Ji Lingruo's Troubles

Ji Lingruo has been troubled lately.

The senior brothers and sisters would leave Lotus Peak from time to time to eliminate evil and protect the righteous path.

She could only cultivate silently on Lotus Peak, secretly thinking that once she broke through to the Condensing Water Realm, she would join the Evil Warding Department so that she could adventure with them.

In fact, her progress has reached an appalling pace.

Chuyun City, she was just a lowly demon with Channel Opening, not even possessing any demonic aura. You Su didn't even realize that she was actually Demon Cultivator.

Now, she is about to turn eighteen, and she has already stepped one foot into the threshold of the Condensing Water Realm. In terms of talent, she is even a year ahead of You Su, which is enough to make the geniuses of the Xuanxiao Sect feel ashamed.

Of course, this is also inseparable from her diligent practice. Overall, the time she spent hesitating and fluctuating was even longer than the time she spent meditating.

However, this is also the root of her troubles. For a normal person to break through to the Water Condensation stage, it is normal to go into seclusion for three to five days, ten days to half a month at most. But since she had the signs of a breakthrough, it has been almost twenty days and she has not yet succeeded, which makes her very uneasy.

She had mentioned her situation to He Shutong and the Third Elder, but after examining her body, they found nothing unusual.

This situation is extremely rare. In the case of a human cultivator, it would basically be considered a failed breakthrough. However, Ji Lingruo Demon Cultivator, and cannot be compared with a human cultivator. Moreover, her Demon Core is abundant, and her aura is rising steadily, showing no signs of failure.

To reassure the girl, the Third Elder not only prescribed her medicines such as golden fritillary bulb and five-colored angelica to stabilize her Demon Core, but also invited a powerful Demon Race member stationed in the Central Yuan Continent to analyze the situation for her.

This powerful Demon Race was at the peak of the Transformation Realm, and his true form was a six-armed spirit monkey. He was also an elder of the Evil Warding Department of Star Zhao Divine Mountain, with extensive knowledge and deep experience.

Even so, she was extremely surprised by Ji Lingruo's situation.

"This Demon Core... is it really yours?"

Ji Lingruo lay on the bed, looking at the old Demon Race's gleaming eyes with some fear, then nodded emphatically.

The Third Elder stood quietly to the side, her face also showing apprehension. She understood why the old woman had asked that question.

She had also heard about the situation of the Demon Race. Although they appeared united and civilized, Demon Race inherent bestial nature had not been completely eliminated. Unlike the spiritual platforms that human cultivators built later in life, the Demon Core an innate entity.

A top-grade Demon Core is highly likely to be fought over by powerful Demon Race, leading to acts such as infanticide or even extermination of the entire race. As a result, the strong races remain strong and the weak races remain weak, making the solidification of class far more terrifying than that of the human race.

"Do you dare swear to me that this Demon Core was not stolen by your snake clan?"

The old woman put on a stern face, looking extremely serious.

"Senior, even if my snake clan is weak, we would never raise our swords against the weaker. You know better than I the demons who would do such underhanded things."

Ji Lingruo also frowned, her expression serious, determined not to allow anyone to tarnish the reputation of the snake clan.

Although the theft of Demon Core is explicitly prohibited, those who enjoy the benefits of the rules are often the very ones who make them. Who can restrain the actions of those powerful clans that have occupied Star Zhao Divine Mountain for thousands of years?

"It's not that I look down on your snake clan, but it's truly remarkable that your snake clan, in its current decline, has managed to hide you, who possesses this Demon Core, so well."

The old woman sighed softly, seemingly helpless about the situation of the Demon Race, then smiled with relief and said:

"Your snake clan has been declining for a long time, and I thought it would eventually fall into ruin. I never expected that not only would you, a prodigy like your sister, emerge, but also someone even more hidden like you. It seems that your snake clan has hope for revival."

Even within the snake clan, few knew that the eldest Eldest Young Lady's Demon Core had actually been taken from that useless Second Young Lady, let alone outsider demons.

"I definitely will." Ji Lingruo nodded. "Senior, is my inability to break through due to the Demon Core?"

"Indeed. The quality of Demon Core is judged by the purity of its color, and your Demon Core is the purest I have ever seen. It is not only as pure as crystal without any impurities, but also extremely spiritual, possessing a natural attraction to Mystic Qi."

The old woman, still marveling at its power, continued, "This Demon Core can help you cultivate with ease, but it's also much more difficult to transform it. In the past few days since your breakthrough, haven't you always felt that your Demon Core has a huge appetite? Even though you're exhausted after meditation, your Demon Core is still not satisfied?"

Ji Lingruo's beautiful eyes sparkled as she nodded repeatedly. "That's right, that's right! It feels like no matter how much Mystic Qi I refine, it's never enough to satisfy it! Not only the Demon Core, but I also feel like my appetite has been huge lately. I have to eat a lot at every meal to feel satisfied. Is this normal?"

"You have a big appetite too?" the old woman asked in surprise.

"Hmm, sometimes I feel nauseous and gag when I wake up in the morning, and I often feel tightness in my chest. Is this normal?"

