Chapter 123: Burning Like Tinder (Requesting Subscriptions)

The figure of a Taoist in black emerged from the dark mist. He possessed distinct facial features and clear, bright eyes. With a nonchalant smile playing on his lips, he fixed his gaze on the dwarf Taoist and chuckled, "I heard someone was looking for me!"

*Whoosh!*

The dwarf Taoist reacted with lightning speed, opening his mouth to spit out a thick, eerie green ghostly flame as if expectorating. He felt a deep sense of shock within; this fellow had appeared before him completely silently, without the slightest disturbance—he was undoubtedly a master.

*Boom!*

The dwarf Taoist's clothes exploded, revealing a bare torso from which two thick, black arms sprouted beneath his armpits. His head tilted to the right, growing another dark, similarly featured head. A four-armed, two-headed monster now stood before them, gnashing its teeth and lunging forward with agile, predatory movements.

"Not a body-refining cultivator, but a form of sorcery?" Lu Qian muttered to himself. He had once encountered such a technique at a ghost market—a heterodox method used by cultivators who could not endure the process of channeling blood into their bodies before body refinement. They chose a shortcut, replacing their own limbs with those of powerful demons to gain strength far beyond their current cultivation realm.

"Die! Kneel before me!" The dwarf Taoist wore a ferocious expression. Seeing Lu Qian standing still, he assumed the man was terrified, and a wave of triumph washed over him.

"Master, be careful! This man is a Spirit-Nurturing Taoist!" Yaoyue, fearing Lu Qian was unaware, hurriedly called out a warning. She remembered that when Lu Qian had first departed, he was only at the late stage of Qi Refining. A year had passed, and even if he had reached the Spirit-Nurturing realm, he would be at the same level as this monster. She was terrified that Lu Qian might be overestimating himself.

"No matter!" Lu Qian gestured with a hand seal.

*Whoosh!*

Amidst the darkness, a three-zhang-long white wind suddenly manifested. It moved with blinding speed, passing instantly through the body of the dwarf Taoist. The monster froze, a look of bewilderment crossing his faces. It was only after the white wind had passed that he felt the agony of ten thousand insects gnawing at his heart. This was no mere wind, but countless tiny needles made of white bone. His formidable physique and protective true energy were unable to withstand them, and his life force was extinguished in an instant.

"What a vicious magical artifact!"

*Thud!*

The dwarf Taoist collapsed to the ground, instantly shriveling into a mummy.

*The Bone Tribulation Needles are truly a natural bane for body-focused cultivators,* Lu Qian thought to himself. Dealing with a Spirit-Nurturing Taoist might be more difficult, but for this kind of opponent, it was effortless. Lu Qian was also in the early Spirit-Nurturing stage, but with his sharp artifacts and true energy laced with a hint of baleful aura, his combat strength was comparable to that of a mid-stage Spirit-Nurturing cultivator. He took the man’s "Pot-Heaven" pouch and turned to look at the two women.

The star-array shone brightly in the night sky. The clouds parted to reveal a pristine crescent moon, its light reflecting on Lu Qian’s face, creating an aura of clarity after the storm. Xiyue’s nose tingled, and she nearly burst into tears. They had wandered thousands of miles, enduring countless hardships along the way. Gifted as she was, she had long since broken through to the late stage of Qi Refining in the heat of battle.

Yaoyue flapped her wings, and with a flash of black mist, she transformed into a woman in a black-feathered dress with delicate, alluring features. The two sisters were similar in looks but possessed distinct temperaments—one charming, the other pure. Even Lu Qian, seasoned in such matters, could not help but feel dazzled.

"You have suffered greatly."

With these words, the fear in the two women vanished. "Master, I missed you so much." Yaoyue, more bold and direct, threw herself at Lu Qian, her soft body pressing tightly against him. Feeling the warmth radiating from him, she felt her strength wane, and had his large hands not held her waist, she might have collapsed. Xiyue, more reserved, simply watched them closely from the side.

"Wait, what happened to your body?" Lu Qian asked, surprised as he held Yaoyue’s supple waist. The meridians and structure of her body seemed different from a normal human’s.

