Chapter 35: A Final Resolution

The visitor was Lu Changtian.

Li Qingran would never mistake this.

Having spent three years at Chixiao Peak, she was all too familiar with Lu Changtian's voice. At the same time, she sensed a faint killing intent and a sweep of spiritual awareness probing her.

"Li Qingran, you've reached the peak of Qi Refining? How is that possible?"

Lu Changtian's voice was filled with astonishment.

Li Qingran's dantian had been crippled, so in theory, she shouldn't be able to cultivate normally. Even if she forced herself to cultivate, it was impossible for her to reach the peak of Qi Refining in such a short time.

He wanted to see for himself and reached out to push the door.

**[Someone is attempting to intrude into your virtual girlfriend's private room. Please choose a countermeasure.]**​

〈1〉Strike with a palm force to send him flying, letting him know the consequences of messing with your virtual girlfriend.

〈2〉Suppress him with a strong aura, forcing him to kneel and teaching him what respect means.

〈3〉Let out a cold snort, channeling internal energy to shatter his eardrums, scaring him into fleeing. (This option may lead him to suspect you are a demonic cultivator.)

Chen Huaian was not satisfied with the choices provided by the game.

The person outside was Lu Changtian, one of Li Qingran's obsessions. He had arrived quickly, marked as a neutral yellow dot on the map, so no prior danger alert had popped up.

This yellow dot likely meant he could turn into a red or green dot at any moment, representing hostility or friendliness, respectively.

"I'll pay extra. Can I just kill him outright?"

Chen Huaian's face darkened.

In the real world, killing someone would require a wave of self-reflection, but this was just a game. He had no moral qualms about eliminating Lu Changtian.

After waiting for a while, the game didn't offer any additional paid options, clearly indicating there was no "instant kill" plot for Lu Changtian.

However, Chen Huaian quickly realized:

Lu Changtian was part of Li Qingran's inner demons. The customer service had said Li Qingran needed to sever her own demons, so Lu Changtian had to be dealt with by her personally. He just didn't know how the plot would unfold.

After some thought, Chen Huaian chose option 〈2〉. Since Lu Changtian was Li Qingran's stepping stone, he decided not to interfere.

"Why won't this damn door open?"

Outside the cabin, Lu Changtian grew impatient. Just as he was about to channel his spiritual energy to punch the door, a terrifying pressure suddenly descended upon him, crushing him like a mountain.

"Ugh…"

Crack—!

His blood surged, and his internal organs felt as if they were being squeezed by an iron hand. Lu Changtian couldn't hold on, his knees buckling and shattering the tiles beneath him.

Lu Changtian was terrified.

In the entire Qingyun Sect, only his master, the sect leader, and a few peak elders could make him kneel with mere pressure. But this overwhelming force was even more devastating, leaving him with no will to resist.

"Junior disciple Lu Changtian of Chixiao Peak, Qingyun Sect, didn't know Senior was inside. I apologize for my disrespect…"

**[Silence!]**​

A roar came from inside the cabin.

A gust of wind blew the door open and slammed it shut again.

Lu Changtian was sent flying into a pit, feeling as if his abdomen had been struck by a heavy blow. His internal organs seemed to twist into a knot, and he swallowed back his words.

**[Qingran, this is someone from your former sect. I won't interfere.]**​

"Yes, Qingran thanks Senior."

…

Li Qingran called that person "Senior"?

Their relationship seemed quite close.

Could it be that this Senior helped Li Qingran recover from her injuries? Was it also this Senior who killed Song Jiaojiao? Did Li Qingran join the demonic sect? But the aura just now was pure and neutral, without a trace of demonic energy. That Senior didn't seem like a demonic cultivator at all.

But how did Li Qingran get involved with such a powerful figure?

Lu Changtian's mind was a tangled mess when the cabin door opened. Li Qingran, now in a fresh set of clothes, stepped out, her delicate face still tinged with a faint blush.

"Lu Changtian, what do you want?"

Lu Changtian looked up at his former junior sister. Not much time had passed, but she had undergone a tremendous change.

The Li Qingran before him now exuded a cold, aloof aura, with none of the timidity or vulnerability she had shown when pleading with them in the past. She was like a sword drawn from its sheath, radiating a faint sharpness.

This junior sister had become a stranger.

Faced with this version of Li Qingran, and with the mysterious Senior inside the cabin, Lu Changtian unconsciously dropped his senior brother's airs.

Clutching his chest, he stood up and said calmly, "Junior Sister, I've come to take you back to the Qingyun Sect. Although you injured Sixth Junior Sister during the sect competition, your crime doesn't warrant death. I didn't know that bastard Zhang Hanxiao had left you here on Wanqing Mountain to die, or I would never have allowed it."

"Doesn't warrant death… doesn't warrant death?"

Li Qingran let out a bitter laugh, her icy gaze fixed on Lu Changtian. "Doesn't warrant death, so you crippled my dantian? Doesn't warrant death, so you ripped out my spiritual root? What a fine 'doesn't warrant death'! Lu Changtian, you know full well what a spiritual root and dantian mean to a cultivator. You didn't kill me directly, but you made me wish I were dead!"

Lu Changtian frowned at Li Qingran's aggressive tone.

In the past, if he had offered to take her back to the sect, she would have been grateful. Now, she acted as if she'd rather die.

Since she could still cultivate, her dantian must only be damaged, not completely destroyed. With the help of that mysterious Senior and some restorative pills, it could be fixed.

Lu Changtian pursed his lips and said, "Junior Sister, crippling your dantian was my mistake. But you can still cultivate, can't you? My master and I will find a way to further repair it. As for your spiritual root, we'll find you a new one."

"My spiritual root?"

Li Qingran's eyes were filled with icy waves, her voice trembling.

"Your spiritual root…"

Lu Changtian hesitated but finally forced himself to say:

"You know, Junior Sister is frail and has a weak foundation, so we gave her your water spiritual root. But don't worry, Junior Sister, I'll definitely find you a single spiritual root, even if I have to sell everything to buy one at an auction!"

Li Qingran lowered her head, her bangs casting a shadow over her face. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides, as if she were lost in thought. Two streams of tears rolled down her cheeks, falling to the ground with soft 'plops.'

Outside the "game," Chen Huaian, who had watched the entire exchange, couldn't help but laugh in anger.

The people of Chixiao Peak really knew how to play dirty.

They ripped out Li Qingran's spiritual root and gave it to that so-called Junior Sister?

Are they insane?

It was clear that, despite all the persecution, Li Qingran still had feelings for the Qingyun Sect and Chixiao Peak. She was a deeply sentimental person, remembering the kindness of Daoist Qingxuan's teachings and the goodwill of her senior brothers.

But now, as her tears fell,

those lingering attachments were finally shattered.

"Lu Changtian, I will return to the Qingyun Sect."

Li Qingran raised her head, her tear-filled eyes devoid of any emotion, only a cold, lifeless stillness.

Staring into those eyes, Lu Changtian couldn't feel any joy, only a chill running down his spine. He listened as Li Qingran spoke, word by word:

"Tomorrow, I will return to the Qingyun Sect—to make a final resolution with my past!"