"Heehee~ Hubby, aren't you too cute?" Si Jingwen flashed a charming smile. "Ropes can't become spirits, you know~ Channel your destiny qi into your eyes and take another look."
Channel destiny qi into his eyes?
"That's right..." Li Li remembered. Whenever he used to see destiny qi emerging from other people's bodies, he had found it terribly unsettling.
So, with Si Jingwen's help, he had learned to use destiny qi to assist his eyes, thereby temporarily eliminating his ability to "visually perceive destiny qi."
It seemed he still needed to restore his ability to "visually perceive destiny qi" after all. Silently, Li Li channeled the meager destiny qi within his body, directing it to his eyes, and then cast his gaze around the room.
"That's... a ghost... a ghost—!"
No wonder Li Li had cried out in alarm; he saw a strange black shadow wrapped around the rope.
The translucent black shadow was indistinct, but a pair of blood-red eyes stared out from it with a terrifying, vicious glare.
Wasn't that a ghost, the kind people exaggerated into something supernatural?
"Hehehe... And a weakling of a pseudo-destiny master—you must be the one!"
The black shadow let out a harsh, strange laugh, sounding like a night owl and making one's skin crawl. Along with its laughter, the surrounding air grew chillingly cold, as if suppressed by some invisible force.
Suddenly, the translucent black shadow gave a violent shudder, transforming into a stream of black light that bolted toward Li Li with astonishing speed. This stream of light resembled a black flash of lightning, carrying an endless gloom and chill that made one shudder with dread.
Oh no!
Li Li's eyes widened as he cursed inwardly. He hadn't expected this black shadow to attack him directly, and its speed was so blindingly fast that he had no way to dodge it.
Whoosh—
The translucent black shadow flashed past and instantly ensnared Li Li.
"Hehehe... A youthful body, abundant destiny qi! Come on! Let's ride the swing together!" The black shadow hung onto Li Li, cackling as it spoke.
"What... I... I can't control myself!" Terrified, Li Li discovered that his hands and feet were moving on their own. He walked over to the hanging white rope, expertly tightened it, wrapped it around his neck, and finally kicked off with both feet.
Whoosh—
He was swinging!
In this situation, Li Li found himself doing pendulum-swinging exercises just like Grandpa Zhong, but he didn't have Grandpa Zhong's ease; he could only feel the difficulty in breathing.
Ugh—this is so agonizing!
Even scarier, Li Li noticed that the destiny qi within him—already meager to begin with—was being gradually sucked away by the black shadow.
"Si... Jingwen... Save... me..." Li Li managed to squeeze out incoherent words, feeling as though he were about to suffocate to death.
To hell with this volunteer work! He was going to die!
"Heehee~ Hubby, don't panic!" Si Jingwen watched with keen interest as Li Li swung by his neck, laughing. "This is a great opportunity to practice using destiny qi. Come on~ Circulate the destiny qi inside you, and make it rush along the meridians of your back all the way to your cervical vertebrae."
"You..." Li Li's face flushed red with furious exasperation. He thought, *Are you a demon? Can't you see how much I'm suffering?*
The translucent black shadow burst into wild laughter: "Hahaha... A mere pseudo-destiny master like you thinks you can fight me? Hand over your destiny qi honestly~"
Dammit! He was really going to die!
Li Li felt his consciousness starting to blur!
"Hurry! Follow the feeling from the day we soared wing to wing, and get it circulating! Hurry up! Do as I say!" Si Jingwen shouted from the sidelines, her tone laced with anxious concern, though she still showed no intention of stepping in to help.
Well played, Si Jingwen!
Don't tell me you planned this all along!
To hell with soaring wing to wing!
Between life and death, Li Li's survival instinct exploded!
Holding his breath, he mobilized all the destiny qi in his chest, trying to break free from the black shadow.
Thump... thump...
He could feel it!
The feeling of soaring through the sky with Si Jingwen that night came rushing back!
This was the sensation of destiny qi moving in accordance with one's will!
"Charge—!" Li Li shouted internally, driving all his destiny qi in a single surge toward his cervical vertebrae, right to the spot where the black shadow had him entangled.
"What?!" the black shadow shrieked in shock!
The rope instantly lost its binding force.
Bang!
Li Li crashed to the floor, hurting like hell, but feeling deeply exhilarated!
"Cough... Whoosh—cough cough... Hoo hoo—"
Gasping heavily for air, Li Li had returned from the gates of hell!
"Hubby, you did it! That's amazing!" Si Jingwen bounced up, ran over with a giggling smile, and pulled Li Li to his feet.
"Amazing your head!" Li Li glared at her and snapped angrily, "Didn't you see I almost died? And besides, hurry up and deal with that absurd ghost! Do you want it to keep hurting people?"
Li Li knew that with Si Jingwen's strength, she could easily handle that black shadow; otherwise, she would have fled far away by now.
"Wuwu~ You're yelling at me~ I did it all for your own good..." Si Jingwen gently bit her lower lip, crystal-clear tears flashing in her eyes, her lovely face looking so pitiful at that moment.
Seeing Si Jingwen like this, Li Li didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Cut the act. Make your move, it's about to charge!"
On the other side, the black shadow shifted from shock to fury, its blood-red eyes bulging wide as it roared, "Daring to fight back! You've angered me! Go to hell—!"
Whoosh—
A chilling wave of air rushed at them, reeking of blood!
Amidst the stench of blood, the black shadow gradually warped, eventually transforming into a giant blood-red spider. Its massive bloody maw bared sharp fangs, and its barbed, blade-like legs gleamed with a cold light.
"Crap! It can even transform?!" Li Li was horrified. That was no ghost. That was clearly a man-eating monster!
Si Jingwen glanced at Red Spider, then back at Li Li, a cunning smile curving the corners of her lips. "If you want me to make a move, apologize to me, otherwise—"
"All of you go to hell—!" Red Spider roared, springing up in a Mount Tai-style press to unleash a powerful assault.
"I—I'm sorry! Ah—I'm getting out of here first—!" Unable to bear the terrifying, oppressive aura of the monster, Li Li turned tail and bolted toward the door.
"Heehee~" The corners of Si Jingwen's mouth curved slightly upward, revealing a charming and alluring smile. Her beautiful and mesmerizing face seemed to radiate an intoxicating allure.
Then, she slowly extended a hand—a fair and delicate hand, as smooth and fine as white jade. Her fingers were slender and tapered, with neatly trimmed nails that cast a faint pink sheen. The hand looked both fragile and delicate, as if a gentle touch might shatter it, yet it contained an endless gentleness and power.
"Don't be afraid, Hubby, I'm here. Qi Discharging Torrent—!"
Boom—
A purple radiance erupted in the palm of her hand!
The light instantly illuminated the entire living room, banishing all the darkness and chill as if a mysterious purple flame were burning.
This purple light grew even brighter, casting a dazzling halo outward even through the windows, glowing as brilliantly as the brightest star in the night sky.
"Ah—My eyes—!" Red Spider shrieked in agony, plummeting from mid-air.
Visible traces of decay began to rot across its body, and it spat out black blood from its mouth, yet it still struggled as it let out a horrifying roar.
Hiding by the doorway, Li Li peered into the living room, still shaken to his core: "Where on earth did that spider come from? By no stretch of the imagination is that a normal creature!"