Wen Zhixing sensed that something was wrong, but it was too late.
Fortunately, he had never deactivated the Concealing Spirit Skill.
CREAK.
The door was pushed open.
What met his eyes was Qiu Yinger, clad in her usual green dress.
Every time they met, Qiu Yinger wore green.
Evidently, she was very fond of the color.
Of course, Wen Zhixing did not share this fondness.
"Junior Brother Wen, how is your recovery progressing?" Qiu Yinger walked straight over, her ample chest swaying with her movements.
[Notice: Her gaze is full of scrutiny; she's likely probing your secrets.]
Wen Zhixing's heart skipped a beat.
He had noticed it too.
This time, there was something clearly off about Qiu Yinger's gaze.
Assertive. Yes, that was it—assertive. This time, Qiu Yinger's eyes once again possessed that superior air of looking down on others.
"Replying to Senior Sister... cough... much... much better... cough cough..." Wen Zhixing hurriedly rose to greet her, coughing continuously.
"Junior Brother, no need for such formalities." Qiu Yinger approached quickly, her voice full of concern. "If you haven't fully recovered, Junior Brother, then you should rest more."
"Thank you, Senior Sister." Wen Zhixing was deeply grateful.
He then quickly invited Senior Sister Qiu to sit and rest.
[Fortune Fragment discovered. Consume one month of life-span to collect it randomly?]
"Collect."
Wen Zhixing collected another Fortune Fragment, his expression unchanging.
Even if Qiu Yinger hadn't come with good intentions, the Fortune Fragment still had to be collected.
It was a pity. It was still a Gray Fortune Fragment.
Wen Zhixing made two draws, adding 2 Fortune Points.
"Here, Junior Brother, I have some more elixirs for you. Take them all." After exchanging pleasantries, Qiu Yinger, just as before, pulled out several jade bottles of elixirs from her sleeves.
Wen Zhixing quickly accepted them, his eyes brimming with surprise. "Thank you, Senior Sister."
After speaking, he was about to store the elixirs away.
"Junior Brother Wen." Qiu Yinger's smile suddenly vanished, causing Wen Zhixing's movements to halt.
"Senior Sister Qiu, what's... what's wrong?" Wen Zhixing's heart clenched; he sensed something was amiss.
"These elixirs, why don't you take them?" Qiu Yinger glanced at the elixirs in Wen Zhixing's hand, then at his expression, a playful smile touching her lips.
"Senior Sister, I'll take them in a bit," Wen Zhixing said, a smile on his face, betraying no hint of panic.
"No, take them right now!" Qiu Yinger's eyes narrowed; though smiling, they held an undeniable resolve.
Wen Zhixing sighed inwardly.
So, the pretense was over. Indeed, Qiu Yinger's visit today had an ulterior motive. She was determined to make him ingest the Wonderous Soul-devouring Pill. His Pure Yang Body was still under suspicion. In the end, he couldn't avoid it.
"Alright. Since Senior Sister commands, Junior Brother shall naturally comply." After a brief moment of surprise, Wen Zhixing still maintained a smile. He immediately took out a Wonderous Soul-devouring Pill from one of the jade bottles she had just given him.
"Eat it." Qiu Yinger's gaze remained fixed on Wen Zhixing's actions. Her smile, though as lovely as a flower, seemed exceedingly sinister.
Wen Zhixing clenched his left hand slightly, then steeled himself and directly swallowed the pill.
Although he had mastered the Calming Heart Mantra, he still felt somewhat uneasy.
The elixir melted the moment it entered his mouth, instantly transforming into a warm current that flowed into his stomach and rapidly surged through his limbs and bones.
A surge of pure energy emerged, and Wen Zhixing's cheeks visibly flushed.
At the same time, his eyes began to glaze over.
The elixir's effect was swift, making him feel ecstatic, as if drifting.
"Senior Sister Qiu, you see..." Wen Zhixing struggled to maintain his lucidity, trying to tell Qiu Yinger that he had indeed taken the pill.
However, Qiu Yinger suddenly moved. Several Wonderous Soul-devouring Pills appeared in her hand, and with a flick of her fingers, she forced them into Wen Zhixing's mouth.
