Chapter 21: Changing Li Yuer's Heart

The astute patriarch noticed how much Father Li favored the young Ling'er.

The patriarch said to Father Li, "I have a method that will allow you to obtain Ling'er's heart while ensuring she survives. It is not that I am unwilling to offer my own heart to the Holy Venerable, but my heart has less than ten years of life remaining; even if the Holy Venerable took it, it would only be useful for a decade."

Father Li was delighted. To obtain Ling'er’s youthful heart while keeping her alive was the ideal outcome. "Is that true?"

The patriarch replied with ironclad certainty, knowing that to deceive a Holy Venerable was to court death: "Our clan possesses a secret technique. As long as we find another heart, we can remove Ling'er’s and replace it within an hour. Ling'er will survive, though she will lose her natural ability to self-heal."

Hearing this, Father Li was very satisfied.

Father Li looked at Ling'er’s parents and said gently, "Do you agree to the patriarch's proposal?"

Ling'er’s parents dared not object; it was as if contributing to the Holy Venerable was the greatest of honors.

Father Li turned to the patriarch, saying, "I shall borrow your clan's secret technique." Then, looking at Ling'er’s parents, he added, "From now on, the three of you shall follow me."

And so, Father Li took the family of three toward Qingyan Village. Along the way, he took the heart of a heinous criminal and returned to the village with great speed.

After Father Li’s departure, the Spirit Healing Beast clan felt the lingering pressure of his immense power and were deeply shaken. Later, when the entire clan learned they had gained the protection of a Holy Venerable, they held a grand celebration, and the tribe was immersed in joy. They knew that with the protection of a Holy Venerable, their future would be far more secure and prosperous.

On the road, Ling'er’s family had imagined how magnificent the Holy Venerable’s home must be. When they stood before Father Li’s residence, they could not fathom that such a modest house was the home of a Holy Venerable. In their eyes, shouldn't a supreme Holy Venerable live in a grand palace?

Mother Li stood at the doorway, cracking sunflower seeds as she looked at them. "Why are you standing there? Come in and sit down!"

Father Li introduced them, "This is my wife. You may call her Sister Jiang from now on."

Ling'er’s father shook his head repeatedly. "It would be better to call you Madam."

Father Li said, "She likes it when you call her that. Relax; treat it like your own home."

Ling'er’s family could never have imagined that such a supreme Holy Venerable would be so gentle and devoid of airs, making them feel truly at ease.

***

At this moment, Li Ziyuan was in the back mountains, training diligently and completely unaware of the situation at home.

Li Yue'er was already fast asleep and would not wake for some time; Ling'er was also sleeping nearby. With a wave of his hand, Father Li caused a still-beating heart and a book of secret techniques to appear beside Mother Li.

Mother Li scanned the secret arts of the Spirit Healing Beast clan with her spiritual sense, quickly grasping the essentials. The next step was to use the technique to transplant the hearts between the sleeping Li Yue'er and Ling'er.

Mother Li took a deep breath, looking at the two children with a solemn expression. She waved her hand gently, and a soft spiritual energy enveloped them. She then formed seals with her hands, and mysterious runes flickered at her fingertips. As the runes appeared, the surrounding air seemed to solidify.

Mother Li’s eyes sharpened, and the light of the runes in her hands flared, acting directly upon the corresponding parts of Li Yue'er’s body through the shroud of spiritual energy. As the power of the runes touched her, a faint glow emanated from Li Yue'er’s body. Mother Li knew this was a natural reaction and had to be handled with care.

Nearby, Ling'er’s mother watched, her hands tightly clasped, her eyes filled with tension and worry. She was torn; while she felt honored to serve the Holy Venerable, she feared whether the transplant would succeed. Looking at Ling'er’s peaceful sleeping face, she prayed silently for everything to go well and for no accidents to occur. She kept reassuring herself that the Holy Venerable was so powerful that he must succeed, yet the trace of anxiety would not fade.

Mother Li then turned to apply the power of the runes to Ling'er. She formed the seals again, more complex this time, with even more dazzling light. When all was prepared, Mother Li moved both hands in unison, and two beams of light enveloped the children. She chanted softly, as if communicating with a mysterious force. Suddenly, she let out a sharp cry; a flash of light emanated from her hands, and Ling'er’s heart slowly separated from her body in a mysterious fashion. The heart was still beating slightly, emitting a soft glow.

Mother Li did not dare to delay, swiftly guiding the heart of the criminal into Ling'er’s body using her spiritual energy. She then moved her hands rapidly, embedding runes into Ling'er’s body to help her adapt to the new heart. Simultaneously, she moved Ling'er’s original heart toward Li Yue'er. As it approached, a powerful suction force pulled the heart into Li Yue'er’s body. Mother Li hastily formed more seals to stabilize her condition.

The entire process lasted nearly an hour. When the final rune was embedded into Li Yue'er, Mother Li finally breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at the two sleeping children and prayed silently that all would be well.

***

Mother Li wiped the sweat from her brow and turned to look at Father Li. He nodded slightly, a hint of anticipation in his eyes. They knew this decision would change the fate of both children.

Ling'er’s mother watched from the side, her heart only settling slightly when she saw Mother Li relax. Yet, her worry did not fully dissipate; she could only pray silently that both children would remain safe.

It was the tenth day of the eighth month, Yunqi Calendar (the day Mother Li performed the heart transplant for Li Yue'er).

It also added a layer of protection to Li Yue'er’s future path. Perhaps in the future, Li Yue'er would wonder why her body was so strange and why it healed wounds automatically.

In the back mountains, Li Ziyuan sat quietly, eyes closed, immersed in his cultivation. He took a deep breath, deciding to attempt the highly difficult "Flame Explosion Art" once more. As he slowly recited the incantation, his spiritual energy surged like a tide, but in an instant, it became like a wild horse, rampaging through his meridians and causing unbearable pain.

"The difficulty of this Flame Explosion Art is truly too great; I fear I am unable to master it for now," Li Ziyuan gritted his teeth and shook his head helplessly.

He turned his attention to the intermediate technique taught by Old Man Chen Xun: the "Flame Dragon Breaking Fist." Compared to the Flame Explosion Art, which could increase his strength tenfold, this technique was much easier. Li Ziyuan focused, attempting to manifest his spiritual energy into the shape of a dragon. Once, twice... he failed nine times in a row, yet he felt no discouragement.

On the tenth attempt, Li Ziyuan concentrated fully, mobilizing his spiritual energy. Slowly, the energy gathered and took shape. Finally, a yellow dragon, the size of an arm, appeared before him. Though small, it emitted a powerful aura. Li Ziyuan threw a punch, and the dragon roared, striking a nearby boulder.

With a thunderous "boom," the boulder was instantly shattered into pieces, debris flying everywhere. Li Ziyuan looked at his achievement, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

By evening, Li Ziyuan stood up, brushed the dust from his clothes, and began his walk home.