Lin Youfa’s sneak attack was swift and fierce; if this punch had landed in Li Yundong’s soft flank, it would have certainly destroyed his kidneys.
In the human body, the kidneys are the guardians of the Five Viscera. If a person were to be likened to a nation, then the kidneys would represent that nation’s defense forces, solely responsible for repelling all internal and external threats.
If the kidneys are damaged, the nation's defensive power collapses. While it might not lead to immediate collapse or extinction, a weakened state and populace are inevitable.
When the kidneys are strong, a person exudes vigor and physical might; when they are weak, they become listless and feeble in limb.
Traditional Chinese Medicine posits that "a hundred ailments originate from the kidneys," suggesting that the root of all disease can be traced back here, highlighting the paramount importance of the kidneys among the Five Viscera.
Should Li Yundong’s kidneys be ruined, not only would his path to immortal cultivation be severed for this lifetime, but he would also be reduced to a useless hulk, incapable of lifting a burden or carrying anything.
Su Chan, seeing this, was instantly both terrified and anxious. Disregarding her own safety entirely, she lunged toward Lin Youfa, who was right behind Li Yundong.
At the same time, Li Yundong saw a streak of azure light racing toward Su Chan. His mind focused solely on her, and he, too, completely ignored the threat from Lin Youfa behind him, driving straight toward Su Chan.
Their hearts were fixed only on the other, yet by a twist of fate, this created a misplaced confrontation. The planned matchups—Ruan Hongling against Su Chan, and Lin Youfa against Li Yundong—which were considered certain victories for the former pair, instead turned into Su Chan facing Lin Youfa, and Li Yundong confronting Ruan Hongling.
After summoning a deity, Lin Youfa possessed astonishing divine strength, perhaps slightly greater than Li Yundong’s, but his speed was consequently reduced. He was most vulnerable to opponents as swift as Su Chan. Similarly, although Ruan Hongling’s magical power surpassed both Li Yundong and Su Chan, her constitution was purely Yin. She was fundamentally weakest against Li Yundong’s pure Yang energy, which carried not a trace of Yin—a clear case of one thing overcoming another.
In the blink of an eye, the fatal situation engineered by the combined efforts of Ruan Hongling and Lin Youfa was shattered by Li Yundong and Su Chan.
If either Li Yundong or Su Chan had harbored even a sliver of self-interest, they would have immediately been entangled by Ruan Hongling and Lin Youfa, with consequences too dreadful to contemplate.
However, Ruan Hongling’s determined strike employed three Xuantian Tougu Nails (Profound Heaven Bone-Piercing Nails). Though they missed Su Chan’s vital points, one managed to embed itself in her shoulder socket, eliciting a muffled cry of pain from the little fox.
The little fox darted swiftly to Li Yundong’s front, blocking Lin Youfa’s incoming fist with one palm while simultaneously unleashing a strike toward Lin Youfa’s chest that arrived deceptively fast.
Lin Youfa’s punch carried tremendous force. As Su Chan met it with her hand, a sharp crack echoed, the sound of bone snapping in her forearm, causing her to stifle another sharp moan of agony.
Li Yundong, meanwhile, had rushed toward Ruan Hongling like a cannonball. He slammed a punch toward her, his surging, majestic Golden Core vital energy erupting like a blazing inferno, making Ruan Hongling shriek as she rapidly retreated backward.
Just as Li Yundong’s punch missed its mark, he heard Su Chan’s pained groan. He spun around, his eyes blazing with murderous fury, every hair on his body standing on end. “You seek death!!!”
In moments of extreme rage, reason is lost, but strength also multiplies. This occurs because anger accelerates the heartbeat, quickening blood flow, while the liver rapidly releases a surge of blood and Qi. This mobilized vital energy rushes throughout the body, unlocking the deeply hidden Yang energy within, allowing one to exert power far beyond their usual capacity.
