A fragrance of warm sandalwood swirled around the courtyard mingling with the sweet scent of camellias in bloom. Outlined in the opaque windows was the figure of a woman, flickering against the light of a night pearl.

The air hummed with a refreshing breeze and slowly accumulated into a torrent dragged by the Qi energy in the air as it entered Tang Li Yue's body. She remained steadfast in a lotus position as she reveled in the enlightenment, she had just experienced.

Another step forward. The genius Saintess of the Sichuan Tang Clan took another step further in her path of cultivation. This breakthrough would solidify her position as the heir to the clan's profound secrets.

No one could deny Tang Li Yue's brilliance. In addition to her beauty, likened to an ethereal painting come to life, she was a woman who wielded her talents with lethal precision.

Tang Li Yue was destined for greatness. Yet not everyone agreed to that.

As her internal Qi intensified reaching the crucial stage, Tang Li Yue immediately felt something amiss. It was a subtle shift, which then turned into huge tremors in her lower dantian.

It spread like wildfire through her body, burning through her meridians. Her heart pounded through her ribs, her vision blurred, and her muscles tensed as a tearing pain bore on each fiber.

Tang Li Yue clutched her dantian, panicking.

"No... Why is- What's happening?"

She could feel it. The pure spiritual qi she had cultivated for years was tainted. And with it came the cracking of her dantian.

Tang Li Yue collapsed to the floor, her hands trembling as she realized what was happening.

Qi Deviation!

The words struck her so dumb that she momentarily forgot her pain. Only to be woken up by the fragrance of warm sandalwood mixed with another scent that only revealed itself now. The smell of poison.

Someone had plotted against her.

"Ah, damn! I've been had." Tang Li Yue laughed cynically despite the blood flowing from her mouth, nose, eyes, and ears. Her stomach reeled with disgust at the feeling of the sticky blood. If she had the strength, there was no doubt that Tang Li Yue would have wiped herself down already.

She didn't like being grimy. All of Sichuan knows just how much of a mysophobic Tang Li Yue was. This was often used against her. But no number of tricks could defeat real power. Not to mention, Tang Li Yue still had some form of self-control over it.

As her dantian completely broke, her drifting mind was consumed with pain, screaming in denial and defiance at her impending fate. But Tang Li Yue knew it was all futile. Unless an immortal comes down and saves her, her ass is set for the afterlife.

The last thing she heard was the faint footsteps echoing in the distance as her vision completely darkened and her limbs turned cold.

 'Wait for me to fucking come back, whoever you are. I'll fucking fuck you up.' were Tang Li Yue's last thoughts.