Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

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As Xie Ruoxi dozed in and out of sleep, in her groggy state, she completely refined the power of the Foundation Establishment Pill within her body.

She went through over two hundred Grand Circulations until her capacity for growth stalled completely, and her consciousness slowly resurfaced from slumber, gradually waking up.

Upon awakening from a deep sleep, her whole body felt sore. She stretched lazily in bed before getting up in a daze to put on her slippers, intending to go to the bathroom to freshen up.

Huh? Where am I?

After a moment of confusion, she finally remembered that she had been dragged into the bedroom by the domineering male lead and coerced into cultivating.

Like a startled rabbit, Xie Ruoxi's small head turned left and right rapidly, scanning the entire room.

No one.

No one hiding around.

And no one in the bathroom either.

So that means Yan Yu isn't here?

He escaped! He escaped, he escaped, he escaped, he escaped, he escaped, he escaped, he escaped, he escaped!

Without any hesitation, Xie Ruoxi quickly dashed to the window and flung it open.

Yikes, the second floor is so high! Jumping down would break bones, right?

But no matter, I just learned the Cloud Ascension Technique!

Meanwhile, in the living room, everyone was gathered around the table eating dinner—the small outbreak of Spiritual Energy had occurred the evening before last, making it already a full two days.

"Ruoxi has been cultivating non-stop for 48 hours without even taking a sip of water. This won't cause any problems, will it?" Su Yunjin asked worriedly.

"No," Yan Yu picked food for himself, "Performing Grand Circulations causes saliva to generate under the jaw. It's okay not to eat or drink for several days. If one later trains in the Fasting technique, then there is really no need for eating or drinking at all."

Of course, not needing to eat or drink doesn't mean one can't eat or drink. For example, Zhao Yuanzhen, who had long mastered the Fasting technique, came to Earth where there are plenty of MSG and spices. Yet, he still indulges himself daily in feasting on lavish meals, thoroughly enjoying it.

"Then what about these rumors for the past few days? What do you plan to do?" Lin Ning asked.

The day before yesterday, Yan Yu burst into the comic exhibition, dunked Xie Ruoxi's head into a Whack-a-Mole game, and was caught on the venue's surveillance cameras.

So a strange rumor emerged alleging that the two were in a romantic relationship. After becoming famous as Yan Zhanlong, he became enraged at his girlfriend for hooking up with Li Minghu from the Qing'an Battle Team. Ex-girlfriend threatened to expose him online, and thus Yan Zhanlong silenced her by murdering her...

Your family uses a Whack-a-Mole game machine to commit murder?

Nevertheless, this is still regarded as "violent behavior," so many people were happy to criticize from a moral high ground and then share the narrative, enjoying the thrill of "trampling on a cultivator's reputation."

Luckily, the Zhendong Army stepped in to intervene in time, blocking content where they could, so there hasn't been a major uproar yet—but the rumors keep resurfacing, seemingly with someone circumventing the censors by changing keywords, like substituting "fling" or "pickled fish" for "Yan Yu" and the like.

Aside from the version about Yan Zhanlong killing his girlfriend, there were other rumors, such as the one about the Flying Dragon Battle Team—consisting of one male to four females—hinting at some unmentionable dirty desires of the man in charge.

This seemed more plausible than murdering a girlfriend and thus sparked even bigger controversy, with female netizens in particular opposing it: What, female cultivators can only join a battle team by seduction? Absurd!

"Rumors, huh? Don't bother with them," Yan Yu said nonchalantly while eating. "We just need to focus on our own responsibilities."

The girls exchanged looks.

"If it were just ordinary spreading rumors, they would have been squashed already," Chen Lingyun said with a slight smile. "The reason this keeps happening despite prohibition is because someone is deliberately working against us, directly opposing the Zhendong Army from behind the scenes."

"Who could it be?" Lin Ning asked impulsively. "The Flying Dragon Battle Team? The Dingbei Army? Or is it foreign forces?"

Su Yunjin pondered.

No, none of the above.

Neither the Flying Dragon Battle Team nor the Dingbei Army had any reason to stir up such matters; after all, cultivators speak through victories on the battlefield. Foreign forces? Even less likely—not that they wouldn't want to, but they simply can't.

The ones orchestrating from behind, just as Ling Yun mentioned, must be of the caliber to go head-to-head with our Zhendong Army.

Considering Chen Lingyun's father, Su Yunjin guessed a frightening possibility and imperceptibly shook her head.

The captain is right. We don't have to—can't—deal with it.

Focus on ourselves.

"We have to win," she suddenly said out loud.

Lin Ning was taken aback but then nodded vehemently:

"Right, the best counter to the rumors is to win!"

She stood up quickly, stretching out her hand above the table. Su Yunjin smiled slightly and also placed her hand on top.

"Count me in," Zhao Yuanzhen, who was completely oblivious to the conversation and continued eating with his right hand—he thought being bad-mouthed was a completely normal occurrence—extended his left hand and added it to the stack.

