C9 He Pleaded

Qin Biao felt as though his lower abdomen was being violently torn apart, the pain piercing deep into his soul, nearly wrenching him from his meditative state.

Yet, Qin Biao persevered!

In both his past and present lives, Qin Biao lived by one creed: only by enduring pains that others cannot will one achieve what others cannot.

Thankfully, the pain was fleeting. After some time, Qin Biao sensed his dantian had been cleared.

The spiritual force that had been chaotically coursing through his body seemed to find an outlet, rushing wildly toward his dantian.

Do I now... possess magical powers?

Qin Biao was somewhat bewildered, unclear about the current situation. Wasn't it said that a demon cultivator's strength lies in their physical form? How come I'm able to cultivate my soul as well?

Could it be because my soul is human, causing my body to undergo a mutation?

That was the only way Qin Biao could make sense of it, for anything else would be too bizarre.

But the reality was quite different!

Had Yun Siyu read the entire tome, she would have come across the description of the Moonlight Rat: "The Moonlight Clan, though demonic, possess souls. They cultivate both spirit and body, and under the moon, they are unmatched!"

The phrase "unmatched under the moon" sufficiently illustrated the fearsome legacy of the Moonlight Rat in ancient times!

It appeared that Qin Biao had the bloodline of the Moonlight Rat, only awakening it by chance when he inadvertently directed the spiritual force to his dantian.

Had Qin Biao resigned himself to being a Demonic Beast, he might have spent his life storing spiritual force outside his body, forming a Demonic Cire like other demons, and never uncovering the true secrets of the Moonlight Rat Clan!

The night's cultivation came to an end all too quickly. As Qin Biao hoped to harness the Beast Spirit Technique to absorb more of the dawn's first strand of purple qi, he found himself disappointed.

The purple qi remained but a slender thread, vanishing as soon as it entered his body.

Though the purpose of this strand of purple qi was unknown, or if it had any purpose at all, Qin Biao had grown accustomed to the practice.

After sensing the changes within his body, Qin Biao realized not only had he generated spiritual force, but the restrictions placed upon him had been lifted as well!

Qin Biao kept his eyes shut, feigning continued cultivation.

His mind raced with plans. Given the current situation, how could he unexpectedly slip away from the two captors?

Despite his growing fondness for Yun Siyu, Qin Biao had no intention of relinquishing his freedom to become her pet.

He recalled the terrain from yesterday's cultivation session, which was now etched into his memory.

It was time to initiate his escape plan!

Qin Biao's eyes snapped open, a glint of golden light flashing within them.

With a burst of strength, he shot off into the distance like an arrow from a bow.

Moreover, after a night's cultivation, Qin Biao felt even stronger than before.

"Junior Sister, the Moonlight Rat has escaped!" Duan Hao exclaimed suddenly.

Yun Siyu, watching Qin Biao's retreating figure, was filled with an unspeakable sense of astonishment.

She had great confidence in her restrictions. It wasn't just any ordinary Demon Cultivator like Qin Biao who would struggle with them; even a Demonic Beast that had mastered Shape Transforming shouldn't have been able to break free so easily.

"I'll help you chase him down!" Duan Hao declared, immediately employing his cultivation technique to pursue Qin Biao.

Yun Siyu, though reluctant, followed suit behind Duan Hao.

Qin Biao, now considerably stronger, still lacked the specialized techniques of the disciples from the larger sects, putting him at a disadvantage.

It didn't take long for Duan Hao to catch up with Qin Biao.

"Little beast, I spared your life yesterday, and you repay that kindness by refusing to serve as Junior Sister Yun's pet and daring to flee?" Duan Hao, wielding the Cold Soul Sword, bellowed with fury.

Qin Biao didn't bother with pleasantries and immediately darted in a different direction.

Seeing his target ignore him, Duan Hao, enraged, caught up with Qin Biao and swung his sword.

Qin Biao leaped just in time to evade Duan Hao's strike.

But Duan Hao was relentless. He flipped his sword and thrust it upwards, aiming for his quarry.

Qin Biao's physique meant that he couldn't engage in direct combat with his opponent. Even though he couldn't change his shape mid-air, Qin Biao managed to spread his tail wide to slow his fall, nimbly avoiding Duan Hao's sword and landing with precision on the blade.

"What an agile squirrel!" Duan Hao exclaimed, though he was kicking himself for not having dealt with Qin Biao sooner, knowing now how tricky an opponent he was.

Duan Hao's attacks were swift, but not swift enough to outpace Qin Biao, who kept him on his toes with relentless harassment. However, unlike other Demonic Beasts, Qin Biao hadn't honed his claws, so the damage he inflicted on Duan Hao was minimal.

The two were at an impasse, neither able to gain the upper hand.

But Duan Hao was clearly not content with a stalemate. He pulled a talisman out of his Qiankun pouch.

Talisman!

Thanks to the cultivation knowledge Siyu had shared, Qin Biao was aware of the formidable power of these talismans – each one was like a half-spell that didn't require any incantation!

Yet, he was surprised that this youngster had so many at his disposal. He hadn't used them in the cave against the giant ape, but he was willing to use them against Qin Biao?

"Kid, are you underestimating the giant ape, or are you overestimating me?" Qin Biao wondered.

In the midst of his thoughts, Duan Hao had already channeled spiritual force into the talisman and hurled it towards Qin Biao.

Fireball Technique!

Thankfully, it wasn't some kind of binding spell. As long as he could dodge it, he'd be fine.

But clearly, Qin Biao had underestimated Duan Hao.

The spell cast by the talisman was supposed to be uncontrollable, yet Duan Hao managed to direct the fireball, relentlessly pursuing Qin Biao. Qin Biao fled in a desperate scramble, the fireball hot on his heels, even setting some trees ablaze.

"Hey, have you switched personalities? Was that pathetic display in the python cave just an act?"

"Can't beat me, can't outrun me, huh?"

"Kid, buzz off!"

Drawing on his intimate knowledge of the forest, Qin Biao led Duan Hao in circles around the vicinity.

Despite Duan Hao's use of several talismans, he still couldn't so much as graze the hem of Qin Biao's garment.

"Senior Brother, please stop the chase." Just as Duan Hao was preparing to deploy some wide-range talismans, Yun Siyu caught up and intervened, urging him to halt.

Hearing Yun Siyu intercede on behalf of Qin Biao only fueled Duan Hao's anger.

Twice now, for a mere squirrel, you've intervened to stop me?

Duan Hao couldn't quite grasp his own thoughts. Was it possible that he was jealous, envious that this squirrel had moved his junior sister to plead on its behalf not once, but twice?