The Qi Energy Demon hides within the primal energies of the world. When a soul cultivates and absorbs this energy, it risks attracting the attention of the Qi Energy Demon.

This is why it’s been speculated that cultivators in the Exit the Body realm might face Qi Energy Demons—because they, too, come into contact with these primal energies.

But this has always been a theory, never truly proven.

Until now. Han had shattered that norm.

The Qi Energy Demon had taken an interest in his humble, unassuming self.

The sensation of his soul shattering intensified. Han focused even harder on visualizing the Great Thousand Immortal Tree to suppress the demon's power.

It was working, but fully expelling the Qi Energy Demon seemed impossible.

After all, this was a challenge no one in the Exit the Body realm was supposed to face. That Han could suppress it at all with his visualization was already defying the odds.

At this moment, Han felt a hand on his shoulder—Lu Qingmo's.

A powerful force flowed from her hand, majestic and overwhelming, further suppressing the Qi Energy Demon. But even with her help, eradicating the demon remained a distant goal.

Cultivating through a demonic tribulation rarely succeeds with the help of others. Lu Qingmo could assist, but she could not fight the demon for him.

A continuous, miraculous flow of energy came from Lu Qingmo to aid Han, but despite multiple attempts, he was still helpless against the Qi Energy Demon.

Seeing that even with Lu Qingmo’s help, he couldn’t rid himself of the demon, Han realized that if things continued this way, the demon might eventually consume him.

With a steely resolve, Han devised a bold plan.

If he couldn’t defeat the demon—he’d join it.

"Soul, change!" he commanded inwardly.

"Mo Aunty, let go of me! I’ll deal with the demon myself!"

Activating his Transmutation ability, Han sought to merge with the Qi Energy Demon, using it as a catalyst for his transformation.

If a demon wanted to bring me down, maybe I’ll just become one myself. How would that work, then?

His soul was undergoing a transformation. While his form still appeared human, its essence had fundamentally changed.

The clarity once in his eyes gave way to a surging tide of desire, and his soul's aura shifted into chaotic disarray.

The Transmutation ability was working—Han had indeed become a human-shaped Qi Energy Demon, but his consciousness remained intact.

No matter how his soul transformed, his self-awareness stayed the same.

Once Han underwent this change, the pain and chaos inside his soul vanished instantly.

The true Qi Energy Demon, on the other hand, seemed completely confused.

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What’s going on?

Where’s my meal? Why am I inside another demon of my own kind? A demon with a physical form?

Wait… no… am I about to be eaten?

This high-ranking demon was bewildered by Han’s unexpected transformation. But then, several invisible entities swiftly shot out of Han's soul, disappearing into the primal energies of the world, fleeing in panic.

The speed of their retreat was astonishing—clearly, they were fleeing, terrified of being pursued.

Han smirked. "See, there are limits to being human. It’s much easier to be a demon."

But the power of the Transmutation ability was truly formidable.

"Mm?"

Han suddenly shuddered, sensing a chilling presence behind him, along with the Qi Energy Demon’s lingering power.

At the same time, he felt a strange connection between his soul and the one behind him.

What’s this?

Han quickly turned to find Lu Qingmo, her eyes filled with confusion and demonic energy.

Han’s heart skipped a beat. Damn it, it looks like Mo Aunty has been affected by the Qi Energy Demon’s power.

Worse still, the demon that infected her... was me.

The Qi Energy Demons Han had encountered earlier were drawn to his cultivation, and they hadn’t posed a threat to Lu Qingmo. They’d been solely focused on him, and she had taken precautions.

But this Qi Energy Demon was different.

The energy Lu Qingmo had sent to help him had formed a connection between her and Han, acting as a medium to infect her with the demon’s power.

She hadn’t listened to Han and let go of him. Instead, she continued assisting him, and now the demon's influence was creeping into her soul.

The demon’s power was indeed insidious.

But what was even worse was the look in Lu Qingmo’s eyes. Han felt as though she wanted to devour him, to pull him into her soul and consume him.

A strange urge surged within Han, a primal instinct to devour and assimilate her soul.

The ultimate goal of the Qi Energy Demon was to consume the souls of cultivators and fuse with them.

"Mo Aunty, fight back with everything you have!" Han shouted, then immediately shifted back to his original soul form.

Thankfully, once the Qi Energy Demon "vanished," Lu Qingmo was able to break free from its influence.

"Phew..."

Lu Qingmo’s soul returned to her body, and she cast a deep look at Han before leaving the room without another word.

"My soul has been tainted. You should go back for now."

Before Han could say anything more, he too withdrew his soul.

Opening his eyes, Han let out a heavy sigh.

What the hell happened? How did things end up like this?

He’d even had the sensation that he could dive straight into Lu Qingmo’s soul, wreak havoc from within.

Of course, Han would never do something like that.

The secret room was clearly not a place for peace. He would never enter one again!

Standing outside the pavilion, Han thought about how he needed to explain things to Lu Qingmo. He wasn’t the kind of person who would run away when something went wrong.

But before he could come up with the right words, Lu Qingmo’s voice rang in his ear.

"You should go back."

Han opened his mouth but ultimately obeyed her words.

After leaving the Peach Grove, Han scratched his head, feeling completely frazzled. That was a close call—he nearly dragged Lu Qingmo into it.

Back at the martial arts academy, when Han saw Bai Ruoyue, he felt an unexpected sense of guilt.

But after a moment’s thought, he walked over to her and asked a question.

"Senior Sister, what’s the relationship between Mo Aunty, you, and Master?"

"Why the sudden question?" Bai Ruoyue looked at him with a curious expression.

"I’m not entirely sure either. My dad and Mo Aunty are good friends, but they don’t interact much, so it doesn’t seem like it’s that close."

"Mo Aunty once told me she’s here to look after me for someone else. My dad mentioned something similar."

Bai Ruoyue paused, her tone suddenly tinged with sadness.

"I’ve wondered about it before... I think Mo Aunty might have been a friend of my mother. My dad and she aren’t very close; they only interact because of my mother. That’s probably why she’s so good to me, but I’ve never met my mother."

"When I was little, I even thought she was my mother... but she wasn’t."

"My dad said my mother is far away..."

Han’s heart unexpectedly relaxed.

"I’m sorry, Senior Sister. I didn’t mean to bring up those memories," Han said apologetically.

Bai Ruoyue patted his shoulder. "It’s fine."

"Hey, Little Junior Brother, you’ve made huge progress last night. Did you take some medicine?"

Feeling the strength in Han’s body, Bai Ruoyue was surprised. She was used to seeing Han improve every day, but today’s progress was extraordinary, almost rivaling his breakthrough to the Lesser Success stage.

His soul’s breakthrough had given Han’s body a significant boost, making him even stronger than before.

Han estimated that with the combined effect of his soul’s reinforcement, the Golden Elixir, and spiritual herbs, he would soon break through to the peak of the Flesh Realm.