Devil Energy

It was already midnight. The moon hung in the sky like a silver lantern that illuminated the mountain peaks around the Qinlin Sect. Inside the spiritual cave, the silence began to feel tense. Lu Xian and Qin Chang'er were still in the room that had previously been the site of the battle with the mysterious intruder, Li Yuanmo. The old man's corpse lay stiff, with blood still dripping from the stab wound in his stomach.

"What should we do? We can't leave the body like this for too long. If someone sees it, we could be severely punished for breaking the sect's rules." Lu Xian said in a worried tone, his eyes never leaving the lifeless body in front of him.

Qin Chang'er stared at the corpse calmly but calculatingly. "Don't worry. I've thought of a way to get rid of this corpse without leaving a trace. But before that... I need you to do something."

Lu Xian turned his head. "Do what?"

"Drink the blood from this corpse." Qin Chang'er replied in a flat voice, as if she was giving a normal order.

Lu Xian was immediately shocked. His eyes widened, unable to believe what he had just heard. "Drinking the blood of a corpse? Have you lost your mind?!"

But Qin Chang'er remained calm. "This is a common thing in the world of high-level cultivation. The blood of a powerful cultivator contains residual spiritual energy that can be very useful. If not utilized, that energy will be lost along with the decay of his body."

"But... are you sure the blood from this corpse still contains spiritual energy? Isn't he dead?" Lu Xian asked in a doubtful tone.

"Calm down." Qin Chang'er said as she patted her chest. "I am a mid-level alchemist in this sect. I know what I am doing. I can feel that the blood in Li Yuanmo's body still contains a lot of energy. His blood can even speed up the process of opening your meridians."

Lu Xian took a deep breath. He was still doubtful, but the look in Qin Chang'er's eyes convinced him. With a heavy heart, he slowly approached Li Yuanmo's body, closed his eyes, then lowered his head and began to drink the blood from the wound on the old man's stomach. The thick red liquid felt warm and bitter, but it also contained a sharp sensation like electricity infiltrating the entire body.

"How does it feel?" Qin Chang'er asked.

"It feels... not as bad as I imagined." Lu Xian answered honestly.

But suddenly, his expression changed. His face was pale, his body trembling. "My head... dizzy... my body is hot... why does it feel like it's burning...?!"

Qin Chang'er immediately realized that something was wrong. She examined Li Yuanmo's corpse more closely, then suddenly stiffened. "No... This is not ordinary blood. This... this is demon blood!"

Her eyes widened. "The evil Qi and demonic energy are very thick... if it continues to enter Lu Xian's body, he will change! His cultivation path could deviate and become a true demon!"

Without thinking, Qin Chang'er immediately sat cross-legged behind Lu Xian who was now almost losing consciousness. She pressed her palms against Lu Xian's back and began to channel her pure spiritual energy.

"Relax... I will help remove the demonic energy from your body, hang in there, Xiao Xian!" she said.

Lu Xian screamed in pain. "Aarghhh..!!!"

His body writhed, veins bulging out, and a fiery red aura surrounded his body. The aura was like the flames of hell, wild and uncontrollable. Qin Chang'er tried hard to resist the pressure of the aura, but her face began to show fatigue.

"If this continues, I will also run out of spiritual energy!" she muttered in panic.

Without hesitation, she took out a golden green pill from the small pouch at her waist. "I think this is the only way..."

"Lu Xian! Swallow this pill, quickly!" she shouted as she pushed the pill into Lu Xian's open mouth.

As soon as the pill entered, Lu Xian's body trembled violently. The raging red aura began to subside. Slowly the color of his aura returned to normal, becoming a soft golden like before. His breathing began to stabilize.

"Success... finally succeeded..." Qin Chang'er let out a sigh of relief.

Lu Xian opened his eyes, his breath coming in short gasps. "What... just happened?"

Qin Chang'er lowered her head in regret. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that the corpse's blood contained demonic Qi. Luckily I brought an energy-sealing pill. But remember... its effect only lasts for 24 hours. We must act quickly before the demonic Qi reawakens."

Lu Xian lowered his head. "Senior... you've saved me again. I owe you a great debt."

Qin Chang'er smiled gently. "You don't need to feel indebted. We're both walking the path of cultivation. I've helped you, so now it's your turn to help me."

Lu Xian nodded firmly. "Junior is willing to help senior, no matter what."

Qin Chang'er looked at him seriously. "I need your help to find rare ingredients. I want to concoct a tier 6 pill."

Lu Xian was silent for a moment, then smiled wryly. In his heart, he had thought that Qin Chang'er would ask for something strange. But it turned out to be just about alchemy materials.

"Of course. I'll help you."

"Good. But before that... we have to get rid of this corpse. We'll throw it into Tianhua Valley. Through the secret path behind the cave, we can avoid the guards."

Carefully, they lifted Li Yuanmo's now lifeless body, and covered him with a black robe. They walked through a narrow passage that only a few sect elders knew about. Tianhua Valley, a place known as a cemetery for beasts and a forbidden ground for ordinary disciples.