The person outside was Lu Changtian.
Li Qingran would never mistake that voice.
She had spent three years on Chixiao Peak and knew Lu Changtian's voice all too well. She could also sense a faint killing intent and a spiritual sense sweeping over her.
"Li Qingran, you've reached the peak of Qi Refinement? Impossible!"
Lu Changtian's voice was filled with disbelief.
Her dantian had been destroyed—by all logic, she shouldn't be able to cultivate anymore. Even if she forced herself to cultivate, she couldn't possibly have advanced to the peak of Qi Refinement in such a short time.
He wanted to see for himself and pushed on the door.
[Someone is attempting to break into your virtual girlfriend's private chamber. Please select a countermeasure:]
〈1〉Unleash a palm strike and blast them away—let them learn the consequences of laying a hand on your girlfriend.
〈2〉Suppress them with a wave of pressure—make them kneel and learn what true respect means.
〈3〉Let out a cold snort and burst their eardrums with your internal energy—scare them off. (Warning: this may cause the intruder to suspect you're a demonic cultivator.)
Chen Huaian frowned at the options.
The man outside was Lu Changtian, one of Li Qingran's major obsessions—a significant part of her heart demon. He appeared on the map as a neutral yellow dot, meaning no danger warning had been triggered.
Yellow likely means they can turn red or green at any moment—hostile or friendly.
"Can I pay extra to just kill him outright?"
Chen Huaian's face darkened.
If this were the real world, he might hesitate before casually killing a person, but in this game, he had zero moral concerns about snuffing out Lu Changtian.
He waited, but the game offered no "pay-to-kill" option. Clearly, there was no scripted kill scene for Lu Changtian.
Then it hit him.
Lu Changtian was a manifestation of Li Qingran's inner demon. The customer service said she must sever that herself.
So he had to let her handle it.
After a moment's thought, Chen selected option 〈2〉.
If Lu Changtian was destined to be her stepping stone, then he'd stay out of it.
"Why won't this damn door open?"
Outside, Lu Changtian was growing frustrated. He began channeling spiritual power for a punch—when suddenly, a terrifying pressure descended upon him like a mountain crushing down.
"Ugh…!"
Crack—!
His blood surged wildly, his internal organs felt like they were being crushed in an iron grip. Unable to withstand the force, Lu Changtian dropped to his knees, shattering the stone tiles beneath him.
Lu Changtian was terrified.
Only his master, the sect leader, and a few elders had the strength to make him kneel from pressure alone. But even compared to those elders, this oppressive force was overwhelming—it made resistance feel utterly impossible.
"Junior Lu Changtian of Qingyun Sect's Chixiao Peak didn't realize Senior was present. My deepest apologies—"
[Shut up!]
A thunderous voice boomed from inside.
A gust of wind slammed the door open—then shut again with a bang.
Lu Changtian was blown backward, crashing into a thunder pit. He felt like he'd taken a heavy blow to the gut, his organs churning in pain. Whatever he had meant to say got swallowed back.
[Qingran, this is someone from your sect. I will not interfere.]
"Yes. Thank you, Senior."
…
She called him Senior?
And she sounded… respectful?
Could it be that her recovery was thanks to this mysterious man?
Was he the one who killed Song Jiaojiao?
Had Li Qingran turned to the demonic path?
But the pressure earlier was righteous and balanced—absolutely nothing like demonic cultivation.
No matter how he looked at it, this man didn't seem like a demonic cultivator.
So how did Li Qingran get involved with someone this powerful?
Lu Changtian was still trying to make sense of everything when the door opened again.
Li Qingran stepped out, now dressed in clean clothes, a faint blush still lingering on her cheeks.
"Lu Changtian, what do you want?"
Lu Changtian looked up at his former junior sister.
Not much time had passed, but she had changed completely.
Her aura was now cool and detached, not a trace of the old timidity or desperation. She stood like an unsheathed sword, exuding a subtle sharpness.
This Li Qingran was a stranger to him.
Facing her, and knowing that the terrifying senior was still inside, Lu Changtian instinctively dropped his usual "senior brother" tone.
Clutching his chest, he stood and said calmly:
"Junior Sister, I came to bring you back to Qingyun Sect. Though you injured Sixth Junior Sister during the tournament, it's not a capital offense. I had no idea that bastard Zhang Hanxiao left you to die here in Wanqing Mountain. If I had known, I would've never stood by."
"Not a capital offense... not a capital offense?"
Li Qingran gave a cold, bitter smile. Her eyes were like ice.
"So it's 'not a capital offense' to cripple my dantian?"
"It's 'not a capital offense' to rip out my spiritual root?"
"Good one, 'not a capital offense'! Lu Changtian, you of all people should know what a spiritual root and a dantian mean to a cultivator. You didn't kill me outright—but you might as well have."
Lu Changtian frowned.
If this were the old Li Qingran, she would've thanked him profusely just for showing up.
Now, she acted like she wanted his head.
She's still cultivating—so her dantian must only be damaged, not destroyed.
With the help of that mysterious expert, she must've taken some recovery pills or found another method to continue.
He pursed his lips and said,
"I was wrong to damage your dantian, I admit that. But since you can still cultivate, Master and I will help you heal it fully. As for your spiritual root… we'll find another for you."
"Where's my spiritual root?"
Her voice trembled with fury. Her eyes were frigid and unforgiving.
Lu Changtian hesitated, then forced the words out:
"You know our Little Junior Sister has always been sickly and weak. Her foundation was unstable… so we gave your Water Root to her. But don't worry—I'll find you another single-attribute root. Even if I have to sell everything I own, I'll get you one from the auction."
Li Qingran lowered her head, a shadow falling over her eyes beneath her bangs.
Her hands clenched, relaxed, then clenched again.
Tears slid down her cheeks, falling silently to the ground.
Outside the game, Chen Huaian—who'd been watching the dialogue the whole time—actually laughed in disbelief.
"These Chixiao Peak bastards… really know how to play dirty."
They stole Li Qingran's spiritual root just to give it to some frail Little Junior Sister?
Insane.
It was clear—even after everything, Li Qingran still had feelings for Qingyun Sect and Chixiao Peak.
She was someone who deeply valued her past, who remembered the teachings of Daoist Qingxuan and the kindness once shown by her fellow disciples.
But now, with those tears… all those feelings were probably gone for good.
"Lu Changtian, I'll return to Qingyun Sect."
Li Qingran lifted her head.
Her teary eyes showed no emotion—only cold, absolute stillness.
Staring into them, Lu Changtian couldn't feel joy, only a chill running down his spine.
Then she spoke slowly and clearly:
"I'll return tomorrow… to settle things once and for all."