Looking at her own serpentine body, Lin Xue felt deeply frustrated.
She had originally planned everything out: after helping Zhang Zongnian rescue his mother and repaying his kindness for saving her life, she would be able to leave with a clear conscience, find a place with beautiful scenery and honest, simple folk, buy a small manor, hire a few maids and servants, and live out her days in peaceful retirement.
But now, Zhang Zongnian’s mother hadn’t been saved, her own cultivation level had fallen, and she couldn’t even maintain a complete human form.
Her plan for early retirement could only be shelved for the time being.
She looked at Zhang Zongnian, who sat beside her, his face haggard and still immersed in the sorrow of losing his mother, and felt somewhat uneasy.
After all, Zhang Zongnian’s mother had refused to leave with them because of her concerns over Lin Xue’s demonic identity, and had ultimately died at the hands of the Ancestor of the Yang Family.
Would Zhang Zongnian resent her for this?
She pondered for a moment, then said guiltily, “Brother Zhang, it was my lack of ability that failed to save your mother. I’m sorry. Please accept my condolences.”
Zhang Zongnian let out a bitter sigh, his face full of grief, and waved his hand repeatedly as he said, “Miss Lin, you don’t need to apologize. You’ve already done your best, and I’m extremely grateful for your righteous help.”
“It was all because my mother was too stubborn. She refused to leave with me and ended up harmed by the ancestor of the Yang Family.”
“My mother’s words—Miss Lin, please don’t take them to heart.”
“To tell you the truth, not long after I was born, my father was killed by a Demonic Beast. Because of this, my mother has always held a deep hatred for demons, so when she saw me together with you, she simply refused to leave with me.”
“This isn’t your fault, how could I possibly blame you.”
As Zhang Zongnian spoke, his heart grew heavier with grief.
If it weren’t for his mother’s stubborn prejudice against Lin Xue, if she had agreed to leave with him, there wouldn’t have been a delay, and by now, he would have already taken his mother away from Xichuan and headed for Jiangzhou.
Fate is truly unpredictable.
In the end, it was still the Yang Family’s fault!
His mother died at the hands of the Ancestor of the Yang Family—this debt must be repaid by the Yang Family!
Lin Xue suddenly understood.
No wonder Zhang Zongnian’s mother had such a strong reaction to her demonic identity—there was this deeper reason behind it.
She asked, “Then Brother Zhang, what are your plans now?”
Zhang Zongnian’s face was twisted with anger, his fists clenched tightly as he ground his teeth and said, “It’s all because of the Yang Family. In this life, I will never share the sky with them! I will have my revenge!”
His left hand was clenched so tightly that his bones crackled, but his right hand was motionless, as if it were a prosthetic.
Looking at his unresponsive right hand, Zhang Zongnian suddenly broke down and wept, “But I’m already a cripple. I want to avenge my mother, but there’s nothing I can do.”
“My cultivation is only at Qi Refinement Third Level Complete, and now that the meridians in my right arm are severed, even if I found a Lower-grade Barrier-breaking Pill, I’d hardly be able to reach the Qi Refining Middle Stage in this life.”
“If I can’t even reach Qi Refining Middle Stage, how can I possibly seek revenge against the Yang Family?”
His face was filled with grief and despair as his left fist struck the trunk of a nearby tree.
Lin Xue was deeply moved by Zhang Zongnian’s sobbing figure.
A man does not shed tears lightly.
Yet Zhang Zongnian, in front of her, wept without restraint.
He was truly in utter despair.
If she were in Zhang Zongnian’s shoes, she too would feel hopeless.
His enemy’s clan was so powerful, while he himself had become a cripple—he couldn’t even see a path for vengeance.
Watching his enemies live freely while he himself was powerless and consumed by rage, spending the rest of his days tormented by hatred.
Who could endure such pain?
How could one break through this desperate situation?
Lin Xue glanced at the 《Heavenly Demon Transformation Art》 in her storage pouch.
She said, “Brother Zhang, if you truly want to avenge your mother, there might still be a way.”
