Chapter 10: The Most Direct and Brutal Method

"Hey, Master! Aren't you going to have some with us?" Ye Yanqing called out, looking puzzled at Li Tianhen’s departing figure, but he received no response.

"Big Brother..." Si Nansheng spoke softly.

"What is it, Junior Sister?" Ye Yanqing turned, bewildered.

"Master took all the roasted spirit chickens."

"Huh?"

"Both of them... all of them," Si Nansheng added.

"..." Ye Yanqing hurriedly looked down at the spot where his long-awaited roasted spirit chicken had been placed. It was empty. He stood there, completely stunned.

"Master, you can't just sabotage your own disciple like this! Leave me a bite, I've been waiting for ages!" Ye Yanqing chased after him immediately.

Watching him run off, Si Nansheng sighed. "Big Brother, you’re really throwing away all your dignity for a bit of meat!"

With the food gone, Si Nansheng didn't dwell on it. She returned to her room and took out the spirit treasures Li Tianhen had sought for her. Looking at the eight types of top-tier spirit treasures before her, she realized they were of even higher quality than she had anticipated. It had only been half a month; she hadn't expected Master to find these so quickly. A flicker of warmth touched her heart.

What Si Nansheng didn't know was that Li Tianhen already possessed most of these items; he had only gone out to hunt for the two he lacked. That was why he had returned so quickly.

"You must pull through," Si Nansheng murmured, touching her lower abdomen. "You absolutely cannot let Master’s efforts go to waste."

Normally, one would simply absorb the spirit energy within, but with her meridians completely shattered, absorption was impossible. She had no choice but to resort to the simplest, most brutal method: eating them. Raw.

Though this method would cause her body agonizing pain, it was of no consequence. After all, she was used to the pain by now.

Si Nansheng took a deep breath. She picked up the Wood Spirit Flower, which had the mildest medicinal properties, and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing it up. Huh? The taste wasn't bad—a bit sweet. She smacked her lips in approval, then picked up the Fire Spirit Ginseng and took a bite.

"Nngh—" Before she had even finished the ginseng, she felt a scorching heat surge through her, as if she were being burned from the inside out.

"Damn it, these spirit herbs aren't meant to be eaten like this," Si Nansheng spat out a mouthful of blood, her vision blurring. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to swallow the water-attribute spirit treasure to suppress the violent heat of the fire ginseng. Amidst the agony, she quickly shoved the remaining herbs into her mouth one by one.

Instantly, the spirit treasures took effect. Eight different types of spiritual energy rampaged through her body. The violent force caused blood to gush from her seven orifices. She bit her lower lip so hard it bled, forcing herself not to scream. Cold sweat and blood mingled together as her body trembled violently from the torture. Her willpower began to wane; her body could no longer bear such an influx of energy. She felt as though she were being torn apart.

"Si Nansheng, I’ve had enough of you. From now on, I am no longer your Big Brother."

"Si Nansheng, you pathetic waste, it is your honor to sacrifice yourself for Junior Sister Xuewei!"

"Si Nansheng, being your Third Senior Brother truly disgusts me. Just hand over your cultivation to our junior sister, or we’ll do it ourselves."

"Don't be afraid, Junior Sister, Fourth Brother is only digging out your spirit root. It won't hurt much."

"A waste like you doesn't deserve to be my junior sister!"

"Si Nansheng, are you sad? Heartbroken? Your spirit root, your cultivation, the divine bone you’ve nourished—everything belongs to me, Liu Xuewei. I’m simply taking back what is mine. Don't hate me; hate your own uselessness!"

"Si Nansheng, you were merely a vessel I found to nourish the divine bone. If your spirit root and cultivation hadn't been useful to Wei'er, I wouldn't have kept you this long. Now that your final value is gone, go die!"

Images from her past life flashed before her eyes like a revolving lantern, the cruel words she had endured echoing endlessly in her ears. Si Nansheng, already on the brink of collapse, suddenly snapped her eyes open!

No! She still had a great vengeance to exact. She could not give up—absolutely not! She had to survive and trample those who had once looked down on her and hurt her.

"Ahhh!" Si Nansheng let out a primal scream as the spiritual energy within her body exploded.

"Boom!" Li Tianhen and Ye Yanqing, who were busy fighting over the roasted chicken, sensed the violent surge of spiritual energy coming from Si Nansheng’s quarters. They exchanged a glance, dropped the chicken, and rushed over.

What they found was a scene of devastation: the humble courtyard was in ruins, the house had collapsed, and dust filled the air. Si Nansheng lay on the ground, drenched in blood. It looked far worse than when she had first severed her own meridians.

"Master, is Junior Sister hurt?" Ye Yanqing asked, watching her trembling form with alarm.

"Don't move. She is reshaping her meridians," Li Tianhen said, blocking Ye Yanqing from stepping forward.

"Reshaping her meridians? Master, you mean..." Ye Yanqing stared at Li Tianhen, stunned.

"Yes. Feel the fluctuation of the spirit energy carefully," Li Tianhen said, his eyes fixed on Si Nansheng.

Ye Yanqing closed his eyes and focused. Indeed, there was a faint circulation of spiritual energy within her. Did this mean the junior sister had succeeded?

"Master, is she really okay like this? She looks to be in such agony! Can we do anything?" Ye Yanqing was frantic, watching her small body contort in pain.

"She must endure this on her own. All we can do is wait." Li Tianhen frowned, found a spot to sit, and waited in silence.

Gradually, Si Nansheng calmed down, but before they could breathe a sigh of relief, she began to tremble again. Her skin turned a deep, flushed red, as if she were being cooked alive, and her breathing became shallow. They didn't know what was happening or how to help, so they could only watch.

Only Si Nansheng knew what she was enduring. The spiritual energy ran wild, repeatedly shattering the meridians she had just repaired, only for them to mend and be shattered again. For the next few days, she lived in a cycle of pain, repair, and more pain.

Once her aura finally stabilized, Li Tianhen allowed Ye Yanqing to leave. He set up a defensive barrier around her to prevent the surrounding debris from disturbing her further.

"Did I succeed?" After an unknown amount of time, Si Nansheng finally woke up. She closed her eyes and tested her senses; she could clearly feel the surge of spiritual energy flowing into her body.

"Great, it worked!" She happily checked her dantian.

Then... what on earth was this?

"Master! Master, help me!" Si Nansheng rushed like a gale into Li Tianhen’s courtyard.

"You're finally awake? Why the rush?" Li Tianhen put down his book and looked at her.

"Master, something happened—something terrible! Please, look at my dantian. Is this even normal? Can it still be saved?" Si Nansheng stared at him in utter terror.