Lin Xiang

"Ah, ah... ah ah, ah..."

Lin Xiang gestured wildly at Li Fan, but couldn't make a sound. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with her vocal cords, but because she had been a demonic corpse for some time and had forgotten how to breathe; her lungs were empty.

"No need to rush. Sit quietly, concentrate, and think about what you want to say. I can see it."

After Li Fan placed a talisman on her forehead, Lin Xiang calmed down and entered a meditative state.

Li Fan also summoned the Blood Infant Devil Embryo back and entered Lin Xiang's divine court to view her memories and confirm the fragments of her memories from this period.

It turns out that Lin Chen and Lin Xiang, the brother and sister, had come to Li Country with the fleet to seek refuge after they parted ways in Xun Kingdom last time.

Because the 'Old Immortal' did not show himself, Lin Chen knew that his sister was no longer human. As a corpse, she would be killed wherever she went. Moreover, the two of them were probably being hunted by the enemies who had killed their parents. They had no way out. They just held onto the hope that everything would be alright. The two siblings pretended to be beggars and hid, and kept wandering towards the direction of Ink Bamboo Mountain.

Due to the policy of resettling refugees Li Country, they followed merchant ships and groups of refugees, traveling all the way. Although there were some delays and they had to change ships several times, their luck was indeed changed when they met Li Fan. They were able to keep going along the Li River and arrived at Lou Guan Tower on Ink Bamboo Mountain without any major incidents.

As luck would have it, they encountered Kun collecting tofu as soon as they disembarked. Upon inquiring, they discovered that Kun was the very spirit pet of the immortal from Li Family Village, whom the "kind-hearted immortal" had advised them to seek refuge with. Moreover, it was said that the Qingyue True Person of Li Family Village was a descendant of the Mo Mountain lineage, and that almost everyone in the family was not human. They probably wouldn't care about Lin Xiang, a mere corpse. So, with no other option, they went to Kun's door. At that time, tofu tickets weren't yet highly valued, so they used the gold coins left by Li Fan to exchange for a bowl of tofu and asked Kun to treat Lin Xiang's illness.

Kun, having taken advantage of Asha Fuling, felt it was inconvenient without a helper, so he patted his fins, indicating he'd take care of it. This guy really had a wide network of connections; he directly led the Lin Family siblings to Real Person Liang's mortuary, where they ate, drank, received medical treatment, and learned kung fu. Even the coffin Lin Xiang is currently sleeping in was borrowed from Liang Zhenren.

Lin Xiang, a 'human' corpse, naturally falls under the scope of Ink Bamboo Mountain's research on dissection. However, since she claimed to have received guidance from an immortal and come to become an apprentice of Qingyue, a prominent figure in Ink Bamboo Mountain, Old Liang gave her face and made some arrangements for Lin Xiang. She was to spend her days with Kun, sleep in a coffin at night to avoid being provoked into a False Moon, and during the day, because she rides the Cloud Hidden Leopard and has the leopard's innate skill of being enveloped in rain clouds, she could avoid being directly exposed to sunlight. All she needed to do was come to the mortuary regularly to collect a jade Jade Pure Bottle of Fiend Qi and have her body checked.

Lin Chen was quite principled; he was relieved to know that the girl's situation could be stabilized, but he understood that a true immortal's destiny was rare, and since his own aptitude was insufficient, he was unwilling to hold the girl back.

Although Real Person Liang gave him the Bone-Growing Pill to heal his severed arm, Lin Chen didn't have many teachers and Heavenly Treasure to protect and recuperate with rare and precious treasures. He knew that after his arm was regenerated, his grip strength and physical abilities probably wouldn't recover to what they used to be, and he would be a crippled burden. He probably wouldn't be able to enter a place like Li Family Village.

