"Haha… haha…"
Langtian laughed, broken and breathless, like his mind was teetering on the edge of madness.
"Damn… that's so unfortunate…" he muttered, clutching his head. His whole body trembled. "Five rounds of Heavenly Tribulation… If you really endured all of that… gods know how powerful you would've become."
"Huh? I did endure all five rounds of divine lightning," Yue Ling said, shrugging casually.
"Wait, you did?!"
Langtian stared at her, completely stunned.
"Then… how? How did you end up with just a false core?"
Yue Ling let out a long sigh, then clicked her tongue in irritation.
"Tsk. If it weren't for those damn demonic beasts crashing the whole thing and ruining everything… I would've made it."
"Wait, even with the Demonic Jiao skeleton protecting you?!"
"Yeah." Yue Ling nodded. "Even that couldn't stop them. They were all trying to kill me. To steal my core."
"I see…" Langtian murmured.
It was common knowledge:
When a demonic beast attempted to break through and evolve, that moment became its greatest vulnerability, especially when there's Heavenly Tribulation. It was the perfect time for predators to strike.
Some did it to absorb the beast's power.
Others simply to eliminate a future threat.
And apparently… that kind of ruthless behavior wasn't limited to beasts.
It happened among human cultivators too.
When a cultivator attempted a breakthrough, their enemies, those lurking in the shadows, would take that moment to strike, sabotage, or kill them outright.
"Even a Rank 6 Demonic Beast showed up. I had to force an early breakthrough before the core had fully stabilized."
Yue Ling looked down at her hand, her voice tinged with bitterness.
"And the result… was this false core. Haha… Looks like my cultivation path ends here."
She let out a long sigh.
"But thinking back, I guess I should just be grateful I survived it all."
Langtian clenched his fists, his jaw tightening.
"If only I'd known… If only I'd been there to protect you…"
"Hey, what are you saying?" Yue Ling interrupted, her smile softening as she gently placed a hand on his arm. "Don't be silly. It's not your fault. If anyone's to blame, it's me, for not preparing well enough."
She turned toward the cave, her gaze lingering on the fallen demonic wolf. Then she looked up at the sky beyond the mist.
"I guess… that's just what happens when you walk a path no one's ever walked before. You never know what's waiting. And no matter how prepared you think you are… it's never enough."
But then, she turned back to him with a bright smile.
"I failed, sure. But that doesn't mean you will. Now that we know there's going to be a Heavenly Tribulation, we can prepare in advance! I'll be there to protect you. I'll make sure your core forms successfully, no matter what!"
At her words, Langtian's eyes widened.
A rush of emotion surged through him as the weight of Yue Ling's meaning sank in.
Right...
His Senior Sister had walked this path before him, blindly, alone, facing every danger without guidance...
So that when it was his turn to break through, he would have a chance, a real chance to succeed.
But that would only happen... if he chose to walk the demonic cultivation path in the first place.
"So, Langtian…" Yue Ling said, her voice gentle, her smile laced with quiet hope. "Will you trust me? Will you entrust your cultivation future to me?
"Walk with me, through darkness, through despair, and madness… to reach power, freedom… and revenge against this world?"
Langtian didn't need even a second to think.
Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees, the impact echoing softly against the cavern floor as his hands clenched tightly before him.
"Yes! Please guide me, Senior Sister!"
Yue Ling gasped.
Her shoulders trembled.
Tears welled in her eyes.
"Y-You're really sure about this?" she asked again, voice shaking.
"This path... it's dangerous. You know that, right?"
"Of course I know," Langtian said firmly. "But I don't care."
His voice was steady. His eyes burned with resolve.
"I need to grow stronger. I need power. And besides…
"You're the one who saved me. Not once, but twice."
He looked up at her, gaze unwavering.
"My life has always belonged to you. So I'll walk this path. I'll get stronger. And I'll get both of us out of this hellish place!"
Then, without another word, he kowtowed deeply.
"Master!"
"Wait!"
Yue Ling rushed forward and quickly pulled Langtian back up to his feet.
"Hey, what are you doing?!"
Langtian blinked, confused.
"What? Was I not sincere enough? What must I do to learn this path from you?"
Yue Ling burst into laughter, ruffling his hair with a warm smile.
"Haha! That's not what I meant, silly! I'll teach you everything I know, no matter what. You don't need to become my disciple for that."
She grinned.
"And besides… I prefer it when you call me Senior Sister."
"But—"
"Hey, you say you want to learn from me, but you won't even listen to the first thing I say?"
"Ah. No, you're right! Thank you so much, Senior Sister!"
Langtian bowed again, this time with a bright, eager smile.
"I'll work hard! I won't let you down!"
"Good, Junior Brother." Yue Ling beamed, then turned to face the massive corpse lying behind them.
She gestured toward the Rank 4 Demonic Wolf, still steaming, its blood slowly pooling across the stone.
"Now, would you mind helping me process this bad boy?"
"Yes! Leave it to me!"
Yue Ling reached into her storage pouch and pulled out a gleaming butcher's blade, its edge unnaturally sharp.
She handed it to Langtian, who took it with both hands, eyes wide with determination.
Immediately, he got to work.
______________________
Under Yue Ling's guidance, the two of them began butchering the demonic beast.
Meat.
Skin.
Bone.
Organs.
Piece by piece, they harvested everything of value.
The air was filled with the wet sounds of carving, the metallic scent of blood, and the low hiss of lingering demonic qi.
Within minutes, the gruesome task was complete.