The Bone Stealer - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

As He Zhizhou’s cultivation steadily rose, the thunder tribulation surrounding the secret realm gradually began to weaken. Mother was still asleep, with her aura leaking out as little as possible.

The thunder tribulation, carrying the wrath of the Heavenly Dao, raged with overwhelming force, and the surrounding land had all been scorched to blackened ruin.

So I stayed at the outer edge, tempering my sword intent day after day. Purple lightning flowed from the tip of my sword into my body, and every spiritual meridian in me screamed in pain.

The heavenly lightning rampaged through my meridians with devastating force, yet endless vitality burst forth from the Immortal Bone.

The intent of death and that vitality tangled and tore at each other inside me before finally settling into obedience. After circulating through two full major cycles, that strand of heavenly lightning became mine.

When I opened my eyes again, half a month had already passed. After not seeing me all this time, He Zhizhou seemed to hate me even more.

“You’ve already reached Foundation Establishment. You shouldn’t need to eat anymore.”

He ignored me, his face dark and sullen.

“You’ve already refined all the spiritual energy from before, haven’t you? Then…”

He actually knocked my hand away.

…

I had thought I was at least a patient person, but seeing how stubbornly he refused to cooperate, fury surged up in me.

“I hadn’t wanted to treat you like this…” With one hand, I forced his mouth open; with the other, I poured Spring Drunk down his throat.

His struggling was suppressed at once, and his eyes turned red with anger.

The drug took effect quickly. No matter how hard he tried to hold back, he couldn’t conceal his ragged breathing. I was no longer in any rush and simply turned around to sit steadily in the chair.

He leaned in the corner, doing everything he could to suppress it. He had bitten his lips until they bled, and his usually cool, detached face was flushed all over.

He panted over and over, his Adam’s apple bobbing. From time to time, his gaze drifted toward me with naked longing, only to turn away again in disgust.

“Long Ying, you really are despicable.”

I lifted a brow and said nothing.

He was fairly strong-willed. He held out for half an hour before finally stumbling over on unsteady limbs, clutching at the hem of my clothes and rubbing his face against my knee.

“Please…”

At last, I understood why some people enjoyed seeing an aloof flower brought down into the mortal world.

This sense of control was truly intoxicating.

He Zhizhou looked much more pleasing when he surrendered to desire. All that old restraint and propriety had been cast aside, trampled into the mud.

The shadow swaying endlessly behind the bed curtains looked nothing like an immortal cultivator. He was fierce and tireless, more like a wild beast from the forest.

The moon set. The sun rose. Another night had passed.

He stared blankly at the ceiling. Only after I pulled away and left him did his eyes finally move.

“Cultivate well. I’ll be waiting for you to return to the Deity Transformation stage.”

After leaving the forbidden grounds, I went as usual to bathe in the clear pool behind the mountain. In the warm spring water, the lower half of my body transformed into a dragon’s form.

Scales spread all the way to my waist. That was my limit. I couldn’t fully transform into a dragon. Even with the Immortal Bone replacing what I’d lost, it still couldn’t make up for what was missing.

Even the dragon horns on my head were pitifully small. The Immortal Bone… couldn’t make me whole.

There was no point dwelling on it. I sat down to meditate and refine the yang energy I had taken.

After that, he became much more obedient, though those dark eyes of his kept filling with hatred.

He should hate me. I only hoped that hatred would drive him to advance even faster.

And in these past few days, he had indeed been much more diligent. After meditating to absorb spiritual energy, he practiced his sword day and night without pause. The giant boulders in the forbidden grounds were covered in mottled sword marks; just looking at them, one could feel a sharp, chilling sword intent pouring out.

I had never doubted his monstrous talent. A person like him could make even someone a whole realm above him fear becoming his enemy.

It was time to start planning a way out for myself.