“Very well. You should take this Ten Thousand Fire Casket back and study its profound mysteries carefully. Now, it’s time for us to return.”
Chen Yuyang withdrew his palm.
Compared to Yan Luo’s barely contained excitement and elation, he remained as calmly indifferent as ever.
Yan Luo nodded, just then snapping out of her ecstatic daze.
But when she looked down at her own state, the young girl’s face flushed red with shame.
Earlier, she had been completely focused on refining the Ten Thousand Fire Casket, and driven by the heat emanating from it, her entire body had long been soaked through with sweat.
Her already somewhat thin clothes were now clinging tightly to her body, subtly outlining the curves of her delicate, well-proportioned figure.
Though not yet fully developed, it had already begun to take shape.
The girl subconsciously hunched her shoulders, using her arms to shield herself, while secretly glancing up at Chen Yuyang.
However, Yan Luo noticed that Chen Yuyang’s gaze merely swept over her with perfect naturalness, as if the sight before him wasn’t worth a second look.
This reaction left Yan Luo unsure whether to feel relieved or a little disappointed.
But in any case, the girl thought to herself.
Thinking that even faced with her current state, Chen Yuyang could remain unmoved.
He really was different, unlike those guys who couldn’t walk straight at the sight of a woman!
“Hmm.”
Yan Luo then pretended not to care at all, softly acknowledging him before obediently following Chen Yuyang as she stood up.
But just as she straightened up, a wave of weakness from excessive spiritual power consumption washed over her.
Yan Luo let out a soft cry, her legs giving way, and she nearly fell.
Chen Yuyang, quick of eye and hand, had anticipated this and immediately caught the girl by the shoulder.
The warmth of the young man’s palm, transmitted through her slightly cool, sweat-soaked clothes, made the girl’s heart race a little faster.
He’s really so considerate.
Still, compared to his other virtues, this was just the icing on the cake.
But it was precisely these little details that made him even more outstanding, even more perfect…
Even more…
Desirable.
Chen Yuyang, half-supporting and half-carrying the girl, left that towering black pagoda and exited the secret realm.
After leaving the secret realm, the feeling of spiritual power stagnation eased somewhat, and Chen Yuyang simply scooped Yan Luo into his arms, flying through the air towards the Yan family estate.
Before long, Chen Yuyang returned to the courtyard Yan Luo knew so well and gently set her down.
However, although she had regained some strength…
At this moment, Yan Luo was instead somewhat reluctant to part.
Maybe I should keep pretending to be weak…
Thinking this with a hint of shyness, Yan Luo adopted a pose of being unable to stand steadily, her small body swaying.
Seeing this, Chen Yuyang, without another word, continued to support her as they crossed the courtyard and entered the girl’s boudoir.
Chen Yuyang settled Yan Luo on the bed, only removing his hand from her shoulder once she was steady.
Seeing that Chen Yuyang was about to leave again, Yan Luo bit her lip and promptly continued, “But… I’m all sweaty, all sticky, I can’t just rest like this… I, I need to bathe and change clothes…”
As she spoke, Yan Luo’s head hung even lower, her voice soft as a mosquito’s whine.
Mentioning this need in front of a man, asking for his help.
Yan Luo felt this was the limit of what she could do.
Though embarrassing, and somewhat forward.
Though it also involved exploiting his gentleness…
But…
Yan Luo believed Chen Yuyang would definitely help.
And at this very moment, Yan Luo was prepared.
Prepared for anything to happen.
Hearing this, Chen Yuyang was momentarily stunned, but looking at the delicate blush on the girl’s face, and her sweat-soaked clothes clinging to her lithe figure, Chen Yuyang slowly nodded, took a deep breath, as if mentally preparing for something, and agreed.
“Okay!”
Hearing the young man’s prompt agreement, Yan Luo secretly sighed in relief, and immediately couldn’t help but start anticipating.
What would he do next?
Help her take off her clothes, carry her into the bath, and then use his hands to wash every inch of her body…
At that time, how should she react?
Being shy absolutely wouldn’t do!
She couldn’t resist either, what if she scared him and made him feel he was overstepping… What was that phrase called?
Half-pushing, half-accepting.
Yes, she would half-push, half-accept…
Then, just let him do whatever he wanted with her, do those embarrassing things…
Lost in her fantasies, however, in reality, after agreeing, Chen Yuyang immediately turned around and rushed out of Yan Luo’s room.
Yan Luo was a bit confused.
Wasn’t he, wasn’t he agreeing to help her?
Why did he leave?
Could it be that he was also a little shy, or was he going to his own room first to change clothes or make some other preparations?
Yan Luo wondered.
But she didn’t have to wait long before she heard footsteps outside the door!
The girl’s heart tightened!
He’s here!
But…
The number of footsteps seemed… a bit many…
Then, Yan Luo saw Chen Yuyang leading two maidservants in light green dresses into the room.
The maidservants came before Yan Luo and bowed respectfully: “Miss, please allow us to attend to your bathing and changing.”
Only then did Yan Luo realize that Chen Yuyang hadn’t gone to prepare himself, but to fetch help.