But he was naturally unwilling to abandon his girl like that. So when he learned that there was a lineage of rogue cultivators from the Nine Peaks of Bamboo Mountain in Ink Bamboo Mountain, he thought that since he was also a member of the Imperial Guards, he wouldn't be without any chance of immortality. So he stayed at Lao Liang's mortuary, recuperating from his injuries while helping out with odd jobs and practicing his cultivation. He thought that once he joined Ink Bamboo Mountain, he could still see his girl often.

However, just as Li Fan returned, Lin Chen's arm had barely healed, and he immediately couldn't wait to follow the new recruits across the river to climb Bamboo Mountain in search of immortality. As a result, Li Fan didn't run into him.

It seems the two weren't really meant to be; they can only leave it to fate from now on.

However, Lin Xiang's importance is self-evident. Especially after Li Fan witnessed the scene of tens of thousands of corpses at the Gate of Life and Death in Gen Country and realized that the Heavenly Dao had changed, he realized that he could not just focus on leveling up himself. Finding a way out for ordinary people had become the top priority.

"You want to become a mortal again? That's unlikely now. Even if you use some unorthodox methods to cure it, the way of Heaven is irreversible. All a person can do is to go with the flow, adapt to the environment, and actively embrace 'change'."

But it's not difficult for you to be with your brother.

You've already passed through the 'change' stage, so I'm passing on a set of skills to you. As long as you master them, you'll be able to 'control' your own 'changes'. If you can do that, I can accept you and your brother as disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain. It's not a big deal, but I won't protect you all the time. You have to work hard yourself to hold your future 'with your brother' in your own hands."

Li Fan gazed at the seven-colored glass fragments fluttering like shattered mirrors in Lin Xiang's divine court. Each fragment contained a precious memory of the brother and sister supporting each other and overcoming difficulties together. The corpses might lack warmth, but the genuine emotions contained within these memories were not false.

"I won't say any nonsense like 'forbidden to harm mortals.' Some mortals deserve to die more than demons. When you encounter danger, just use your own strength to protect yourself, your brother, and your friends."

But Lin Xiang, no matter what, must control her own body and her own mind in order to be a true person.

No matter where you go in the future, or what changes occur, when you feel lost, think about these memories. As long as you still remember yourself, as your brother's sister, then you are a 'person'."

Li Fan used the puppet to help her, gathering Lin Xiang's fragmented memories together. Using rudimentary programming skills and primordial spirit techniques, he stitched these memories together, much like sewing together shattered pieces of a corpse to form a demonic body.

But ultimately, it was just a small push.

Lin Xiang herself gathered these memories and assembled them into that small, girlish form.

Then, as their hearts desired, both in the divine court and in reality, they all kowtowed to Li Fan.

Li Fan nodded and said to the other three simpletons, "You guys ate your breakfast before I got back!"

Then he took Lin Xiang directly to the entrance of Li Family Village and casually cleared a flat area to use as a training ground.

"Ah Xiang, I'm going to demonstrate a claw technique now. Can you try and see how much you can learn?"

The Ghost Hand technique is not difficult, and it is a technique derived from the Immortal Palace. Li Fan had seen Lin Xiang's martial arts talent before, and estimated that she should have no problem learning it. The main problem is how much control she has over her body and how much potential she can unleash. In the current environment where the Tai Su Dao is flourishing, how much potential can the Fiend Corpse have to be tapped?

However, Lin Xiang's comprehension still surprised Li Fan.

She watched Li Fan demonstrate the moves seven or eight times before nodding to indicate that she had memorized them. Her execution of the Ghost Hand technique was quite impressive. Li Fan then pointed out and corrected some key points and techniques regarding the exertion of muscles, meridians, and joints. As a result, her Ghost Hand technique was already incredibly powerful and could generate claw-like wind.

Sure... In my memory, there were some thrilling moments like being barked at by wild dogs and chased by wild boars, but Lin Xiang, following her brother's instructions, didn't cause any trouble and just obediently squatted in the basket. It was Lin Chen who protected his sister. Now it seems that she has actually managed to control her usual strength.