Zhang Zongnian looked up at her abruptly and asked, “Miss Lin, do you have a way to help me?”
Lin Xue took out the 《Heavenly Demon Transformation Art》 from her storage pouch, handed it to him, and asked, “Brother Zhang, would you mind becoming a demon?”
Yu Changfeng’s right eye had been injured, preventing him from reaching Foundation Establishment.
By chance, he obtained this 《Heavenly Demon Transformation Art》 and thought of seizing the body of a spirit beast with spiritual veins to start his cultivation anew.
Zhang Zongnian’s situation was now much the same as Yu Changfeng’s—his meridians were broken and he could not progress in cultivation.
Why not follow Yu Changfeng’s path, possess a spirit beast, train until the Mid Body Refining Stage, and then take human form?
“What? Become a demon?” Zhang Zongnian was stunned as he took the 《Heavenly Demon Transformation Art》.
He opened the book, lowered his head to flip through a few pages, and said, “This is a book that teaches Demonic Beasts how to transform.”
He looked up at Lin Xue, his face full of confusion, “Miss Lin, what do you mean by this?”
Lin Xue took out the jade slip of the 《Beast Refinement Codex》 and handed it to him.
Zhang Zongnian, bewildered, accepted the jade slip.
He held the jade slip, poured in spiritual power to read it, and then his face showed an expression of shock.
“This is a secret technique from the Beast Taming Sect.”
He asked in amazement, “Miss Lin, where did you get these two manuals?”
Lin Xue rolled her eyes inwardly.
Isn’t your focus a bit off?
She replied, “I got these two techniques from those two evil cultivators in Li Family Hollow last night.”
“As for where they got them, I have no idea.”
“I’ve already learned both techniques; keeping them is of no use to me. You can have them—they might be your way out.”
Zhang Zongnian glanced back and forth between the two manuals, still confused and not quite understanding Lin Xue’s intention.
Lin Xue saw the innocent confusion in his eyes and sighed.
She spoke bluntly, “Brother Zhang, your right arm’s meridians are damaged, so you can’t progress any further in this body. Why not switch to a new one?”
“You could look for a beast with spiritual veins, possess it, and then we’ll find a Serpent Core for you. I’ll help you refine it.”
“Once you’ve reached the Body Tempering Middle Stage, you can use this 《Heavenly Demon Transformation Art》 to take human form, just like me.”
“The human form produced by this art possesses a complete set of human acupoints and meridians, and can cultivate human techniques.”
“With a new body, you might be able to reach even higher realms.”
“The snake demon who created this 《Heavenly Demon Transformation Art》 mixed into a human sect after transforming, and eventually cultivated all the way to the Golden Core Stage.”
“If you can cultivate to the Golden Core Stage, dealing with a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator would be a breeze. Wouldn’t avenging your mother be as easy as turning your hand?”
Zhang Zongnian was utterly shocked by Lin Xue’s proposal.
He had never imagined that such a thing was even possible!
Seize the body of a spirit beast, then regain a human form through cultivation.
Such a path could be said to be unprecedented.
But on closer thought, it was indeed a viable way out.
His right hand was crippled, his meridians incomplete, and his cultivation could hardly improve any further.
If he could possess a spirit beast and follow the demonic path, perhaps he really could turn his life around.
As for abandoning his human form and becoming a demon, that was not a problem for him at all.
He was already a cripple, and had once been willing to give up his worthless life to save his mother.
Now it was simply a change of identity.
What’s so bad about being a demon?
Miss Lin Xue is a demon, and she’s doing quite well.
Zhang Zongnian grew excited.
He clutched the two manuals tightly, eyes shining with excitement and gratitude.
When all hope had been lost and darkness reigned, Lin Xue had given him these two techniques—like a ray of sunlight breaking through layers of clouds and shining down on him.
He also knew that cultivating as a Demonic Beast would be very difficult.
Even if he found a spirit beast and successfully possessed it, there was no guarantee he could reach a higher realm.
Hope was still slim, but at least he finally saw a sliver of light.