An ordinary person might possess a strength of a hundred catties, but in anger, they might achieve one hundred fifty, or even two hundred catties. If this is true for common folk, Li Yundong, possessing a reconstructed Golden Core body, was terrifyingly magnified.
Li Yundong’s internal organs operated tens of times beyond normal people; once activated, his strength became unimaginably horrifying!
His heart began to pound wildly, dong, dong, dong, like a mighty general beating the war drums. This fervent rhythm instantly spurred every organ within Li Yundong into a state of excited frenzy.
Next, his liver began releasing its Qi and blood, and his kidneys started furiously secreting adrenaline and Kidney Qi. The liver, the general who commands outward offense, and the kidneys, the guards who control internal defense—the vital blood output from these two primary organs surged like an advancing army, continuously feeding every part of Li Yundong’s body, unleashing divine power!
As the vital energy and blood surged within Li Yundong, his bones cracked and popped loudly, like beans frying. His entire frame seemed to swell noticeably; muscles bulged dramatically, and veins protruded like ancient vines!
With a fierce roar, Li Yundong brought his palm down upon Lin Youfa. The surrounding air seemed to be instantly vacuumed out, creating a momentary void.
Although Lin Youfa had summoned a spirit, invoking it twice within a single day had severely depleted his own vital essence. Seeing Li Yundong’s monstrous strike coming, he grit his teeth, flipped his wrist, and met Li Yundong’s palm head-on.
“Seeking death!!” Li Yundong’s face was a mask of protruding veins, looking savagely monstrous. The moment his palm contacted Lin Youfa’s, the Golden Core vital energy within him exploded with a roar, like a sluice gate opening onto a flood.
With a sharp snap, the instant their arms connected, the shockwave violently shook the floorboards of the room.
Seeing the two suddenly locked in a stalemate, Su Chan ignored the searing pain and extended her other hand, aiming a precise strike toward the Huagai acupoint on Lin Youfa’s chest.
If the Huagai point were struck, the circulation of Qi flowing through the body would be instantly severed from that juncture, akin to an army fighting ahead while its rear supply lines are cut—it would cause the entire force to collapse without a fight.
Ruan Hongling, witnessing Su Chan’s move, let out a loud cry and flung her hand, sending another Xuantian Tougu Nail directly toward Su Chan’s chest.
Su Chan was utterly focused on relieving Li Yundong, setting her own safety aside. She did not dodge; instead, she gritted her teeth and managed a slight shift of her body to prevent the nail from hitting a vital area, her slender fingers continuing their determined point toward Lin Youfa.
Lin Youfa felt a sudden tightness in his chest and a draining of power when Su Chan struck him, but Li Yundong suddenly roared and pressed his hand downward!
With a sickening crack, Lin Youfa’s forearm bone instantly shattered, and he crashed heavily onto his knees!
Almost simultaneously, a wet thud sounded as Ruan Hongling’s Xuantian Tougu Nail struck Su Chan’s chest, splattering a spray of blood.
Lin Youfa let out a wild roar and flashed out the door, vanishing into the building complex in a few swift movements.
Li Yundong turned, cradling Su Chan, then glared back at Ruan Hongling with the wrath of a furious Vajra: “You repeatedly attack and injure people. Do you truly think I won't strike because you are a woman?!”
Li Yundong’s words were saturated with chilling killing intent, yet Ruan Hongling, a disciple of the inner sanctum of the supreme Daoist sect, was not one to be easily scared away by mere threats.
Standing at the edge of the balcony, Ruan Hongling scornfully berated him: “You ignorant fool! Don't you know the woman in your arms is a fox spirit? Aren't you afraid she’ll drain your Yang essence and leave you a withered husk? Don't you know that humans and demons travel separate paths, and coexistence violates the laws of Heaven?!”
Li Yundong, consumed by rage, could not process her words. He stood up, his eyes terrifyingly fierce. He took a deep breath, channeling the churning energy in his body up to his throat, and unleashed a massive bellow: “Get out!!!”