Moreover, Li Fan discovered a very interesting phenomenon.

Lin Xiang usually forgets to breathe, to the point that she can't even make a sound, but when she's practicing martial arts and making moves, she will spontaneously coordinate her breathing with her movements.

This should be the foundation laid by the Lin Family's martial arts tradition. It's likely that when Lin's father was instructing his sons on martial arts, he specifically emphasized the method of breathing exercises. Lin Xiang watched from the side and actually memorized it so well that when she started to dance, she could perform it as if it were muscle memory!

This girl is incredibly talented...

And the Imperial Guards's family tradition is actually this profound? Even in the Xuanmen (Daoist sects), breathing techniques are considered Inner Sect practices! The Body Domination Technique became the bible of martial artists because it had a complete breathing method compiled by the Divine Lord. How come the Lin Family also has similar techniques? Could it be that, as Lin Chen said, they are the Immortal Emperor's personal guards?

The matter of that massacre is probably more complicated than it seems...

Just as Li Fan was deep in thought, he suddenly heard a heartbeat!

This heartbeat definitely isn't Li Fan's own, nor is it anyone else's around him; it's Lin Xiang's!

Li Fan squinted, used his Gu Guan Method to look again, and then he saw it.

It was indeed a heartbeat. When Lin Xiang practiced martial arts in this flower field filled with malevolent energy, and coordinated her breathing with the Ghost Hand technique to unleash her body's potential, her heart truly beat!

The evil corpse is already a 'corpse'; its physical abilities have ceased. Basically, a high concentration of evil energy gathers in the remaining corpse, accumulating in the internal organs, bones, muscles, and tissues, which to some extent inhibits the decay of the body.

Lin Xiang's memories are filled with happy moments with her brother and family. Perhaps out of self-protection, she didn't retain any details about the massacre of her family. Now, so much time has passed, Li Fan can confirm that the Corpse-Slaying Pill she was fed back then has been broken down, absorbed, and integrated into Lin Xiang's body.

Although it is unknown what kind of elixir allowed Lin Xiang to retain consciousness and even spiritual awareness, this does not change the fact that Lin Xiang is already 'dead'.

But that doesn't change the fact that my heart just beat... another beat? What happened... Oh, I see...

Li Fan noticed it and was somewhat surprised.

It was Lin Xiang herself who made her heart beat on her own initiative!

To coordinate with the power exertion of the Ghost Hand, not only does the lungs expand during breathing, but the heart muscle is also subconsciously compressed, causing the viscous blood that has been deposited and infected with evil energy to surge again. This high concentration of evil energy is then channeled into the bones and muscles to further pierce the evil body! Then, this transformed power is transmitted to a single point in the palm and the tip of the palm to unleash the strongest strike!

"Startle--!"

With a screech like a banshee erupting from Lin Xiang's throat, Lin Xiang slashed out with her claw, her right arm suddenly growing three times its original size, tearing through her sleeve, and even unleashing three claw strikes! Like a raging wind of blades, it cleaved down a large section of the flower field in front of her, leaving clearly visible knife marks on the ground!

"Ah! Ahhhhh..."

Lin Xiang was startled by her own wildly flaring right arm and forgot to breathe.

"Don't panic. You just injected blood containing a lot of malevolent energy into your arm, which caused the muscles to develop," Li Fan casually took Lin Xiang's right pulse and examined her. "You are indeed exceptionally talented. For most people, such stimulation would have turned their arms into ulcerated tumors, but you not only maintained the shape of your arm, but even your meridians and bones are fine. It's just that it developed a little..."

Lin Xiang, "Ahhh!"

"Can't take it back? Yes, you've poured all the evil energy into your right arm now..." Li Fan thought for a moment, "I'll teach you another set of the Ancient Immortal Palace's Dou Department Body Refining Technique. This ancient method can cultivate protective Qi. Remember the feeling from just now, and try to evenly distribute the evil energy throughout your body."

