Seeing Lu Zhiyi begin preparations for the medicinal bath, Su Xuan returned to the bedroom, sat on the bed, and let out a long sigh.
He was truly exhausted today. Refining pills consumed not only Spiritual Power but also a significant amount of mental energy.
He estimated it would take his little disciple a while to get everything ready. To keep himself from falling asleep, he decided to take the opportunity to cultivate.
Taking out the Spiritual Stone Huan’er had given him, he crushed it and began circulating his Spiritual Power according to his Cultivation Method.
As his cultivation level rose, the help a single Spiritual Stone provided had diminished significantly.
If Qi Refining Layer 2 was a small pool, the Spiritual Qi currently in his body had grown into a pond, more than several times larger than before.
Furthermore, as the quality of his Spiritual Qi continued to be refined, the efficiency of absorbing Spiritual Stones decreased. His body was gradually starting to look down on these ordinary stones.
When the time came, he would either have to use High-grade Spirit Stones—which was obscenely expensive—or rely on his natural talent and other methods.
Speaking of talent, he recalled the previous system notification.
After consuming the inner core, his aptitude didn’t seem to have changed at all.
Except…
Frowning, he instinctively began to inspect the Spiritual Qi inside his body.
He was shocked by what he found. What was once only a small corner of cyan Spiritual Qi had spread like ink, dyeing nearly half of the colorless Spiritual Qi from the Evergreen Art and continuing to expand.
If his previous Spiritual Power was pure and peaceful, it was now filled with dominance and violence, surging constantly.
‘What is this stuff?’
He cautiously channeled a tiny bit of the cyan Spiritual Qi and activated the Ningnian Jue to see its effect.
With a gentle wave of his hand, the teapot flew out like an arrow released from a bowstring.
*Roar!*
As the teapot took flight, the phantom cry of an unknown Demon Beast suddenly erupted. Its speed instantly exploded several times over, even leaving behind a cyan afterimage!
‘Holy crap? This powerful?’
Su Xuan was startled.
Could this cyan Spiritual Power actually grant such a massive boost to speed?
When the system mentioned improving his aptitude, was it referring to this?
Did that roar just now have other effects?
Su Xuan fell into deep thought. He felt this Spiritual Qi was incredibly mysterious, and he hadn’t fully uncovered its potential yet. If he had the chance, he would need to test it in actual combat; it might have miraculous effects.
“Master, may I come in?”
Before he could think for much longer, Lu Zhiyi’s voice drifted in as she entered, carrying a water bucket.
Su Xuan hadn’t been paying much attention at first, but the moment he saw her, his eyes glazed over, and he couldn’t look away.
For some reason, Lu Zhiyi had already changed her clothes.
Her nightgown was originally made of white gauze. For comfort, it was wide and loose, making her skin appear indistinct beneath the fabric. Only when a breeze blew could one see the faint outlines of her figure. Otherwise, the waist, hips, and legs were completely obscured, lacking any sense of aesthetic curve.
But now, she had cinched the originally loose waist and tied it with a sash. The entire nightgown now resembled a hip-hugging skirt from his former world, clinging tightly to her body.
The waist was pulled taut, her lower abdomen slightly curved to reveal the faint silhouette of her core muscles. Her small hips were perky, swaying slightly as she walked. Between the opening and closing of her two straight legs, he could catch glimpses of her form…
“Master, I… I was afraid it would be uncomfortable if the clothes stuck to me later.”
Lu Zhiyi bit her lip, offering a transparently thin explanation.
Seeing her master’s fixed gaze—which felt almost tangible as it brushed over her waist and legs—she felt her body grow warm, accompanied by a strange sense of satisfaction.
She had noticed last time that her master’s eyes often lingered on her lower body, so she had intentionally dressed this way. As expected, her master was completely mesmerized.
Standing against a door, leaning over a table, or being held in the air, or even…
He could write “The Two Capitals” on one side and “The Thirteen Provinces” on the other, and then…
Su Xuan swallowed hard, countless “educational” memories from his past life flashing through his mind.
“You… you put the water in first. I’ll come in in a moment.”
He shook his head violently, stole two more glances, and then walked out with his body slightly hunched.
‘Oh my, Lu Zhiyi, Lu Zhiyi, what are you doing!’
Noticing her master’s abnormality and watching him flee in a panic, Lu Zhiyi’s initial surge of vengeful excitement was immediately replaced by a sense of insecurity.