Ji Lingruo didn't hold back and told everyone about her symptoms.

The old woman looked surprised, feeling that the symptoms the young girl described didn't seem like a breakthrough, but rather like pregnancy...

"Do you... dao companion?"

Since everyone present was a woman, they all understood immediately.

Ji Lingruo's face flushed red, and she nodded slightly, bowing her head.

Actually, when she told the Third Elder about these symptoms, the Third Elder had already guessed that she might be pregnant.

She was very nervous at the time and told the Third Elder that her belly had grown quite a bit, whereas it used to be very flat.

The Third Elder became increasingly alarmed as he listened, but after a thorough examination, he finally concluded—

She had simply been fattened up by You Su; there was absolutely no sign of her being pregnant.

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, the old woman's kind expression vanished, and she asked seriously:

"A human cultivator?"

"It's my senior brother..."

The old woman took a deep breath. "He deflowered you?"

Ji Lingruo, but she couldn't possibly hide it from the healer. "We occasionally engage in dual cultivation..."

The old woman's withered eyes widened, then she looked up and glared at the Third Elder, who stood silently to the side, and said angrily:

"Bihua Venerable, are you perhaps unaware of the fundamental difference between humans and demons? How can you allow your disciples to act so recklessly! I have always advocated harmony between humans and demons, but do you humans even intend to defile such outstanding talents of my Demon Race?!"

The scene suddenly became tense and awkward. Bihua Venerable was unexpectedly questioned and had no way to express her grievances. For Lingruo's sake, she couldn't lash out, and secretly grumbled to herself:

It was clearly the Thirteenth Elder who did this, I'm not You Su's mother, why are you yelling at me...?

Ji Lingruo, naturally unwilling to see Bihua Venerable punished because of her, quickly explained:

"My senior and I are truly in love... I know he pities me, but I am doing this willingly. He is so, so good to me..."

"That can't be... Sigh!" The old woman hesitated, unable to express her anger, "You're so young, in the prime of your cultivation, won't your future Dao Path be confined by your child?"

Ji Lingruo pursed her cherry-red lips and stammered, "I'm very careful, I remember every time..."

As for You Su, he was very responsible and would stay by her side, reminding her after she regained some strength.

"What if some escaped the net?"

"Fellow Daoist Hou, don't rush to conclusions. Listen to Lingruo's pulse first," the Third Elder advised.

The old woman surnamed Hou raised her gray eyebrows and placed her hand on Ji Lingruo's delicate wrist, which she had offered.

Upon closer inspection, she discovered that there was indeed no other life within the girl's body, only a pure Demon Core that flowed gently.

"Not pregnant?!"

The old woman couldn't believe it. She checked again and then quietly said:

"When you break through to a higher realm, your physical body will also become stronger, so it's reasonable to have a bigger appetite. The dizziness and chest tightness are probably because your breakthrough took too long, causing a misalignment between your consciousness and body, resulting in mental and physical exhaustion."

Ji Lingruo patted her ample chest, letting out a sigh of relief, thinking to herself that as long as she wasn't pregnant...

"So, Fellow Daoist Hou means that Lingruo's consciousness feels she should break through, but her body doesn't feel the same way, thus creating a misalignment?" the Third Elder asked with concern.

"Indeed, it's likely that the long time has caused Lingruo to be too anxious. However, the difficulty of condensing water for Demon Race is inherently greater than for humans, because Demon Race also need to use this to master the ability of Humanoid Transformation. In addition, your Demon Core is even more difficult to obtain, so your breakthrough will take much longer. Therefore, you should relax and avoid anxiety."

The old woman offered earnest advice, seemingly forgetting entirely that the Demon Race girl's dao companion was a human cultivator.

Ji Lingruo thought to herself, "It seems that both humans and demons are like this. Their mentality can decline. Once something even more unacceptable comes along, then the unacceptable thing becomes insignificant."

"I see..."

The Third Elder didn't have a deep understanding of the cultivation methods of Demon Race cultivators, but upon hearing this, he was finally relieved. "Then let Lingruo go back and recuperate quietly, and wait for her breakthrough to succeed?"

"Yes, but..." The old woman hesitated again.

"But what?" the Third Elder asked again.

"However, the Humanoid Transformation Demon Race into human Humanoid Transformation is no trivial matter. It is also the key to the Demon Race's ability to generally defeat human cultivators in direct combat, and it is crucial for their future Dao Path. Miss Lingruo is carrying a great fortuitous opportunity, which is vital to the revival of the snake race. Of course, she can comprehend the transformation here, but I still suggest that she return to her clan to Humanoid Transformation."

"I reminded her, but the child just wouldn't leave." The Third Elder shook his head helplessly, quickly distancing himself from the matter.

Ji Lingruo lowered her head slightly, like a child who had done something wrong.

She could sense that the Demon Race elder's concern was genuine. After all, they were both alone in a foreign land, and it was like old friends meeting again, their eyes filled with tears. She felt that the old man was truly like one of her snake clan elders.

"I can do it myself... It's just turning into a snake, what's so difficult about that?" the girl stubbornly insisted.