So Li Fan took off his Daoist robe and started practicing boxing. Lin Xiang was still young, so it didn't matter. He directly explained how to generate power from all the muscles in the body.

The Dou Department techniques of this Immortal Palace theoretically require the physical strength of Martial God to cultivate; otherwise, the muscles, bones, and flesh simply cannot withstand the bursting of qi. However, it might be just right for a demonic corpse to refine, since even if it really explodes, it can simply be sewn back together with ink thread...

Although Lin Xiang doesn't know many characters and doesn't understand acupoints and meridians, she is indeed a genius in body cultivation. As soon as Li Fan mentioned the feeling of channeling all her strength into her palms, she understood.

So she continued to dance like Li Fan, performing a set of body-refining fist techniques from the Dou Department. While stretching her body, she also circulated the evil energy and blood into her body, and then gathered her qi!

The qi that Li Fan gathered was as thick as armor on a battle deck, but it was not as practical as the Fiery Carbon Skin, and he didn't use this move much.

But Lin Xiang couldn't gather malevolent energy; she simply activated it throughout her body, and then, with a 'whoosh!', she grew up!

He's grown up in the literal sense!

She grew from a five or six-year-old child into a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, and her head remained unchanged, with the kind of tough, doll-like appearance that resembles King Kong female bodybuilder!

Li Fan's face practically screamed "awkward!"

This is definitely not a ghoul anymore, it's completely Non-Thing! It's terrifying...

Of course, Lin Xiang couldn't maintain this state of overwhelming combat power for long. She exhausted her killing energy in just over ten seconds, shrunk back into her child form, and fell into a deep sleep once more.

However, while this form is still far from being Martial God Body, it is already comparable to the strength of a Nascent Soul Realm warrior in the Immortal Palace, and could probably survive in the Tai Su Realm, right?

If we could obtain the formula for the Corpse-Slaying Pill used to create Lin Xiang from the Divine Sect or the Immortal Palace, give it to the Abbot for improvement, and then have a system for mass production, perhaps we could solve the problem of ordinary humans being unable to adapt to the environment of evil energy!

Wow... I never expected that all the main storylines at Ink Bamboo Mountain would be progressing so smoothly this time! Everything is going so well! Could this be what the Abbot meant when he said that the Heavenly Way has been opened, the trend is inevitable, and destiny is protecting us?

So Li Fan happily took Lin Xiang back to Li Family Village, put her in a coffin to keep her alive, and then looked after those three rascals.

The three lively kids also turned to look at him from the kitchen.

Li Tangyuan stood on tiptoe on the leopard's back, while Kun perched on Li Tangyuan's head, instructing her on how to start a cooking fire and toss the epiphyllum flowers into the pot to stir-fry...

Ugh... You mean, a mighty Kun, instead of devouring the Northern Darkness and embracing the four oceans, insists on eating the kitchen? What's wrong with that? When will it ever achieve super evolution at this rate?!

Li Fan also sighed deeply, remaining silent for a long time. Having no other choice, he rolled up his sleeves and went forward, discarding the burnt flower petals from Li Tangyuan's frying, replacing them with some clean ones, finding the remaining oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, adding some spirit rice, and frying a pot of rice for them to share.

Kun said, "The flavor is too bland. I need to work on it; I'll add more oil next time."

Damn it! Who told you to use up all the seasonings by grilling all day long! Tangyuan, don't spit flower petals on the ground!

Okay, we're a bit short on oil, and we don't have enough seasonings and ingredients either. We need to go shopping again...

Ahhh! He's so busy! He has to take care of these little rascals, and what about his time-limited training and saving the world?!

Sigh... If only I could hire a cook with experience in beast taming and childcare, preferably someone skilled at making tofu... But where in the world can I find such a person...?

Huh?

Wait a minute! It seems there really is such a person in Ink Bamboo Mountain?