"One pill isn't enough, Junior Brother. Your body hasn't recovered properly. You need to take a few more." Qiu Yinger's smile was sweet, but her eyes were as cold as ice.
"MMMPH... HMPH..." Wen Zhixing groaned, forcibly swallowing the several elixirs.
His heart pounded! How ruthless! This Qiu Yinger was so cruel! Swallowing so many Wonderous Soul-devouring Pills at once... an ordinary person would surely be lost in a hedonistic dream, completely undone.
"Senior Sister... you..." Wen Zhixing wanted to say more, but the effects of the pills began to surge through him.
His body lost control, slowly collapsing to the ground, an expression of inexplicable pleasure on his face.
"Don't blame your Senior Sister... These are the rules of the Wonderous Palace..." Qiu Yinger looked down imperiously at Wen Zhixing, a disdainful smile playing on her lips. "Junior Brother Wen, just enjoy it."
So what if he has a Pure Yang Body? So what if his constitution defies the heavens? Thinking he could avoid taking the elixirs and just muddle through? Once you've entered the Wonderous Palace, such matters are no longer up to you.
Wen Zhixing's eyes began to roll back slightly, his hands flailing upwards, grasping at empty air.
He seemed to have fallen into madness.
Suddenly, Qiu Yinger felt her calf firmly grabbed.
"Senior Sister, don't go..." Wen Zhixing's eyes were hazy as he unexpectedly tried to grope Qiu Yinger.
"You...!" Qiu Yinger was startled, disgust showing in her eyes. She forcefully tried to pull her leg free, but failed.
"Senior Sister, come on..." Wen Zhixing, disregarding everything, let go of her ankle, his hand snaking directly upward along her leg.
Qiu Yinger trembled instinctively but used the moment to break free.
She quickly retreated.
For a moment, she seemed rather flustered.
"Hmph." Qiu Yinger snorted coldly, took a deep breath, then quickly turned and left.
It wasn't wise to linger here.
Wen Zhixing was beyond saving.
One Wonderous Soul-devouring Pill, perhaps, could still be controlled. But swallowing so many elixirs at once? Not even a deity could save him!
From now on, Wen Zhixing would be inseparable from the Wonderous Soul-devouring Pill.
Unfortunately, Master hadn't finished refining the Mother-child Venomous Worm yet, so she would have to wait for the next opportunity to implant the venomous worm.
「...」
Not long after Qiu Yinger left, Wen Zhixing, who had seemed to be in a frenzy, suddenly snapped his eyes open.
"Damn it!"
His expression turned slightly ferocious, clarity returning to his eyes.
Half of it had been an act, but the other half had been real. The moment he swallowed the elixirs, he had begun circulating the Calming Heart Mantra, which had suppressed most of the medicinal effects. If not for that, he would have been ruined by now.
"The eternal coldness, when all is still. Mind, intent, and breath calm. In my solitary divinity, spirit and mind unite, breath naturally follows. Interconnected yet constant, by myriad changes unperturbed. Free from delusion and anger, without desire or craving, without attachment or relinquishment, unacting and selfless."
Wen Zhixing was bowed on the ground, his forehead covered in cold sweat, as he continuously chanted the Calming Heart Mantra.
"Not enough, the effect is not enough!" he rasped, his features contorting, his voice turning hoarse.
He realized the Calming Heart Mantra's effect wasn't sufficient. If he had swallowed just one Wonderous Soul-devouring Pill, the mantra would have been perfectly adequate. But now, the concentrated medicinal power coursing through him was far too strong for the Calming Heart Mantra to suppress.
This Qiu Yinger is so malicious!
The Calming Heart Mantra wasn't enough for a full recovery. The medicinal effects and the mantra warred against each other, threatening to tear Wen Zhixing's mind apart.
Time ticked by, second by second.
I must upgrade... I must upgrade the Calming Heart Mantra... Wen Zhixing's eyes began to lose focus, his gaze scattering, only a final flicker of lucidity remaining.
"Qiu Yinger, you can't control me! I will kill you!" Wen Zhixing's eyes turned bloodshot, murderous intent flooding his heart.
"I will definitely kill you!"
"Kill you!"
Then, Wen Zhixing lost consciousness, sinking into an endless sea of desire.