Before Mi Lu’s spiritual energy was completely drained, Hulü Yan let go of him.

It wasn’t because Hulü Yan suddenly felt compassion for him, but because Hulü Yan collapsed onto Mi Lu, unable to hold on any longer.

Mi Lu’s face was pale, his lips purple, and he looked so fragile that a light breeze could knock him over. Although he couldn’t see clearly, he could feel it.

As Hulü Yan fell onto him, Mi Lu, unable to support Hulü Yan’s weight, also collapsed to the ground.

Every time his spiritual energy was drained, his heart throbbed with intense pain.

In the previous two instances, Mi Lu didn’t understand the cause, but just now, he suddenly realized that it must be connected to the fact that he had used half of Hulü Yan’s heart.

The pain this time nearly killed him.

Struggling to catch his breath, Mi Lu no longer had the strength to push Hulü Yan off him. Turning his head, he saw that Hulü Yan had passed out again.

Time passed slowly.

Mi Lu watched as the golden sunlight gradually receded behind the thick branches, and the dark night, like ink dropped into clear water, slowly spread across the small patch of sky visible through the trees.

Unnoticed, night had fallen.

Now, the night was deep, accompanied by the sounds of insects chirping and the rustling of leaves in the wind.

It was early autumn, and though the air hadn’t cooled yet, it still carried the warmth of summer. The warm breeze blew against Mi Lu’s face, causing a thin layer of sweat to form on his forehead.

But he couldn’t move.

During the day, his spiritual energy had almost been completely drained, and after lying there all day, he had only managed to recover a small amount. For a cultivator, spiritual energy was essential. A massive loss of it could turn a cultivator into a cripple, or worse, lead to death.

Thinking of this, Mi Lu felt a wave of fear.

And following that fear was confusion.

He had just been reborn and was still haunted by the previous ten cycles. To avoid repeating his mistakes, he had immediately decided to save Hulü Yan.

But these past few days had been completely different from what he had imagined.

Not only had he failed to change his fate, but his life had gotten even worse.

Wasn’t this putting the cart before the horse?

Finally, he understood that his mind had been trapped by the countless years he spent revolving around Hulü Yan.

He did want redemption.

But now, with his life hanging by a thread, what could he use to redeem himself?

After deep consideration, Mi Lu made up his mind to escape.

However, his body was already exhausted, and recovering his spiritual energy was no easy task.

After resting for so long, he could barely remain conscious. Where would he find the strength to push Hulü Yan off him and escape from this place that looked like a remote forest?

He needed more time.

Mi Lu closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. Once he had calmed down, he began to gather the remaining spiritual energy in his body.

In the past, whenever he cultivated, he had a master who helped him choose the right location and treasures brimming with rich spiritual energy to assist him.

Even with all these preparations, his cultivation progress had always been slow.

And now, this place couldn’t compare to the environments where he used to train.

Mi Lu couldn’t help but worry.

He couldn’t sit cross-legged, so he had to cultivate in his current awkward position.

He thought it would take him a long time to enter a meditative state, or maybe he wouldn’t be able to at all, but surprisingly, after only a moment, he succeeded.

In that instant, he saw everything clearly.

A faint golden mist began to rise from the ground. It was ethereal like a thin fog, smooth like silk, spreading through the forest that blended with the night.

That was spiritual energy.

For the first time, Mi Lu could see spiritual energy so clearly.

In the past, cultivating had always felt like grasping at something through a veil, vague and elusive. This half-real, half-illusory sensation had always hindered his progress.

Even more astonishing was that the spiritual energy seemed to have a life of its own, actively gathering around him.

The spiritual energy eagerly wrapped around his body, forming a small vortex above him.

More and more spiritual energy accumulated in the vortex.

Soon, the thick, almost tangible spiritual energy flowed rapidly into Mi Lu’s body.

If, not long ago, Mi Lu’s body was like an empty balloon, then now, not only had the balloon been patched up, but it was also being filled with more air than ever before.

So much so that the balloon swelled to an unprecedented fullness.

As a cultivator, Mi Lu understood how rare it was to be in such a state of cultivation.

He wasn’t willing to waste this precious opportunity, so he gritted his teeth and decided to postpone his escape plan.

Three days later.