With a resounding boom, like a spring thunderclap, every pane of glass in the room shattered outward.
The Divine Thunder Talisman in Li Yundong’s pocket seemed to come alive, floating out and emitting faint azure light in the air.
The turbulent wave of Yang energy from the shout caused Ruan Hongling’s internal Qi and blood to surge violently; her inner Yin spirit was nearly shaken loose from its bodily housing!
Ruan Hongling was horrified. She knew if this young man roared again, her Yin spirit would indeed be ejected.
This time of day, when Yang energy is at its peak, is the absolute worst time for the spirit to leave the body—it would be suicide. Furthermore, the talisman floating near Li Yundong filled Ruan Hongling with dread!
“This… is this a Five Thunders True Law Talisman?” Ruan Hongling’s face turned pale with terror. Her heart hammered; she shot a hateful glare at Li Yundong and Su Chan, daring not to linger another second. Her figure transformed into a streak of azure light, vanishing like lightning.
Seeing her flee, Li Yundong quickly put away the talisman, drew the curtains, and carried Su Chan to the bedroom, asking with intense worry, “Su Chan, how are you? Say something! Don't scare me!”
Su Chan’s complexion was like pale gold, her lips ashen. She was in agonizing pain, tormented by the immortal energy from the Xuantian Tougu Nail, writhing uncontrollably on the bed, her limbs drawn up, her whole body trembling violently.
Li Yundong’s face went white with fright. He snatched her up, saying, “Hold on, I’ll take you to the hospital?”
Hearing this, Su Chan immediately grabbed the collar of Li Yundong’s clothes, struggling to speak through chattering teeth, “Don’t go, I… I’m fine. You, you need to take me back to the motel quickly. It’s not, not safe here!”
Without a word, Li Yundong rushed out carrying Su Chan. At the doorway, Su Chan suddenly remembered something, pointed back into the room, and managed to say, “There’s, there’s still something…”
Li Yundong turned and saw that Su Chan was pointing at the pink piggy bank lying on the living room carpet. He didn't know whether to be angry or laugh, “At a time like this, you’re still worried about that thing?”
The little girl was curled up tightly in his arms, shivering uncontrollably as if freezing severely. She managed to say through tremors, “Money, you, you’ll run out of money…”
Li Yundong’s heart jolted; he nearly wept. He picked up the piggy bank, then carried Su Chan downstairs, hailed a taxi on the roadside, and loudly told the driver the address.
As the taxi driver started the engine, he kept glancing at Su Chan and Li Yundong in the rearview mirror, feeling deeply suspicious.
Li Yundong gripped the piggy bank, clenched his jaw, preparing to smash it open for the fare, but Su Chan quickly stopped him, whispering quietly, “Don’t, don’t smash it. I, I still have some in my pocket.”
Li Yundong paused, reaching into the girl’s pocket and finding a fifty-yuan note. He was stunned. “Didn’t you put everything in there?”
Su Chan managed a weak smile. “I was afraid that one day you might take the piggy bank and abandon me. I, I would still have this money to find you…”
Li Yundong laughed, yet tears plopped down his cheeks. Wiping his face, he tenderly stroked the girl’s messy hair near her cheek, feeling both love and heartache. “Don’t be silly. How could I ever abandon you?”
Su Chan clutched the corner of Li Yundong’s coat tightly. “You, you won’t leave me just because I’m a demoness, right?”
Li Yundong nodded vigorously, his voice thick with emotion. “Mm-hmm! My little girl will always be mine; your old man won’t leave you!”
Only then did Su Chan relax slightly.
Though the voices of the two in the back seat were low, the driver in front heard them clearly. He didn’t know the details of what had transpired between the young couple, but the deep-seated attachment and tender affection woven into their words, spoken with such lingering melancholy, would move even an iron man to emotion and a stone man to tears.
