ear.

The ear’s species was unidentifiable, resembling a half-moon shape perched on her head. Its dense fur grew tightly together, appearing long and feeling soft to the touch. But… why had it grown on her? And why just one?

Bo Xuenong felt the newly grown right ear, then touched the empty space on the left side of her head. Her heart sank into despair.

One ear. How hideous.

Gui Nian’an, seeing Bo Xuenong’s utter despair, swallowed back the words, “You just grew fangs too.”

She clenched her fingers slightly, suppressing the urge to laugh. “It was only half an ear before. Now at least it’s a complete one.”

But it’s still just one!

Even demon beasts don’t grow just one ear!

Bo Xuenong remained completely unconsoled.

Her resentment deepened. She pulled out a small knife, ready to slice off the ear without hesitation.

Gui Nian’an never imagined Bo Xuenong would be so ruthless with herself. To prevent the sight of a bloody ear, she hastily grabbed Bo Xuenong’s wrist and racked her brain for an excuse. Finally, she blurted out, “Um… your Master might actually like it?”

Bo Xuenong’s grip on the knife loosened. She withdrew the blade, half-believing, half-doubting. “Really?”

Gui Nian’an: “……”