When he opened his eyes again, his body felt lighter than ever before.

He moved his fingers slightly, feeling the flow of spiritual energy through his fingertips.

Something seemed different…

Oh right, his vision was clearer, his hearing sharper, and all of his senses seemed to have been cleansed, as though a layer of dust had been wiped away.

Suddenly, the entire world became clearer.

He had reached the peak of the Qi Refining stage. If things went smoothly, he could break through and establish his foundation soon!

After being stuck in the early stages of Qi Refining for six years, in just three days, he had reached the peak in one go!

Mi Lu was both shocked and overjoyed, tempted to continue cultivating for another three days.

But when he looked up, he saw dark clouds rolling in from the horizon.

It was going to rain.

Reluctantly, he put his cultivation on hold and stood up, feeling refreshed. He used a cleansing technique to clean himself.

Looking around, he confirmed that this was indeed a remote wilderness.

Although he didn’t know exactly where he was, he assumed it was still within the boundaries of the Capital City. As long as he left the forest, he could find his way.

Mi Lu glanced back at Hulü Yan.

Hulü Yan was leaning against a tree, his head tilted, and his thin eyelids covering his empty eye sockets, just as he had been before Mi Lu started cultivating—completely still.

Mi Lu pulled out some thick clothes from his Qiankun Bag, put on a set himself, and dressed Hulü Yan in another set.

While dressing Hulü Yan, he noticed that Hulü Yan’s hands and feet were quite deformed from bumps and scrapes, especially his left foot, which was in such bad shape that it was unlikely he could stand.

After all, his limbs were made from white lotus roots, and with Hulü Yan’s limited cultivation, he couldn’t fully control them as though they were real.

But Mi Lu didn’t have any spare lotus roots in his Qiankun Bag, so there was nothing he could do to help.

He took out all the spirit stones and treasures from his Qiankun Bag and placed them in a circle around Hulü Yan.

That way, when Hulü Yan woke up, he could reach out and grab something.

With mixed feelings, Mi Lu bade farewell to Hulü Yan and started walking away.

However, what Mi Lu didn’t see was that as soon as he turned his back, Hulü Yan’s eyelids snapped open, revealing his hollow eye sockets. Within them, a strange, dark green light flickered, staring unblinkingly at Mi Lu’s retreating figure.

Mi Lu had only taken two steps when a sharp pain suddenly attacked his chest.

He clutched his chest, bending over in agony.

Cold sweat dripped from his face as he gasped for air like a fish out of water, struggling to breathe.

At that moment, he heard movement behind him.

Mi Lu turned his head with difficulty and was shocked to see Hulü Yan trying to stand on his deformed limbs. But each attempt ended with Hulü Yan falling heavily to the ground.

Finally, Hulü Yan gave up trying to stand.

But moments later, he stretched out his arms and began dragging his body forward, slowly and painfully crawling until he reached Mi Lu’s feet.

The spirit stones and treasures on the ground were knocked aside by Hulü Yan’s body.

Hulü Yan’s hand groped for Mi Lu’s ankle and grasped it tightly, nearly crushing it.

It was hard to imagine how such incredible strength could come from a deformed hand.

Before Mi Lu could react, a loud crash of thunder boomed overhead, and rain began to pour down.

It started as a drizzle and quickly turned into a downpour.

In the blink of an eye, the rain drenched Mi Lu’s hair, blurred his vision, and pelted him relentlessly, but none of it hurt as much as the excruciating pain in his chest, as though his heart was being strangled by a fine thread.

He was in so much pain that he nearly passed out.

At his feet, Hulü Yan remained motionless, his exposed neck turning deathly pale from the rain.

If it weren’t for the strength still in his hands, Hulü Yan would’ve looked just like a corpse.

Yet even in this state, Hulü Yan refused to let go, as though he wanted to merge himself with Mi Lu.

Mi Lu’s vision dimmed, and instinctively, he crouched down, his trembling fingers lightly touching Hulü Yan’s rain-soaked hair.

In that instant.

The stabbing pain vanished.

Mi Lu’s palm rested on Hulü Yan’s head, and a bitter smile tugged at the corners of his rain-drenched lips.

He understood now—

His improved cultivation ability was due to Hulü Yan’s heart.