Moved by their bond, the driver pressed the accelerator, completing the twenty-minute journey in just ten.
Li Yundong barely had time to thank him, tossing the fifty-yuan note onto the seat before rushing back into the motel carrying Su Chan.
As soon as they entered, Li Yundong locked the door, placed Su Chan on the bed, and urgently asked, “Su Chan, how are you?”
Su Chan’s teeth chattered loudly. She said, “I’m, I’m fine. Turn around, n-no, don’t look at me. I just need to circulate my energy for a while!”
Li Yundong stared in confusion at the large patch of bright crimson blood staining her chest. He pointed at it anxiously. “Is this not serious?”
Su Chan trembled, “It’s, it’s nothing, just a minor wound. The real injury is from the Xuantian Tougu Nails, formed by the pure immortal energy of the Orthodox Sect of the Zhengyi lineage. Once inside the body, they transform into bone-gnawing energy, causing extreme torment. I, I need to circulate my energy to force this energy out. You, you turn around, don't look, okay? Please!”
Li Yundong couldn't fathom why Su Chan needed him to turn away, but he nodded and turned to face the wall, speaking loudly, “Is this okay? You really don’t want my help?”
Su Chan managed to sit cross-legged on the bed with difficulty. She pleaded, “No need, I can do it myself, but you absolutely, absolutely cannot turn around.”
Li Yundong felt increasingly confused and suspicious, but he forced down his curiosity, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall, his mind a chaotic mess.
Seeing Li Yundong turn away, Su Chan took a deep breath, her lower abdomen briefly swelling and then quickly contracting. Slowly, her chest rose and fell, and her throat undulated, pushing something within her upward in a wave-like motion until it reached her throat.
A moment later, Su Chan coughed up a five-colored bead—her inner core.
The instant this inner core left her body, the entire room was bathed in a dazzling, multi-hued radiance.
Li Yundong, both surprised and wary, was about to turn around when he heard Su Chan’s mournful plea, “Don’t turn, I beg you, Yundong!”
Li Yundong suppressed his impulse and straightened his posture, still facing the wall.
Once expelled, the inner core began to revolve before Su Chan, emitting wisps of azure light. These wisps pierced into Su Chan’s body one by one, drawing out white wisps from within her in return.
The longer the inner core remained outside her body, the itchier Su Chan became. She knew this was because, without the core’s protection, her fox form was about to emerge.
Su Chan was both alarmed and terrified that Li Yundong would witness her true form, yet if she didn’t quickly expel the bone-gnawing energy, she faced mortal danger!
Su Chan anxiously drew out the bone-gnawing energy, praying internally that Li Yundong would not turn around. As the corrupting energy was extracted bit by bit, she slowly began reverting to her fox prototype.
This long and agonizing process of energy extraction felt like the supreme torment imaginable; Su Chan felt these brief moments stretch out like eons.
Li Yundong, too, felt this wait was a gnawing torture. He desperately wanted to turn and see what was happening behind him, yet he worried about Su Chan’s safety and didn't want to betray her plea, so he stubbornly endured.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Su Chan finished drawing out all the bone-gnawing energy and swallowed her inner core back into place. Suddenly, the room’s multi-colored light dimmed. Li Yundong rejoiced, assuming Su Chan was finished, and immediately spun around, anxiously asking, “How are you…”
He didn't finish the sentence before seeing Su Chan staring at him with an expression of shock and terror, her mouth opening and closing as if trying to speak.
Li Yundong confusedly reached out to touch the little girl’s forehead. “What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”
The girl reacted to his touch with a startled movement. Li Yundong followed the motion of her body and froze instantly.
Beneath Su Chan, pressed against the bed, was a plush, fiery red fox tail, impossible to conceal...
Li Yundong stared blankly at the fox tail, his mind exploding into static.
[Ti: Dear reader, the current chapter has reached the final page of this book]