Gao Yang arrived at the Fifth Senior Sister's door.
Knock, knock, knock—
Moments later, she opened it herself. "Thirteen, you're here. Come in."
A strong medicinal fragrance filled the room. The floor was crowded with herbs of every shape and color, some Gao Yang couldn't even name. Several jars containing wriggling insects lined the shelves.
Through the rear window, Gao Yang spotted a large water buffalo. Its horns were missing, and its body was covered in scars. The beast was so thin and weak it could barely stand.
"This buffalo's blood," the Fifth Senior Sister explained, "is the main ingredient in the Blood-and-Qi Pill. Catching it was no small task—I paid dearly to convince Second Brother to help."
She handed him a large wooden box. "These Blood-and-Qi Pills are your reward. Now, for the next experiment, you'll need to cooperate."
Gao Yang opened the box. A wave of potent fragrance escaped—inside were at least two or three dozen crimson pills.
Closing the lid, Gao Yang smiled. "If it's something I can do, I won't refuse. But I actually came to ask you for help, Sister."
The Fifth Senior Sister drew a small, sharp knife and cleaned the blade. "Oh? What is it?" she asked, taking his hand and making a shallow cut across his wrist.
Then she applied a white ointment to the wound.
Blood began to flow freely.
"This salve," she said, "is extracted from leeches—it prevents clotting. I only need one bowlful. Once I have that, I'll stop the bleeding. Now, tell me what you need."
Gao Yang briefly explained his idea.
The Fifth Senior Sister stared at him in astonishment. "You tried to form a second set of meridians inside your body—alone in your room? You're lucky your Dantian didn't shatter. With Master away, no one could have saved you."
Gao Yang felt confident in what he had done. After all, he had swallowed the Immortal Pill. If even his missing eye could regenerate, why not his Dantian?
He explained, "It's not truly a new set of meridians—just moving the Seven Fiends pattern inside the body. That should be much simpler, right?"
The Fifth Senior Sister thought for a moment, then frowned. "Still dangerous. And the process will hurt. Are you sure?"
Gao Yang nodded.
She studied him deeply. "Wait here."
She returned carrying several small boxes—mostly healing salves and pain-suppressing tonics.
Gao Yang asked, "Sister, why are you so kind to me?"
Without answering, she took his hand and wrote a few characters on his palm:
You remind me of my brother.
Gao Yang looked up into her eyes. They were bright and sincere.
He had no reason to doubt her. She had always treated him with inexplicable kindness.
"Sister," he said softly.
He couldn't call her Elder Sister outright; if the Immortal Mistress discovered she still longed for her family, punishment would surely follow. But he made sure to stress the word Sister.
The Fifth Senior Sister smiled warmly. "Mm."
Then she pulled out a snake gall. "Swallow this."
Gao Yang obeyed without hesitation.
Her eyes grew distant for a moment. Her brother had once trusted her just as completely.
"Brother," she'd said once, "look, it's delicious."
"Blech—it's sour! You tricked me, Sister!"
"Hahaha, you're such a fool."
"Because you're my sister."
The Fifth Senior Sister wiped a tear from her eye. "Take off your clothes."
Gao Yang removed his robe.
"Your trousers too."
He hesitated two seconds, then complied.
Her gaze was calm, almost pure. She opened a jar of ointment and gently spread it across his skin.
When his entire body was covered, she said, "This is poison."
Gao Yang nodded as if believing her. "Oh."
She smiled faintly. "The ingredients come from blood bats. When they feed, their saliva numbs their prey so it feels no pain."
Gao Yang remained still. He understood her temperament by now—if he acted like her brother, she would trust him completely. But he also knew that what truly mattered was that bowl of blood. Without it, no resemblance would matter at all.
He stayed calm, rational.
After feeding him a few pills to protect his meridians, the Fifth Senior Sister pressed her fingers to his Dantian. "We can begin."
In this position, even the slightest malicious intent from her could destroy him completely. Yet Gao Yang showed nothing but calm trust.
He guided his inner qi and began etching the Seven Fiends pattern inside his body.
Even with the numbing salve, the pain was excruciating. His face turned deathly pale, his body drenched in sweat. He gritted his teeth, enduring every pulse of agony.
Whenever he seemed on the verge of collapse, the Fifth Senior Sister would inject a stream of gentle qi into his Dantian.
The effort clearly strained her—sweat beaded on her chin, her breath coming ragged and heavy.
As she poured more qi into him, something remarkable happened. The wrinkles faded from her face. Her skin grew pale and smooth like porcelain, her features soft and wistful, radiating the grace of a noble maiden.
Gao Yang blinked in disbelief. His heart thumped; for a moment, he forgot the pain.
She flicked her fingers sharply. "Focus. The Seven Fiends must be drawn in one breath. The last time, your outer pattern was flawed—Master used Foundation Building to cleanse it. This time, the mark is inside your body. Unless someone flays and unravels you, there won't be another chance. You must succeed."
"Hiss—"
Gao Yang sucked in a breath, shut his eyes, and concentrated on the Seven Fiends.
He didn't know how much time passed before the patterns finally connected within him, forming seven ghostly seals.
His hands moved into a sealing gesture, chanting under his breath. Faint black lines crawled beneath his skin.
He focused his qi outward, agitating the surrounding veins. As blood rushed through, the black lines turned a deep crimson.
Unlike before, the result was less feral—yet darker, colder.
The blood-red markings emerged across his skin, and seven ghostly visages floated from his body, drifting about the room. A chilling aura filled the space, making it thick with deathly air.
Gao Yang slowly exhaled. His eyes opened, blood-red irises veined with black. "It worked."
The pain, however, was twice as intense as before. His muscles convulsed as he fought through waves of torment.
The Fifth Senior Sister withdrew her hand, staggering weakly to the floor. The backlash of his demonic energy had taken a toll—her face looked drained and pale.
Gao Yang hurriedly recalled the phantoms and caught her by the arm. "Sister."
Her hand, soft as jade, rested against his. Her eyes shimmered with weary reproach. "You've used up years of my cultivation, you brat. You really did take advantage of me."