The stabbing pain in his chest was also caused by Hulü Yan’s heart.

Ever since he drank that potion, his life had been completely under Hulü Yan’s control, just like everyone else who would eventually be killed by Hulü Yan in the future.

Escape?

No way.

There was no escape.

Even if he fled to the ends of the earth, he wouldn’t get far, not even beyond this small area.

He had a feeling that if he took one more step forward, the pain would truly end his life.

The rain intensified, engulfing everything around them.

Mi Lu only now realized how painful the raindrops felt as they hit his body. Still bent over, he waved his hand, collecting all the spirit stones and treasures into his Qiankun Bag.

Then, the hand resting on Hulü Yan’s head slid down, wrapping around his shoulders.

His other arm slid under Hulü Yan’s knees.

He easily picked Hulü Yan up.

Mi Lu looked down at Hulü Yan, who had his eyes tightly shut and was even paler than before. After a moment’s pause, he glanced at Hulü Yan’s hands.

The hand made from white lotus roots was gripping Mi Lu’s clothes tightly.

Mi Lu closed his eyes and used his spiritual energy to form a small umbrella over their heads.

He had resigned himself to his fate.

This was the debt he owed, and he had to repay it himself.

Carrying Hulü Yan through the rain, they eventually made it out of the forest after about a quarter of an hour.

The visibility in the rain was incredibly low, but perhaps because Mi Lu was close to breaking through the Qi Refining peak, he could see a few farmhouses not far away.

This must be the outskirts of the Capital City. Besides the forest behind him and the farmhouses ahead, there were only a few scattered fields in the vast wasteland.

Mi Lu didn’t dare disturb the residents of the farmhouses, so he circled around them and continued walking.

Luckily, it wasn’t long before he found an abandoned house.

It was clear that no one had lived there for a long time. The weeds outside had grown as tall as a person, partially hiding the broken door.

Inside, dust filled the air. The walls and roof were damaged, with several large holes through which the cold wind and rain poured in.

Mi Lu found a spot under one of the walls that offered some shelter from the wind and rain.

He placed Hulü Yan on the ground, set up a protective barrier around them, and used his spiritual energy to dry both their clothes.

Though Mi Lu’s spiritual energy was abundant, having reached the peak of Qi Refining in just three days, he wasn’t yet skilled enough in controlling it, so the process of drying their clothes took quite a bit of effort.

During this time, Hulü Yan remained motionless, lying there quietly—except for his hand, which once again grabbed Mi Lu’s ankle.

In the darkness, Mi Lu could feel Hulü Yan’s fingers tightly gripping his ankle.

The grip hurt.

Mi Lu pulled out some winter clothes from his Qiankun Bag, laid them on the ground, placed Hulü Yan on top, and then sat down beside him to rest.

The barrier muffled the sound of the wind and rain, but Mi Lu could still hear the fierce pounding of the storm against the eaves.

It sounded like a demon roaring with fury.

Mi Lu sighed before turning to look at Hulü Yan, who was lying beside him.

He could vaguely see Hulü Yan with his eyes closed, as though he were asleep.

But the strength of Hulü Yan’s grip on his ankle hadn’t lessened.

Mi Lu had no doubt that if he so much as moved his foot, Hulü Yan would snap his eyelids open and deliver a blow to his heart without mercy.

The pain would be unbearable.

So painful that Mi Lu would rather die on the spot.

Mi Lu didn’t want to experience that kind of pain again, so he dared not move, sitting as still as a statue.

He thought about how he had spent hundreds of years following Hulü Yan, and yet only after being reborn did he realize that Hulü Yan could drain other people’s spiritual energy.

No wonder Hulü Yan’s killing methods were so unique.

No wonder Hulü Yan never meditated or cultivated.

And no wonder no one in the cultivation world could ever determine Hulü Yan’s true cultivation level.

To all the cultivators, Hulü Yan was just an ordinary person—not only without cultivation, but also without spiritual energy, without a sea of consciousness, without a spiritual palace.

He had nothing but an empty shell.

Now, Mi Lu finally understood the reason behind all of this.

It seemed that Hulü Yan’s ability to control his lotus root-made limbs so quickly was thanks to the spiritual energy he had drained from others.

