104: Why do you seem like a completely different person?

Yaochi Holy Land, atop Saintess Peak.

Chu Qianqian stood quietly at the edge of the cliff, her white robes fluttering in the morning breeze.

She lowered her head, looking at her slender, fair palms.

Just now, she had subconsciously and without warning formed an extremely ancient and complex hand seal.

She had never learned that hand seal; she hadn't even seen it in any of the existing ancient texts of Yaochi.

But at that moment, it was as if her body were out of her control.

She had completed the series of movements as smoothly as flowing water, as if... it was an instinct carved into her very bones, practiced thousands of times.

"What is... this?"

She murmured to herself, a momentary look of daze and trance appearing in her eyes.

She tried to recall the meaning of that movement, as well as the vast, ancient aura that the hand seal had stirred.

However, as she thought about it, her mind felt as if it had exploded.

Countless fragmented, unfamiliar memories surged forth like a tide, forcing their way into her Sea of Consciousness.

Within those memories were obscure Cultivation Technique mantras, grand ancient battlefields of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and terrifying scenes of the heavens and earth collapsing... and even more, a kind of indifferent state of mind, as if standing above the clouds, looking down upon all living beings as if they were ants.

This state of mind definitely did not belong to the twenty-year-old, somewhat pampered and arrogant Chu Qianqian.

But at this moment, these things were forcibly undergoing Fusion into her Soul, becoming a part of her body.

While she was still struggling to organize these chaotic thoughts and trying to distinguish the boundary between reality and memory.

A familiar, strange sensation suddenly came from deep within her lower abdomen.

"Buzz—"

It was the precursor to the Hehuan Heart-Devouring Gu's impending flare-up.

Counting the time, exactly seven days had passed since her last visit to the Hehuan Sect.

If it had been before, feeling this death-warrant-like movement, Chu Qianqian would have instantly felt a bone-deep sense of humiliation, fear, and anger.

But at this moment.

When that familiar strange sensation struck, her heart was actually... completely untroubled.

It was as calm as a pool of stagnant water.

The fear that was enough to drive one mad had vanished, replaced by a nearly indifferent rationality.

"Is it time..."

She thought calmly to herself.

It was as if the strange sensation from her body was merely an insignificant signal reminding her to complete a certain task.

With a calm expression, she tidied her clothes, which had been slightly ruffled by the wind.

She didn't agonize in her Immortal Cave for a long time as she usually did, building herself up mentally countless times, nor did she even need to suppress any inner shame.

She immediately took flight on her Evasive Light, her figure turning into a streak of light as she flew toward the Hehuan Sect.

During the flight, she no longer felt that "thief-like" trepidation, nor did she worry about being discovered.

Her eyes were hollow and profound, terrifyingly calm... Hehuan Sect, Saintess Hall.

Today was bright and sunny, and Chu Qianqian's mood seemed good as well.

Counting the time, her "good sister" should be arriving to report in.

"Swoosh—"

Sure enough, before long, a white Evasive Light streaked through the air and landed steadily on the plaza in front of the hall.

Seeing Chu Qianqian's familiar figure, Chu Qianqian immediately stood up.

Her face wore that signature smile, full of playfulness and malice, as she swayed her hips to meet her.

She had already prepared today's "lines," intending to mock and humiliate her as usual before enjoying her sister's humiliated and helpless expression.

"Yo, isn't this my good sister?"

Chu Qianqian spoke in a sarcastic tone:

"You're quite on time this time? It seems you really missed your big sis..."

However.

She was only halfway through her sentence when her voice abruptly stuck in her throat.

The smug smile on her face also instantly froze.

Because she discovered that the situation... seemed a bit off.

No matter how sarcastic she was, no matter how much she provoked.

Chu Qianqian just stood there quietly, looking at her in silence.

There was no expression on that stunningly beautiful face.

No anger, no shame, no fear, not even... any recognition of her as a sister.

Those eyes were as deep as an ancient well, pitch black, exuding a heart-pounding coldness and stillness.

That gaze didn't look like it was watching a living person at all, much less an enemy.

Instead, it was like looking at a rock, a tree, or... a lifeless object.

"You..."

Being stared at by such an emotionless gaze, Chu Qianqian felt the hair on her back stand on end.

She subconsciously took half a step back, her instinctive fear making it impossible to maintain the smile on her face.

"What... what's going on?"

Just as the atmosphere froze and Chu Qianqian was at a loss.

"Tap, tap, tap."

The sound of footsteps came from within the hall.

Lu Yi walked out leisurely, munching on one of the two freshly washed Spirit Fruits in his hands.

"What's wrong? Standing at the door without going in, are you acting as Door Gods?"

Seeing Lu Yi appear, Chu Qianqian felt as if she had seen a savior.

She rushed over, pulled Lu Yi aside, turned her back to Chu Qianqian, and lowered her voice, her tone carrying an ill-concealed sense of shock and doubt:

"Hey! Lu Yi! Look at her! Did I go too heavy with my Gu? Or did something go wrong? She... why does she seem like a different person?"

"A different person?"

Hearing this, Lu Yi raised an eyebrow in surprise.

He turned around and cast his gaze upon Chu Qianqian, who was standing in the middle of the plaza.

With just one look, Lu Yi keenly sensed the difference.

The former Chu Qianqian, though also cold and proud in appearance.

But that "pride" had carried a young girl's arrogance and a sense of superiority from being a Saintess; it had been grounded in the mortal world.

She would get angry when bullied, blush when humiliated, and be afraid when threatened.

But the current Chu Qianqian... that was "coldness."

A complete, transcendent, and lofty "coldness."

She stood there, yet seemed entirely out of place with the whole world, as if she might drift away on the wind at any moment.

"Interesting..."

This eerie change didn't make Lu Yi feel afraid; instead, it made him feel quite intrigued.

Facing their blatant stares and scrutiny.

Chu Qianqian remained motionless, her face showing no ripples of emotion.

After a long while, she spoke indifferently.

Her voice was as casual as asking "have you eaten today":

"Have you seen enough?"

These four simple words sent an inexplicable chill through Chu Qianqian.

Lu Yi, however, raised an eyebrow, finished the Spirit Fruit in a few bites, clapped his hands, and nodded:

"Of course... not..."

Chu Qianqian also stood there, looking at her unfamiliar sister, feeling inexplicably creeped out.

"What on earth... is wrong with her?"