That’s, that’s right…
There were servants in the house, matters of attending to someone…
Yan Luo nodded, her voice still sounding somewhat weak, but her expression seemed one of loss: “Alright, then… I’ll leave it to you all…”
At that moment, Chen Yuyang had already turned back to the doorway and said to Yan Luo inside the room, “Miss Yan, it’s getting late. I’ll go back to rest now.”
Having said that, without waiting for Yan Luo’s reply, Chen Yuyang turned and left.
Hearing the young man’s farewell, Yan Luo’s heart clenched with an even stronger sense of loss.
Still, he really was so upright and honorable.
Not a trace of improper thoughts towards her.
Even if he had just gone along with the situation just now… she definitely wouldn’t have blamed him…
But the more he was like this, the more Yan Luo felt her heart, and her body, grow increasingly… itchy with desire…
Wanting…
Wanting him.
…
Half a month ago.
Beneath the deep gray firmament.
The residual might of the lightning tribulation had not yet fully dissipated.
The surrounding air was thick with a wild aura, and even the spiritual energy in this area had become extremely chaotic.
In the distance, at the edge of the clouds, stood a slender figure.
The newcomer was Yun Lian.
At this moment, Yun Lian was dressed in a simple white long dress, her beautiful face filled with astonishment.
Even from such a great distance, the lightning tribulation that had just seemed capable of annihilating heaven and earth still filled her with lingering fear.
Not long ago, she had received top-secret intelligence from her inside source: the Grand Elder of the Qiankun Sect, Long Zhizheng, had not returned to the sect with his disciples but had instead headed in this direction.
Yun Lian had always kept an eye on Long Zhizheng.
Seeing him alone now, she realized there might be a chance to approach him.
Acting on the intelligence, she had quietly followed him.
She had never imagined she would stumble upon this scene: the great battle between Long Zhizheng and Tai Lingxuan.
And what was most unbelievable to her was that Tai Lingxuan had not only defeated Long Zhizheng but had even slain him!
Moreover, in that life-or-death struggle with Long Zhizheng, Tai Lingxuan had broken through her bottleneck and stepped into the Great Vehicle Stage!
“Those powerful talismans… and that set of formation banners… just what grade of magical treasure are they, to be able to slay even a Great Vehicle cultivator?”
Yun Lian’s heart trembled with shock, a faint light shifting in her eyes as countless thoughts raced through her mind.
At this moment, the heavenly tribulation had ended, the tribulation clouds beginning to slowly disperse.
The battlefield below was a scene of utter devastation.
Yun Lian did not dare approach recklessly.
She knew that after a heavenly tribulation, this area would remain dangerous for a short time.
If she encountered any residual power, with her Nascent Soul stage cultivation, she would likely be unable to withstand it.
Therefore, she merely stood far off in the air, her gaze fixed intently on the central area of the battlefield.
She was desperate to know whether Tai Lingxuan was alive or dead.
After all, Tai Lingxuan had endured such a deadly battle and then withstood this terrifyingly powerful Great Vehicle heavenly tribulation.
An incense stick’s worth of time passed.
The center of the battlefield remained utterly silent, devoid of any sign of life.
“Could it be… that she truly perished, turned to ashes in the heavenly tribulation?”
Yun Lian’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret.
Such an extraordinarily talented figure, if she could be used by the Saint Church, would undoubtedly be a tremendous asset.
But then, a cold glint flashed in Yun Lian’s eyes.
“In that case… her soul might still have some use!”
Thinking this, Yun Lian hesitated no longer.
With a graceful wave of her jade-like hand, a small, palm-sized, entirely purple-black jade pagoda, radiating a chillingly dark chill, materialized in her palm.
The pagoda’s surface was covered in intricate runic symbol, and from within its depths, one could faintly sense a soul-shaking roar.
This pagoda was called the “Soul Binding Pagoda,” a heretical treasure passed down within the Saint Church.
Its function was to imprison the souls of the living and forcibly enslave them.
Against the living, its effects were limited, at most capable of disturbing the mind.
But against souls that had already left the body, or people on the verge of death from severe injuries, it could achieve near-absolute suppression and capture.
“If I can bind Tai Lingxuan’s remnant soul here and bring it back to the Saint Church, using secret arts to reshape a body for her that closely resembles her original appearance and constitution, then perhaps I can use her identity to stir up some trouble!”
Yun Lian thought to herself as she began to infuse her spiritual power into the Soul Binding Pagoda.
Instantly, a powerful black light blazed from the pagoda, its chillingly cold aura spreading rapidly.
The rune on its surface also began to glow with a faint red light.
The Soul Binding Pagoda activated, acting like a spiritual vortex, actively beginning to constraint any remnant souls within the surrounding space.
Hum—
In no time, Yun Lian felt the Soul Binding Pagoda vibrate slightly, and the red light on its surface suddenly grew even more dazzling.
Clearly, it had found something.
“Found it!”
Joy surged in Yun Lian’s heart.
She quickly increase her spiritual power output, forcibly drawing that soul over from the battlefield.
However, when the confine soul—barely broken and worn, having nearly lost its self-awareness—revealed a blurred outline, the smile on Yun Lian’s face froze slightly, transforming into a look of surprise.
It’s her?
No, it’s him!
Long Zhizheng!
….