But since Hulü Yan had only just begun absorbing other people’s spiritual energy, he wasn’t skilled yet and needed time to digest the energy he had taken.

That’s why Hulü Yan had been lying there for so long.

The wind still howled outside, and the rain poured down.

The storm had arrived so suddenly, and it lasted for an unusually long time.

Mi Lu rested until midnight and then began to meditate and cultivate again.

He was so close to breaking through the Qi Refining peak. If he could successfully establish his foundation, his cultivation level would increase significantly.

The spiritual energy here wasn’t as abundant as in the forest, but it was better than nothing.

Earlier, he had taken out quite a few high-grade spirit stones and treasures from his Qiankun Bag. With these resources and his improved cultivation ability, establishing his foundation shouldn’t be a problem.

Once he entered a meditative state, Mi Lu lost track of time. The only thing he could feel was that the further he progressed, the more difficult it became to circulate his spiritual energy.

It was like a person climbing toward the summit of a mountain.

His strength was almost depleted, and each step became more and more challenging.

But the peak was right in front of him.

With one last push, he broke through the barrier, and his mind went blank for a moment.

When Mi Lu opened his eyes, he could clearly feel that his body was different from before.

A warm energy surged through his veins, filling every part of his body.

Had he—

Had he established his foundation?

He had reached the Foundation Establishment stage!

Mi Lu spread his hands in delight, looking down at his palms.

He had never imagined that establishing his foundation would be so easy!

He clearly remembered how long and arduous the process had been for his fellow disciples. Failure and backlash were common.

But for him, it had been as easy as eating a meal or drinking a glass of water.

Oh right!

It was thanks to Hulü Yan’s heart!

Mi Lu listened to the steady, strong beat of his heart. Who could have guessed that just a short while ago, he had been dragging along a sickly body?

Yes.

Over the past few days, he had run all over the place, been injured multiple times, exposed to wind and rain. Under normal circumstances, he would have already fallen seriously ill, or worse, died.

Yet now, in such harsh conditions, he had successfully established his foundation.

Mi Lu’s gaze shifted to Hulü Yan.

After establishing his foundation, it was as if a veil had been lifted from his sight. In the darkness, he could now clearly see Hulü Yan’s face.

Thump-thump—

Thump-thump—

His heart pounded in his chest, perhaps from the excitement, or perhaps from the shock.

He recalled the countless times he had heard the same rumor—that the Hulü Family possessed a special constitution, and if one of them were sacrificed, using their hands, eyes, tongue, and other parts as ingredients, they could save countless cultivators.

And Hulü Yan was a once-in-millennia sacrificial offering.

So that was it.

This was the thing that had caused such bloodshed and chaos in the cultivation world, with everyone fighting to the death over it.

At some point, the rain outside stopped. Raindrops trickled from the eaves, splashing onto the muddy ground.

Through the holes in the roof, Mi Lu could see the sky gradually lightening, the bright yellow rays of dawn illuminating the still-heavy clouds.

Morning had come.

Mi Lu was about to get up when he realized that Hulü Yan’s fingers were still tightly gripping his ankle. After a brief hesitation, he reached out to pick up Hulü Yan.

But as soon as Mi Lu’s hand touched Hulü Yan’s shoulder, Hulü Yan, who had been sleeping peacefully, suddenly opened his eyes.

With lightning speed, Hulü Yan released Mi Lu’s ankle and grabbed his wrist instead.

Before Mi Lu could react, he clearly felt the spiritual energy in his body rapidly draining away.

Wave after wave of spiritual energy surged into Hulü Yan’s body.

Though this time Mi Lu didn’t feel any pain in his chest, he still couldn’t move. He even felt like a balloon again, visibly deflating.

It wasn’t until Hulü Yan let go that Mi Lu collapsed to the ground, unable to support his own weight.

In the next instant, Mi Lu realized in despair—

His cultivation had fallen back to the early Qi Refining stage!

Author’s note:

Now—

Name: Hulü Yan

Hobby: Absorbing Mi Lu’s spiritual energy

Daily Routine: Absorbing Mi Lu’s spiritual energy

Goal: Drain him dry!

Later—

Name: Hulü Yan

Hobby: Kneeling on the washboard

Daily Routine: Kneeling on the washboard

Goal: Wear it down to nothing!