Ning Qi could sense it.
Eighth Senior Brother Qin Yun was extremely curious about his cultivation progress. Although the other senior brothers and sisters were also curious, it was within normal bounds. But Qin Yun was different; Ning Qi often felt Qin Yun’s probing gaze.
Even though he didn’t want to admit it, he felt that Eighth Senior Brother might be jealous of him, leading to an obsession with his heart demon.
His strange state might be related to this.
Ning Qi knew that Qin Yun always took reviving the True Martial Sect as his duty. Before Ning Qi came to the mountain, Qin Yun was the most promising among the many True Disciples, with talent even surpassing Jiang Baishan, being the center of attention.
But ever since Ning Qi gradually revealed his Martial Path.
Things started to change gradually.
From the initial practice of Stance Skill, his performance already shocked everyone. Later, Taoist Longshan asked the disciples not to inquire about Ning Qi’s cultivation progress and let him live alone near the Scripture Pavilion.
Such exceptional treatment made everyone aware of Ning Qi’s extraordinariness.
However, while others felt relieved, Qin Yun perhaps felt a tinge of bitterness and jealousy amidst his happiness.
Ning Qi could feel the complexity in Qin Yun’s heart, and Qin Yun probably couldn’t control it himself.
Qin Yun extended an invitation.
If he didn’t attend, it might cause Qin Yun to overthink.
If he did, even with using the Silence Technique to conceal most of his cultivation, he still needed to show a talent-appropriate realm, at least revealing the Bone Refining Realm; otherwise, it would be like treating Qin Yun as a fool.
Neither approach seemed very good.
Ning Qi hesitated slightly.
Taoist Longshan spoke.
"Alright, today’s competition ends here. Ba, come with me, I have something to discuss with you."
Qin Yun was stunned, then nodded respectfully.
The two figures left.
Luo Wentian was slightly taken aback, then began summarizing this competition.
Ning Qi’s eyes flashed, and he sighed slightly in his heart.
Taoist Longshan’s actions basically confirmed his suspicions; Eighth Senior Brother Qin Yun likely had developed an obsession heart demon.
"Go to the Scripture Pavilion and see if there are any records about heart demons. If I can understand what a ’heart demon’ is, perhaps I can try to create a method to eliminate it."
Before Ning Qi embarked on the Martial Path, only Ye Qinghe and Qin Yun were close to him. Although Qin Yun grew distant after practicing martial arts, Ning Qi still hoped for Qin Yun’s well-being.
If within his ability, he would not hesitate to help.
Qin Yun sat cross-legged on the bed, five hearts pointed towards the sky, running his cultivation technique.
The scene at the Bright Martial Pavilion floated back into his mind during the day.
Taoist Longshan earnestly instructed him:
"Yun’er, as your master, I know what you’re thinking. You have unparalleled talent and are ambitious, viewing revitalizing the True Martial Sect as your duty, but sometimes you must remember not to be too impatient, or it could lead to irreversible consequences."
"Reaching the Great Success of Inner Essence is a good thing for your cultivation, but you must also solidify your foundation and not rush."
"Although I hope for the revival of the True Martial Sect, you are equally important to me, you True Martial Nine Sons should be as close as brothers, weathering storms together."
"This is the Purifying Heart Technique. I know your thoughts have been chaotic lately; reciting this spell might help you focus and calm down."
Recalling these words, Qin Yun felt somewhat moved.
He slowly recited it silently.
"The greatest virtue is like water; purify the heart as if void, reduce thoughts and clear the mind..."
The previously chaotic thoughts gradually faded.
But for some reason, the scene from the day kept replaying, with Ning Qi’s figure enlarging in his mind.
"Little Junior Brother... what is his cultivation now?"
As soon as this thought surfaced.
He immediately felt intense agitation and a throbbing headache, disrupting the slight comfort and peace brought by the Purifying Heart Technique.
Qin Yun used the Heaven-shaking Strength, circulating the inner strength through his body, trying to relieve his discomfort this way.
But even he hadn’t realized.
Tiny threads of black aura surfaced all over his body, and the way he operated the Heaven-shaking Strength changed unknowingly.
This was from a scroll fragment he got during a trip down the mountain.
After instinctively operating it once, he discovered that his cultivation speed was much faster than with the Heaven-shaking Strength. However, he also noticed that cultivating this fragment seemed to cause unpredictable changes in his mindset, which he hadn’t mentioned to Taoist Longshan.
Again and again, he circulated it.
The explosive pain Qin Yun felt finally subsided, but he didn’t notice the thickening black aura on his body, even clouding his eyes.
The chaotic thoughts at last converged.
"I will secretly test the Little Junior Brother."
Qin Yun smiled strangely, changed into night attire, and headed towards the Scripture Pavilion.
At this moment, inside the Scripture Pavilion.
Ning Qi had found everything related to heart demons and methods.
"Heart demons trigger due to thoughts and are essentially amplified negative emotions that undergo unknowable changes. If a heart demon isn’t removed, one probably won’t progress on the Martial Path?"
"In severe cases, one might even bleed from the seven orifices and die?"
Ning Qi felt a chill.
Heart demons were more serious than he had imagined, but according to these records, heart demons have several stages.
"To remove it, one must address the root cause, dispelling obsession to eliminate the heart demon. However, according to these records, those who removed heart demons did it through coincidental opportunities, with no pattern to follow. Some sects even created methods to accelerate cultivation using heart demons..."
"Only a few techniques like the Purifying Heart Technique in the Scripture Pavilion offer some calming effects to suppress chaotic thoughts, no wonder Master took the Purifying Heart Technique."
"Creating a method to thoroughly eliminate heart demons is difficult, mainly because I don’t understand in what form heart demons appear or exist, and also, my own cultivation isn’t enough..."
Various thoughts welled up in Ning Qi’s heart.
He planned to spend some time each day researching this, striving to create a Secret Technique to eliminate heart demons soon.
Ning Qi’s brows furrowed, looking into the distance.
He sensed a strange aura quietly approaching, heading towards the direction of the Scripture Pavilion and Seeking Tao Institute.
"A late-night visitor, likely with ill intent."
The Body Shifting and Bone Changing technique silently activated, instantly transforming Ning Qi into an ordinary-looking middle-aged Taoist in the Scripture Pavilion.
Ning Qi moved his body, acclimated, then concealed his presence and disappeared.
Qin Yun, masked in night attire, blended covertly into the night. He was extremely familiar with the True Martial Sect and easily avoided the patrolling disciples.
His thoughts were burning, yet he retained some rationality.
"I will pretend to be a thief attacking my Little Junior Brother. He mistakenly thinks he’s in mortal danger and naturally won’t hold back. At that point, I can observe his true cultivation, but he must not be harmed."
Qin Yun’s gaze turned slightly complex.
He felt a great internal conflict, but he knew that ever since his Little Junior Brother learned the Vengeance Stance effortlessly from him, their relationship couldn’t return to what it was before.
"Perhaps, I am inherently narrow-minded and vengeful."
Qin Yun felt a pang of bitterness.
But suddenly, he halted abruptly, shock surging in his heart.
He saw a figure standing with hands behind, as if waiting for him all along.