"Xiyue and I killed a Taoist and obtained a Demon-Nurturing Pill from him. We have now assumed demonic forms," she explained. In other words, Yaoyue was no longer entirely human; she was a human-headed demon eagle. Having cultivated to the Qi Refining stage, she could now take on a human form.

*A human-headed demon eagle? The bloodline is not particularly stellar,* Lu Qian thought, unimpressed. It hadn't even ranked on the list of the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends.

"I only desire to be of service to you, Master. I dare not hope for more," Yaoyue said with firm resolve. Dao-soldiers had too many limitations; they were merely ordinary people with fixed demonic bloodlines, possessing almost no possibility of advancement.

"It is fine. I will find you a proper demonic cultivation method in the future." There were ancestral bloodline-refining methods for demons. It was said that the human-headed demon eagle contained a trace of the bloodline of the divine beast Jumang. Jumang was a deity with a human head and a demonic body, ranking high among the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits, and possessed formidable power. Of course, this was merely a consolation; reaching that level of atavism would require suffering unimaginable tribulations.

"Come back with me. We shall discuss this when we return." Lu Qian then added, "I will have you stay in a safe place for a moment. Remember, do not move." As he spoke, he exhaled, releasing his Profound Gold Sword Pouch. A massive suction force pulled the two sisters inside. The greatest feature of the sword pouch was its ability to store living beings. For safety, Lu Qian decided to sedate them; the contents of the sword pouch were far too dangerous for them—and for him. After all, it was inside his own body; if something were to go wrong and it exploded, that would be a true disaster. Once they were inside, Lu Qian slipped back into the inn.

The next day, Lu Qian and Liu Ding bid farewell to the members of the Tongyou Temple and set off to return to Wanshang Island. Meanwhile, Fang Su looked toward the direction of Wanshang Island, lost in thought. During the battle that day, countless disciples had been affected by the Formless Heavenly Demon. The tremors persisted even now; Li Du had gone missing after that day, and his disciples had made a great name for themselves on Wanshang Island. He wondered if the Tongyou Temple would regret giving up such outstanding talents.

"Heh heh," Fang Su chuckled. In his heart, he actually envied the two of them. At the very least, they had broken free from their shackles, whereas he had passed the point of no return.

Back at the Hidden Dragon Cave, Lu Qian arrived after a ten-day journey. Upon entering, he immediately released the two sisters. Xiyue raised her head, sleepy-eyed and confused, "Where is this?"

"This is my cave dwelling," Lu Qian laughed, then pointed toward Mochou. "By the way, this is my new maid, Mochou. These two are your seniors, Xiyue and Yaoyue!"

"Greetings, sisters," Mochou bowed respectfully.

Back in the chamber, Lu Qian looked at the dewy-eyed Yaoyue and smiled. Her clothes fell away of their own accord. A beautiful jade figure stood before him, awaiting his touch. Lu Qian scooped her up into his arms. It was daytime, and the sunlight streaming in from outside was so bright it was hard to keep one's eyes open. The other two women followed, blushing as they exchanged glances.

Lu Qian transformed into his Fish-Dragon form, the contrast between his state and the delicate female bodies being stark. As the saying goes, a long drought meets the sweet rain. Yaoyue, now in her demonic form, possessed abundant stamina and could keep pace with Lu Qian, unlike the others who required breaks.

The union of Yin and Yang lasted for three days and three nights. It began with two, but eventually, the others joined in. In the harmony of Yin and Yang, as they inhaled and exhaled the essence, the speed at which the women circulated their energy increased.

One day, after the cultivation session concluded, Yaoyue lay on Lu Qian’s chest, her hair disheveled, her face flushed. Beside them, Xiyue had fallen into a deep sleep, her well-endowed frame pressing against his back, providing a cool sensation. Mochou slept on the edge. The two sisters were indeed of one mind, having established their status the moment they arrived. Lu Qian had no objections; he found the situation quite amusing. There were no "green tea" schemes here, only a kind and considerate sister.

Seeing Yaoyue wake up, Lu Qian said, "By the way, I have a task for you."