"How can Miss Lingruo be so perfunctory? This is a major event for a demon. Once the Humanoid Transformation is successful, it will be difficult to change the future. You are not a little demon without a clan or lineage, who can only rely on yourself for everything. Although your snake clan has declined now, it still has its foundation. Returning to your clan can at least guarantee that you will not Humanoid Transformation into a demon body that is incompatible with your talents."

The old woman spoke with utmost seriousness. As an envoy dispatched by Star Zhao Divine Mountain to Mount Henggao, she had witnessed far too much malice from humans towards Demon Race. Now, she genuinely hoped that every descendant of the Demon Race would not go astray.

Ji Lingruo lowered her head even further. How could she not know that the key to the Humanoid Transformation of the Demon Race lies in the word 'contemplation'?

The purpose of observation is to learn from the experience of predecessors and obtain a rough prototype of the demon's body from the specimens and images left by the clan.

The reason for this thought is to make one's demonic body more in line with one's needs within reasonable limits.

Those highly creative Demon Race geniuses can obtain a unique demon body by thinking. For example, a hedgehog spirit that has cultivated to the point of Humanoid Transformation and is skilled in poison techniques can use its imagination to coat its quills with poison after human Humanoid Transformation.

However, this is not something that can be achieved simply by thinking about it; it requires utmost caution. Overestimating one's abilities will only lead to self-inflicted suffering. The form conjured up with beautiful visions will ultimately be nothing more than a castle in the air, and in actual combat, it may even be inferior to the most basic form.

For Demon Cultivator who lack creativity, it's better to find someone with similar talents and imitate them rather than try to come up with their own ideas; that would be a much better option.

"But... so many days have already passed. Rather than letting Lingruo struggle on her breakthrough journey, wouldn't it be better to let her rest and recuperate in the sect?" the Third Elder asked.

The old woman shook her head. "I'm starting to suspect that the reason Miss Lingruo hasn't broken through for so long is because she doesn't even know what she should become, which is why she's stuck in this rut."

Upon hearing this, the Third Elder frowned deeply. "Lingruo, how can you be so careless about your future?!"

Ji Lingruo's eyes flickered, and she quickly shook her head, "Third Elder, I'm not taking this lightly. I have an idea, it's just quite difficult..."

Unfortunately, her image as a love-struck fool had already been formed in the minds of her two elders, and no one believed her at all, taking it all as just stubbornness and bravado.

"Bihua Venerable, don't be so quick to blame the child... It's normal for young people to be a little arrogant. Many Demon Race disciples think they can visualize a unique form to help them overcome this hurdle and ascend to the heavens in one step. Unfortunately, there are countless geniuses, but how many can actually succeed?"

The old woman shook her head repeatedly. She had witnessed countless Demon Race prodigies perish during the Humanoid Transformation process, and she was indeed qualified to say such things:

"Lingruo, Miss Lingruo's Demon Core is not yet fully developed. This child is probably about ten days away from breaking through her limit, which is enough time for her to return to the Snake Clan. Even if Miss Lingruo has some brilliant ideas, returning to the Snake Clan will help you realize them more effectively."

The Third Elder sighed. She knew that Ji Lingruo being arrogant; she was simply reluctant to leave You Su.

"I understand. Thank you for your hard work, Fellow Daoist Hou. I will immediately begin preparations to send her back to the Snake Clan."

"It's not hard work at all, so I'll take my leave now. Miss Lingruo, please keep calm, introspect, and find the demon body you desire."

The old woman got up, gave him some instructions, and then wisely took her leave.

"Pack your things, I'll take you to the boat now." The Third Elder was very concerned about Ji Lingruo's situation.

"Third Elder, there are still ten days... isn't that a bit too urgent?"

Ji Lingruo cautious, knowing that returning to the Snake Clan was inevitable, but she didn't want to set off immediately.

"What, you're planning to say a proper goodbye to your senior brother?"

Ji Lingruo felt bitter. She had thought that coming to the sacred mountain would allow her to be inseparable from her senior brother, but the sweet days were short-lived, and they were both busy with their own things in the end.

After her senior sister joined them, her emotional interactions with You Su decreased even further, basically limited to bedtime...

Although their relationship was already so intimate that it didn't even need maintaining, women are always more sentimental, and she couldn't help but miss the feeling of their relationship gradually warming up.

"Today is my birthday, and I want to celebrate it before I leave..."

Ji Lingruo's voice was soft and gentle, almost like a plea.

"He promised you he would come back?"

The Third Elder's tone softened; she knew that You Su's missions were out of necessity.

"Um..."

The Third Elder sighed softly, her jade-like hand gently stroking the girl's long hair at the back of her head:

"Then tomorrow, we must leave tomorrow. I'll send a message to the snake clan first, so they can prepare."

"Thank you, Third Elder!" Ji Lingruo smiled radiantly.

The Third Elder shook his head again, but inwardly he was already threatening You Su:

You're so lucky with women, but you can't just enjoy them all.

Even if you're busy with work lately, you shouldn't neglect your dao companion's feelings.

You really better get back today!