Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 221 220: Do You Desire Power, Yueqiu?

"Liyuan, I was wrong... I didn't mean to ignore your Transmission Token. Please let me in so I can explain."

Pei Yuhang was once again locked out by his Dao Companion. He knocked on her door, miserable, silently cursing a certain Saintess in his heart. 'It's all her fault. If she hadn't stopped me from answering the Transmission Token, Liyuan wouldn't be so sad and angry.'

He already felt deeply indebted to his Dao Companion because of his transgression, and seeing Liyuan so dejected and heartbroken now made his heart ache even more.

"Liyuan, I left the Sect today to find a master and get a remedy for you... for premature finishing. I really didn't ignore your Transmission Token on purpose. I was in the mountains outside the Sect, so the signal was probably bad…"

Before Pei Yuhang could finish, a flustered and indignant cry came from inside the room.

"Pre—premature what? I don't have that kind of problem! How dare you make such baseless accusations!"

Seeing his Dao Companion finally responding to him, Pei Yuhang broke into a smile.

"That's right, my Liyuan is the best. Of course you don't have problems with finishing prematurely~"

"I'm going to kill you, Ah Han! Don't you dare say those words again!"

Her pretty face beet red, a mortified Ye Liyuan pushed the door open, threw herself into Pei Yuhang's arms, and started hammering his chest with her delicate little fists, whimpering threats that if he ever mentioned those two words again, she'd take him down with her!

"I won't, I won't,"

Pei Yuhang pleaded for mercy. At the same time, to prevent his Dao Companion from running back inside and "unleashing her domain" to lock him out again, Pei Yuhang held her tightly in his arms, not letting her move an inch.

Under the hazy moonlight, the loving couple embraced, listening to each other's heartbeats.

After a long moment, Ye Liyuan lowered her eyes and whispered, barely audible, "That remedy you mentioned... let me try it tonight..."

...

...

From a distance, Qing Yueqiu watched the lights go out in her Master and his Dao Companion's room. She knew they had likely reconciled and were preparing to sleep in each other's arms, enjoying the pleasures of being Dao Companions for the night.

She looked up at the cold, lonely, full moon hanging high in the sky and sighed, a bittersweet sound.

She was, of course, happy for her Master that he had reconciled with his Dao Companion. As for what was making her feel so bitter, she couldn't quite say... 'It's probably just my restless heart acting up again, unwilling to accept it.'

'Master was right. I'm becoming more and more impetuous.'

'I have to calm down, or my Sword Dao will regress instead of advancing. At this rate, forget surpassing that detestable Ji Xichan; I'll probably fall behind even my Junior Sister.'

Thinking of the terrifying speed of her Junior Sister's and Ji Xichan's recent progress, Qing Yueqiu felt the pressure and clenched her fists.

She had no idea what kind of Spiritual Object the two of them had been nourished by. Not only were their looks and bodies becoming more mature and developed, but their Cultivation was also rising with the tide, so fast that Qing Yueqiu felt she could barely keep up even by cultivating through the night.

It was clear they didn't train diligently every day; in fact, their laziness could be described as "working one day and slacking for two." Even if they were secretly training so hard they forgot to eat or sleep, it was impossible for them to have put in more time or effort than she had.

And yet... their training efficiency was just so much higher than hers.

'We all eat the same food here at the Cold Palace Sword Mansion. Why is it that Ji Xichan and my Junior Sister are progressing so much faster than me, as if they're getting an extra portion of a Spiritual Object?'

For the first time, Qing Yueqiu felt lost about her own cultivation.

Her Dao Heart was currently in turmoil because of her Master, and her training efficiency was dropping lower and lower. The young woman didn't know how much growth she could gain from continuing to train so bitterly, aside from more exhaustion.

'Unless... unless I have the empowerment of Killing Momentum.'

'If I had the power of the Rakshasa Race's bloodline and could turn the essence of slaughter to my own use, I could definitely keep up with—or even surpass—their cultivation speed.'

Qing Yueqiu recalled the intoxicating, formidable power she had felt when she first comprehended Killing Momentum a few days ago.

Her body felt as if an immense weight had been lifted, light as a feather. Her senses were sharp and clear, as if her Divine Thought was constantly spread to its absolute limit.

Most importantly, the searing power that continuously surged from the depths of her bloodline gave Qing Yueqiu the illusion that she could obtain anything in the world.

Even her Master... could be hers.

'...Should I do this? To fuel my own growth with slaughter... it goes completely against Master's teachings.

But... but... if I hesitate any longer, I'll only grow weaker and weaker, until I lose Master's attention forever.'

That was something Qing Yueqiu absolutely could not accept.

Qing Yueqiu's crimson eyes flickered. She began to mutter to herself, as if trying to justify her decision.

'Slaughter also happens to fit my Forgetfulness Sword Dao. I can use killing to temper my Dao Heart. That should align with Master's requirements... Master probably wouldn't mind.

Or maybe I can just dip my toes in. That shouldn't be a problem. Once my Cultivation rises and my Dao Heart stabilizes, I'll stop.'

Feeling a pang of guilt, Qing Yueqiu glanced back at her Master's courtyard and murmured:

"Master, Yueqiu won't forget your teachings. As soon as I feel it's enough... I'll stop. I absolutely will not sink into this deviant path!"

She took out her Transmission Token and sent a message to Bei Lingyin, saying she wanted to see her.

...

The closed window swung open on its own, without a breath of wind.

The candlelight on the table flickered, and a shadow appeared beside Qing Yueqiu.

"Yueqiu, you contacted me on your own initiative. Does this mean you've made up your mind?"

Bei Lingyin gently brushed her silver hair, which was cut as sharp as a fast blade. A pleased smile touched her lips as she looked at the outstanding junior of her race standing before her.

"Sister Lingyin, I've made up my mind... I want to further cultivate my Killing Momentum and become stronger!

But aside from taking on mid-to-long-term commissions to hunt Demon Beasts and people from the Demon Dao, I have no other way. So I wanted to ask Sister Lingyin if there's a faster method to cultivate Killing Momentum."

Qing Yueqiu's crimson eyes were filled with a craving for power. She earnestly sought from Bei Lingyin the very power she had once scorned.

Upon hearing this, the smile on Bei Lingyin's usually aloof and cold face grew wider.

"If you want to cultivate Killing Momentum, it's nothing more than constant slaughter. Sister Yueqiu, you came to me because you're actually looking for a place where you can kill wantonly, am I right?"

"I... That's not what I meant."

Seeing Qing Yueqiu's evasive gaze, Bei Lingyin's voice grew sterner.

"Sister Yueqiu, I'll be blunt. You don't need to feel ashamed, because this is what your heart truly desires. Don't let your status as a 'Righteous Disciple' constrain the path of your Dao Heart.

You can't even bring yourself to say the words, 'I want to kill.' I absolutely wouldn't dare let you cultivate Killing Momentum... because one who kills must always be prepared to be killed. This cultivation path is life-threatening.

This isn't child's play. Right now, you don't have that resolve. I don't sense any reverence for slaughter in you. If that's all you have, then just forget about it."

"Without the resolve to kill and be killed, you are not worthy of cultivating my Rakshasa Race's Secret Technique!"