Chapter 112 – Lies and Half-Truths
The stronger the beast Mei Lian faced, the more violently the Crimson Rebirth Sutra responded when she unleashed it.
She had journeyed deep into the forest to find her next target, a hulking wolf-like monster with fur as black as iron and eyes that stared at her with hatred and fear. When it finally collapsed under her sword strikes, its lingering vitality almost seemed to burn in the air like a bonfire.
Using the Sutra, a crimson haze soon rose from the beast’s body as its lifeblood unravelled into streams of essence that coiled around Mei Lian like serpents slithering across her skin. They burned like fire, and her skin flushed red as her hair lifted as though caught in an intense wind.
Her breathing became ragged, but her expression was radiant with ecstasy as the flood of power surged through her. The torrent of spiritual energy entered her meridians with more force than she had ever experienced before.
Mei Lian’s Dantian swelled under the impact of the new Qi, and her cultivation raced upwards as if she were skipping months of laborious effort in the span of minutes. Her aura surged past the middle stage of the 4th Level of Qi Condensation and nearly crested at its peak.
In only a few hours of hunting beasts in the forest, she was almost at the peak of the 4th Level, and she had brushed up against the barrier to the 5th.
Her eyes snapped open, and they glowed faintly in the darkness with a slight crimson light that took a long moment to fade completely. She let out a laugh that was half in triumph, half intoxication from the lingering feeling of power.
“I can feel it! This is what cultivation should be! I’m almost at the same level as Jun De.”
But beneath the brilliant rush of strength that her new cultivation brought her, she could feel a growing instability. Her Qi coursed through her body in chaotic bursts and would flare unpredictably.
Mei Lina’s foundation was built too quickly, using stolen vitality and foreign Qi, and her meridians strained and trembled under the pressure, while her Dantian threatened to collapse if she made a single wrong move.
Still, she didn’t seem to notice or care. Mei Lian’s lips curved into a dazzling smile as she flexed her fingers and marvelled at the strength in her hands.
“No wonder everyone is seeking the secrets of the Sutra. This is incredible.” Her aura pulsed again, violently and unevenly, and this time Mei Lian took notice of it. She tried to use her Qi, but the instability made it so that she could only channel a flicker before she was forced to stop.
“I’ll need to rest and meditate in order to shore up my foundation. But still, nothing else matters now that the Crimson Rebirth Sutra is mine.”
Mei Lian returned to the shadowed mouth of the cave, and her plain robes that she wore over her Tranquil Mountain Sect uniform still carried the strong coppery smell of the beasts that she had killed and consumed.
Her skin was flushed red, while her Qi continued to surge in unstable currents that made the air seem to waver around her like a heat wave.
Ren Sihan remained lying where she had left him, his skin pale and bruised, while his breathing was shallow and pained.
When his eyes shifted toward her, Mei Lian’s lips curved into a disdainful smile.
“Ren Sihan, you’ve served your purpose. Now that I know the Crimson Rebirth Sutra, I no longer need your guidance. Since your usefulness has come to an end, I will deliver you to the Tranquil Mountain Sect.” Mei Lian said, her tone cold while she looked down at him with satisfaction as she crossed her arms.
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“Be grateful that I am sparing you at all. The Sect will be the one to judge your sins and mete out punishment.” Mei Lian said, full of self-righteousness, while completely ignorant of the fact that she had committed the same sin as the man lying in front of her.
Silence filled the cave, broken only by the faint sound of dripping water coming from deeper within. Mei Lian expected Ren Sihan to cower, to bow his head and possibly stammer out please for forgiveness or offer her some deal in order to be free.
She watched him closely, anticipating what he was going to say.
Instead, Ren Sihan’s lips twitched, and he began to shake as laughter erupted from him. It was a low, hoarse, wheezing sound at first, before swelling enough to bounce against the cavern walls, echoing so that it sounded as if others were joining him in mocking her.
Mei Lian’s confidence faltered.