Chen Lingyun smiled and placed her hand on top of theirs.

The girls all turned their gaze to Yan Yu.

Yan Yu was chewing on the meat in his mouth, but when he saw everyone looking at him, he swallowed his food, stood up, and said:

"Looking for a sense of ceremony, huh? Come on then."

"Can you not ruin the moment, Captain!" Lin Ning complained vehemently. "As team captain, can't you lead by boosting our morale!"

"Ha ha, I just think that when facing opponents like the Flying Dragon Battle Team, there's really no need to boost morale," Yan Yu laughed and stretched out his right hand to join the others.

"Win!" Lin Ning shouted.

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Everyone pressed down with their hands at the same time, and suddenly saw Xie Ruoxi, who was attempting the Cloud Ascension Technique, wobbling in the air before landing squarely in the middle of the courtyard outside the living room balcony.

Lin Ning: ...

Su Yunjin: ...

Zhao Yuanzhen: ...

Chen Lingyun: ...

Ruoxi, little sister, we are in the midst of a battle ritual to boost morale here! What do you mean by doing a live demonstration of running away at the side?

Xie Ruoxi, unaware that her escape had been clearly witnessed by the people in the living room through the balcony glass, simply landed steadily on the ground and triumphantly waved her little fist.

Safe landing! Completely effortless!

Next, little Ruoxi was about to escape from the demon's lair!

Just as she was about to hurry on, a hand suddenly draped over her shoulder.

Xie Ruoxi turned stiffly and saw Yan Yu behind her, showing a kind squinting smile and gesturing towards the inside of the house with his thumb.

Come, follow me back inside.

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"I wasn't trying to escape, I just saw you all weren't in your rooms, so I came down to look for you!" Xie Ruoxi argued.

"Then why didn't you take the stairs?" Su Yunjin asked gently.

"I wanted to practice the Cloud Ascension Technique," Xie Ruoxi insisted, steeling herself.

"You think we would believe that?" Lin Ning also helplessly held her forehead.

Even the two who had been indulgent towards Xie Ruoxi, after her repeated attempts to escape, finally lost their temper.

Xie Ruoxi fell silent, rolling her eyes, turning her head away, and adopting a "do with me what you will" attitude of a resigned dead fish.

Seeing her like this, everyone suddenly had no pity: Just wait and see how Yan Yu will deal with you!

Yan Yu expressionlessly took out his phone, dialed the number:

"Hello, Instructor Qi..."

Xie Ruoxi remained unmoved, thinking you can call the instructor, but that won't do any good, if you dare, just expel me from the military academy.

"... Yes," Yan Yu continued, "the child refuses to cultivate properly, loves to play..."

Xie Ruoxi sneered to herself. Is it really about loving to play? Or is it that you all want me to be a beast of burden!

"... so we must take measures..." Yan Yu said over the phone.

Xie Ruoxi inwardly shouted: No measures will work! I am born free! Better dead than not free!

"Check the mobile game ranking charts," Yan Yu said composedly, "then send her phone number to the top 200 gaming companies, have them all independently investigate, and if there's any registration record of hers, immediately cancel and delete the account, and if not, add to the blacklist..."

Before he finished speaking, something suddenly clung to his calf.

"I'm sorry." Xie Ruoxi kneeled on the ground, looking up with teary eyes, begging pitifully, "I really realize my mistake, please don't delete my game accounts. Please, I'll do anything."

Yan Yu looked down upon her as if he was looking at unrecyclable trash.

Hmph.

With what kind of determination do you say these words? Are just a few mobile game accounts worth the weight of your life? Do you think being a cultivator is just a regular job?

If you can't do something, don't recklessly make promises.

Beautiful trash, exactly the same as in your previous life... Always thinking of yourself.

"Delete them all," Yan Yu said coldly.

"No!" Xie Ruoxi's wail echoed throughout the living room.

On the other end of the phone, hearing the clearly female pitiful scream, Qi Changping's hand holding the phone also shook, instinctively advising:

"Um, Yan Yu, making the game company delete the account might be too much. Why don't you communicate with her again? If it really doesn't work, we can set up a timetable, specifying a maximum amount of time she can play games every day..."

From the other end of the phone came a beep beep beep, Yan Yu had already hung up.

Xie Ruoxi kneeled at his feet, her mouth agape in numbness, as if her soul had left her body.

The surrounding girls were also shocked by Yan Yu's demeanor, thinking although they had long known the captain to be ruthless, they had not expected him to land such a critical hit, knocking Xie Ruoxi to the ground.

For a moment, they felt a sense of sympathy for her and came over one by one to make peace:

"Alright, alright, captain, let's leave it at that. Deleting the account is a bit too much. Give her another chance."

Yan Yu was silent for a moment, then coldly said:

"Go to Qi Refinement."

Xie Ruoxi stood up like a puppet, stiffly climbed upstairs, and went to practice Qi Refinement.