Recalling the schemes of the protagonist, Ling Feng, Ji Chang frowned.
Back when he had been just a reader in his previous life, the plot had seemed fresh and exciting.
But now?
He certainly didn't think so.
Ling Feng was without question the type of domineering hero who lived by one creed:
Better that I betray the world than let the world betray me.
A man like that—if allowed to grow—would be terrifying.
The Ji Chang in the original story had already been considered a true villain.
But Ling Feng's nature was even more ruthless.
He sacrificed his foster mother.
He sacrificed his master.
He sacrificed his fellow disciples.
He even sacrificed women who had once lived and died alongside him—just to achieve his goals.
In the end, in order to destroy the Longevity Ji Family, he even cooperated with the demon clans outside the borders, triggering a beast tide through internal and external coordination.
A scum of the human race like that…
could not be allowed to live.
He had to be eliminated as soon as possible.
Ji Chang had no intention of ending up like the original version of himself—seemingly glorious at first, only to end in complete destruction, body and soul annihilated.
His thoughts spun rapidly.
And the aura around Ji Chang became increasingly unstable and elusive.
—
Across from him, Luo Nishang stood quietly beside the jade bed, dressed in light gauze.
On the surface she appeared calm.
In reality, her heart was growing more and more uneasy.
She couldn't understand it.
She had already delivered herself to his door—exactly as Ji Chang had demanded.
So why had he suddenly stopped acting?
The head of the Ling Family—her Dao companion—had died eight years ago.
Although she was nominally the matriarch of the family, the true power had long been controlled by the council of elders led by the Great Elder.
Fortunately, her adopted son—Ling Feng—had risen rapidly in recent years. Not only had his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, but he had even gained the opportunity to enter the Shendao Sect.
Because of that, Luo Nishang had regained some influence within the family.
Otherwise, how could she—a mere outsider with late-stage Qi Refining cultivation, and only the second wife of the former patriarch—possibly interfere in family affairs or use the Ling Family's resources?
That was why she had always been grateful that she had treated Ling Feng as her own son since he was young.
She had believed life would continue like that.
As Ling Feng's cultivation rose higher and higher within the Shendao Sect, her own position would improve as well.
Especially when news arrived that Ling Feng had entered the final round of the Inner Sect promotion competition.
The entire Ling Family had celebrated wildly.
But to her surprise—
those good days hadn't lasted long.
Soon, the surrounding forces began suppressing the Ling Family.
If Ji Chang hadn't revealed himself, the Ling Family might never have known who they had offended—even in death.
For the sake of the entire family…
for the sake of the clan…
the elders had chosen to sacrifice her.
They hadn't forced her directly.
Instead, they persuaded her with reason and emotion.
But the result was the same.
Just as she had resigned herself and set out for the Shendao Sect—
Ling Feng appeared before her.
At first, she thought the situation had turned around.
But what happened next plunged her heart into the abyss.
—
"Little Mother, the Ji Family's power is overwhelming. And since Ji Chang never acted openly, even the Shendao Sect can't interfere. I feel deeply guilty."
"But the situation has already reached this point. I ask that Little Mother help me one more time."
"This poison was something I obtained by chance during an expedition. Only a Golden Core cultivator can neutralize it."
"As long as the poison inside Ji Chang erupts during the final match, I'll be able to defeat him!"
"When I become a True Disciple, I will definitely help Little Mother and the Ling Family reclaim our honor and wash away this humiliation."
"Our Ling Family will no longer remain a mere Foundation Establishment clan. I'll obtain more Foundation Establishment Pills and help you—and many of our clan members—break through to Foundation Establishment."
—
Thinking back to that moment—
Ling Feng kneeling on the ground, crying as he explained everything while forcing the poison into her hands—
Luo Nishang's face turned pale.
But soon, as if trying to steady her Dao heart, she kept repeating one sentence deep within her mind.
Foundation Establishment.
I must reach Foundation Establishment.
Only then can I control my own fate.
If Qi Refining cultivators merely possessed a few supernatural abilities beyond mortals…
then Foundation Establishment marked the true beginning of the Dao.
Lifespan extended to three hundred years.
A genuine cultivator.
Even in top sects, Foundation Establishment cultivators were no longer disposable cannon fodder.
They were the backbone of the sect—people who could not be casually killed.
Luo Nishang had never hated her former self so much.
Always relying on others.
First her rogue cultivator master.
Then her Dao companion.
Then the family.
Then her adopted son.
And in the end…
this was the result.
Thinking of this, the beautiful woman in gauze subtly glanced at the man sitting ahead.
If only I had talent like his…
Ji Chang.
The Qilin of the Ji Family.
Born with dual pupils.
At his birth, Daoist chants had echoed across the heavens.
He possessed a mutated top-grade Lightning Spiritual Root.
At twelve years old, when his bones matured, he began cultivation.
In one day, he sensed spiritual energy.
In three days, he reached Qi Refining Layer One.
In one month, he entered mid-stage Qi Refining.
All those legendary achievements had turned Ji Chang into an insurmountable monument towering over the younger generation of the Western Wasteland.
She had to admit—
For Ling Feng to face someone like him in the finals…
the chances of victory were slim.
And yet—
despite holding every advantage,
Ji Chang still used such despicable methods.
Even threatening her—a woman who was technically a senior from the same sect, and the protagonist's foster mother—just to destabilize Ling Feng's Dao heart and weaken his performance.
Everything she was suffering now…
was ultimately because of Ji Chang.
As that thought surfaced, a trace of hatred unconsciously appeared in her gaze toward the man sitting on the meditation cushion.
"Heh… what an ignorant, foolish woman."
Unbeknownst to her, Ji Chang's dual pupils granted him observational ability far beyond ordinary cultivators.
Thinking about the role this protagonist's foster mother would play later in the story, a mysterious smile appeared on his lips.
Let me add a little more fuel to the fire.
Boom—
The pressure of Foundation Establishment cultivation erupted.
The overwhelming aura—one that had crossed the boundary of mortal life—instantly forced the unsuspecting Luo Nishang to her knees.
Ji Chang slowly walked forward.
He raised a finger and lifted her smooth chin.
"You don't seriously think I actually want you, do you?"
"You said you'd treat it like being bitten by a dog?"
"Who gave you the courage for a mere Qi Refining ant to provoke a Foundation Establishment cultivator?"
As he spoke, he looked at her alluringly beautiful face without the slightest hint of mercy.
Then he swung his hand.
Smack!
The tremendous force sent her crashing to the ground.
Her hairpin—symbolizing her status as a married woman—fell away, and her long black hair scattered freely.
A trace of blood flowed from the corner of her lips.
Her peach-blossom eyes glistened faintly with tears.
Anyone who saw her like this would feel sympathy.
Unfortunately—
Ji Chang was not one of those people.
"I didn't expect that Junior Brother Ling would be even more ruthless than I imagined."
"It makes my own methods look rather mild."
"To willingly sacrifice the little mother who raised him…"
"How interesting."
"You—!"
"What are you talking about?!"
Lying on the ground, Luo Nishang's pupils shrank.
Her body trembled uncontrollably.
Impossible…
How could he know?
She had come to the Shendao Sect in secret.
She had only met Ling Feng two hours ago.
At that time, there had been no one else present.
The soundproof formation hadn't given any warning either.
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
Ji Chang was just trying to trick her.
But no matter how much she tried to reassure herself—
the next words Ji Chang spoke made her feel as if she had fallen into an icy abyss.