On his master's orders, Xiong Xue'er took Shi Longgu back to Granny Ridge.
When he saw Shi Feiyang again, his eyes held a tangle of emotions. Shi Feiyang had ruined the foundation of his cultivation, and that grieved him deeply. He felt he ought to resent Shi Feiyang.
Yet his master had said that Shi Feiyang could not only spare him a lifetime of arduous cultivation, allowing him to proceed straight to Corpse-Release Ascension, but could also give him a chance to advance directly to Heavenly Immortal in his next life!
This left him torn. The benefits all lay in the future, with none yet in sight, while he had already suffered the harm.
Still, with Zang Lingzi's words behind him, he dared not be rude to Shi Feiyang. He respectfully kowtowed as a junior and submitted himself entirely to Shi Feiyang's arrangements.
Shi Feiyang told him plainly, "I intend to refine the Demon Cult's most formidable Nine-Child Mother Heavenly Demon, and I need to borrow your wife's body to gestate the Demon Embryos. The marital bond between you was never deep. If you still wish to attain the rank of Heavenly Immortal, you may cultivate diligently while your wife awaits delivery, then undergo Corpse-Release Ascension once the demon infants are born.
"Your master will bring you back into his lineage. In little more than a decade, you will be able to establish a firm foundation in the Dao. After that, so long as you do not stray down the wrong path and cultivate step by step, you will naturally attain the Dao."
Xiong Xue'er nodded. His master had also hinted that his bond with Shi Longgu was shallow, but he could not feel it. He still looked forward to his annual visit home and loved those happy hours spent