“What are you laughing at!?” She demanded, and her aura flared in irritation. Her Qi surged out of her Dantian in a torrent before dwindling to a trickle and sputtering.
Ren Sihan tilted his head to the side, and his expression was full of mockery.
“You really think you’ve mastered the technique? You think that your Sect will praise you for seizing that power and turning me in for your own gain?”
Ren Sihan was forced to stop speaking as he coughed harshly, a consequence of his earlier laughter. A thin line of blood slid down his chin, but he ignored it as he grinned.
“You’re a fool. The Sutra can’t be mastered. It demands a price from its user, and not even the Sect will be able to save you from it.”
Mei Lian’s expression hardened, but inside she felt a flicker of unease at Ren Sihan’s words.
“The Crimson Rebirth Sutra has a flaw.” Ren Sihan said softly as he finally wiped the blood from his chin and slowly sat up, resting his back against the cave wall. He studied her carefully, and Me Lian felt as though he could see the chaotic flow of Qi rampaging through her meridians as he did so.
“Its efficiency fades quickly. With every person or beast you consume, the gains diminish. Even if you use it on cultivators that are equal to your own level, the returns will shrink until the Sutra is rendered useless.”
Ren Sihan smirked, and his eyes were full of cruel satisfaction as he saw the effect his statement had on Mei Lian. Her earlier confidence was gone, replaced with uncertainty and horror.
“Judging by the instability in your Qi, you’ll likely claw your way to the 5th Level of Qi Condensation. Perhaps you’ll reach the 6th if you gorge yourself on enough powerful beasts in the forest. But I doubt you’ll go much further than that.”
Whatever was left of Mei Lian’s composure shattered. Her face twisted with fury, and her voice rose into a sharp shout that shook the cave walls around them.
“Why didn’t you tell me this before!? Why did you let me waste my time on learning the Sutra?”
Ren Sihan lifted one eyebrow while remaining calm in the face of her rage.
“Because now we’re in this together, and there’s only one way forward for you and me. The Crimson Rebirth Sutra corrupts your foundation. Traditional cultivation methods will reject you, and no pills or Sect techniques will mend that broken path. Your only hope is to follow me and help me obtain the solution to its flaws.”
Ren Sihan’s words hung in the air like poison, worming their way into Mei Lian’s fragile Dao Heart and amplified by her Inner Demon.
“Tell me. What is the solution?” Mei Lian demanded, her voice insistent and sharp.
Ren Sihan shifted slightly against the wall as his lips curved into a sly smile.
“The Sutra was designed to devour vitality, but ordinary beasts and cultivators can’t sustain it forever. To correct its flaws, you need to use more refined blood essence from those who are born with unique constitutions, Dao bodies, or rare Bloodlines. Their vitality carries the key to fixing the flaw, allowing you to continue to use the Sutra to advance.”
Mei Lian froze, and her eyes widened.
“Unique Constitutions?”
Ren Sihan watched her reaction carefully.
“It’s fortunate that you found me. The Tranquil Mountain Sect is teeming with such talents. Clan talents and pampered prodigies. They have a number of special physiques being nurtured by the Sect amongst the Disciples.”
“With my connections to the Crimson Rebirth Sect and your status in the Tranquil Mountain, we can take what we need and not have to worry about the flaw anymore.”
Mei Lian’s expression darkened.
“I won’t kill my fellow Disciples! I won’t use the Sutra on humans!” Mei Lian spat out angrily. Ren Sihan didn’t flinch, but he softened his tone.
“You misunderstand me. It won’t be necessary to kill them. We only need a small amount of their blood essence. Just enough to temper the Sutra, not nearly enough to harm them.” Ren Sihan explained, lying without hesitation.
In truth, the Sutra would devour every drop of blood essence it touched. There would be nothing left to its victims but an empty husk. But Ren Sihan’s expression never wavered as he lied through his teeth to Mei Lian.
Mei Lian’s own expression softened with relief as she believed him.
“I have your word that no one will be harmed?” She asked, and Ren Sihan nodded.
“Of course.” He lied.
