Ripples danced upon the surface of the bathwater.
Misty steam enveloped the two entwined figures, shrouding them in a hazy veil that only heightened the intimacy and allure.
Gu Qinghuan’s “cleansing” ritual was far more thorough than Lu Ning had imagined, and much longer, too.
This rebellious disciple, under the pretext of “removing foreign auras,” subjected her to an all-encompassing, flawless “purification.”
Lu Ning’s consciousness flickered repeatedly between sinking and waking.
She could sense some wondrous change taking place within her body.
The force of Taiyin, which had been icy cold, began to grow gentle after touching her dormant Heavenly Demon bloodline.
Yin and Yang, cold and hot.
Two diametrically opposed forces achieved a mysterious balance within her.
They merged and transformed, constantly generating an even more powerful gray-white true essence.
Lu Ning’s dantian and qi sea, nourished by this energy, brimmed with new vitality.
The once-parched qi sea was now greedily absorbing this nascent power.
The bottleneck of the ninth level of Foundation Establishment was shattered again and again under the impact of this mighty force.
At the same time, Lu Ning’s mind felt a bit foggy.
“Qinghuan…”
She murmured subconsciously, her voice unbearably soft and sweet.
“Master, I’m here.”
Gu Qinghuan’s voice sounded at her ear, hoarse and satisfied.
She had clearly noticed the change in Lu Ning’s aura as well.
“Master, you’re about to break through.”
A flash of delight appeared in Gu Qinghuan’s eyes.
“Let your disciple lend you a hand!”
As soon as she finished speaking, she held nothing back.
Streams of even purer and more immense Taiyin origin force surged into Lu Ning’s body.
Within Lu Ning’s dantian and qi sea, that gray-white true essence whirled madly, compressing, and finally condensed into a golden core, entirely gray-white in hue.
The Golden Core had formed!
At this moment, Lu Ning’s cultivation was finally restored in one leap from the Foundation Establishment stage to the Golden Core stage.
A power dozens of times stronger than before erupted from that tiny golden core.
For Lu Ning, the sensation of her power’s return was exquisite beyond words.
And for Gu Qinghuan, who was the other provider of this strength, the feeling was equally miraculous.
While assisting Lu Ning’s breakthrough, she too gained tremendous benefits.
The gray-white true essence, fused with Heavenly Demon power and fed back from Lu Ning’s body, surged through Gu Qinghuan’s meridians and purified her very soul.
The bottleneck at her late-stage Integration realm, which had long been at a standstill, showed signs of loosening once more, leaving her just a step away from the Grand Ascension stage.
No one knew how long passed before this long and frenzied “cleansing” ritual finally drew to a close.
Lu Ning lay limp in Gu Qinghuan’s arms.
Her body was exhausted to the extreme, yet her spirit felt an unprecedented sense of fulfillment and excitement.
Golden Core stage!
She had finally returned to the Golden Core stage!
Although there remained a vast gulf between this and her former cultivation at the Grand Ascension stage, it was already a tremendous step forward.
At least now, she had some means of self-protection and was no longer a pitiable little thing for others to toy with.
“Master, how are you feeling now?”
Gu Qinghuan’s voice sounded by her ear, tinged with joy and satisfaction.
She gently caressed Lu Ning’s damp hair, her eyes full of affection.
“Still… still alright.”
Lu Ning turned her head awkwardly, unable to meet her gaze.
The sensations from just now were too wondrous—the resonance of souls, the fusion of strength—making her feel as if she had melded completely with Gu Qinghuan.
This feeling made her afraid, yet she couldn’t help but become addicted to it.
“Just alright?”
Gu Qinghuan chuckled softly, reached out, and pinched Lu Ning’s chin, forcing her to face her.
“Master, you really say one thing but feel another.”
She glanced meaningfully at Lu Ning’s body.
“Look, not only did you break through to the Golden Core stage, but even your figure seems to have filled out quite a bit.”
Lu Ning looked down and her face instantly flushed bright red.
Only now did she realize that her body had indeed undergone some subtle changes from the ordeal of her breakthrough.
Her skin was whiter and more delicate, and her figure seemed curvier as well.
“It seems this disciple’s ‘cleansing’ ritual worked rather well.”
Gu Qinghuan’s lips curled in a playful arc.
“You… you’re talking nonsense!”
Lu Ning stammered, shame and anger mingling.
“Heh.”
Gu Qinghuan didn’t expose her further.
She simply rose and stepped out of the bath.
She donned a clean bathrobe, then handed another to Lu Ning.
“Master, it’s late. Time to rest.”
Saying this, she lifted Lu Ning from the tub, wrapped her in the bathrobe, and carried her to the bed.
Lying on the soft mattress, Lu Ning closed her eyes, wanting nothing more than a good sleep.
However, Gu Qinghuan didn’t allow her that peace.
The rebellious disciple climbed up as well, embracing her tightly from behind.
“Master, did you know?”
Gu Qinghuan whispered at her ear.
“Your disciple can’t leave you at all now.”
“I want to hold you like this forever, until the end of time.”
Hearing this, Lu Ning’s heart plummeted.
She had just escaped Ji Linglong’s prison not long ago, and now she’d fallen into Gu Qinghuan’s, an even more terrifying and exclusive cage.
And this one, she feared, she would never escape.
Just as despair overtook her, a sudden commotion of footsteps and clashing weapons sounded from the inn below.
Immediately after, a cold voice slowly rang out: “By order of Her Majesty the Empress! Scour the city for the Phoenix Palace assassin and all accomplices!”
“Search every inn, house by house! Let none slip away!”