That was her master. Acting like this made her seem so… cheap.
The thought startled her. Fearing that Su Xuan would look down on her, she sat in the bath bucket feeling anxious, leaving only her head exposed as she called out.
“Master, I’m ready!”
Outside, Su Xuan was also harshly criticizing himself.
‘You animal, she’s still a child…’
He paused, his heart thumping.
‘Wait, they aren’t the little girls from a few years ago anymore. They’ve grown up, which means…’
‘No, that won’t do! That’s your disciple! The kind that could cost you your life!’
‘If they ever find out you have impure intentions…’
Thinking of this, he finally managed to suppress the restless feelings in his heart. He gave a response and turned to walk back inside.
Both of them felt a bit guilty, and for a moment, neither knew what to say. Silence fell over the room.
Su Xuan followed the previous steps, beginning the medicinal bath for his little disciple in a businesslike manner.
Though his palm was pressed firmly against her smooth back and he could see her figure from his vantage point, Su Xuan felt only torment.
As the process continued, the originally thick Spiritual Qi became thin as water. Lu Zhiyi let out soft moans, her breathing becoming heavy as she did her best to absorb the medicinal properties.
He could see, touch, and hear, but he couldn’t “eat.” Su Xuan felt the agony intensify.
Finally, after the last wisp of Spiritual Qi was delivered, Su Xuan breathed a long sigh of relief. It was finally over.
“All right, Zhiyi. You can go back and rest now,” he said, wiping away his sweat.
“Master, I still need…” Lu Zhiyi whispered as if in a trance.
Earlier, as Su Xuan’s Spiritual Power circulated through her, she had enjoyed the tingling sensation while simultaneously not knowing how to face him. She had been forcing herself to endure, but now that her mind had relaxed, the words slipped out.
“There’s still cultivation. Can Master help me complete a full cycle?”
Lu Zhiyi jolted, realizing how much ambiguity her previous words contained, and hurriedly tried to fix it.
“Uh, how do we do that? I’ll cooperate with you. Let’s finish quickly.”
Su Xuan only wanted her to finish and leave as soon as possible. Looking at such an alluring disciple, he was truly afraid he wouldn’t be able to restrain himself.
“I will circulate my method, and as the Spiritual Qi dissipates, Master can help me collect it and send it back,” she said after a moment of thought, based on her own understanding.
Then, biting her lip, she reached out both hands toward her master.
Su Xuan froze for a moment, understanding her meaning. He reached out, and their ten fingers interlocked.
Her hands were warm and soft, making him instinctively want to give them a squeeze.
“I’m starting, Master!”
With him holding her hands, Lu Zhiyi’s face was impossibly red, and goosebumps nearly broke out across her skin. She quickly steeled her heart, closed her eyes, and began circulating her Cultivation Method.
As she did, wisps of purple Spiritual Qi drifted out, faintly carrying a sense of warmth and tolerance, as if they could contain everything.
Greatness through tolerance—this was the fundamental tone of the Heaven-Mending Art.
Following her request, Su Xuan quickly gathered the escaping Spiritual Qi, condensing it into a small sphere. He guided it with his own Spiritual Power and sent it back into Lu Zhiyi’s body.
“Ah!”
To their surprise, as the cyan and purple Spiritual Power merged, the dominant and gentle natures acted like two extremes. They constantly clashed and fused within Lu Zhiyi’s body, causing her to let out a series of cries that were both pained and pleasurable.
“Hold on, it’ll be over soon.”
Amidst his surprise, Su Xuan discovered that this fusion was extremely beneficial for both him and his disciple. He quickly encouraged her.
At the same time, he gripped her hands tightly, trying to find a way to control his Spiritual Power to lessen her pain.
***
Outside the courtyard, it was already the early morning hours. There wasn’t a sound in the Marketplace.
Lin Zhiwei walked to the front door, looking utterly exhausted and covered in dust.
She had gone out today to gather medicinal herbs, and her group had fought a battle against the Guardian Spirit Beast.
Although she had consumed a lot of energy, she had gathered enough information. She estimated they could take it down if they went back tomorrow night.
‘They should be asleep by now, right?’
She quietly pushed the door open, only to find the light still on in her master’s room.
‘Why is he still awake at this hour?’
She felt a bit confused.
“Ugh… ah…”
Just then, a sharp, hurried cry suddenly erupted from her master’s room.
That was Lu Zhiyi’s voice!
Hearing the sound, Lin Zhiwei felt as if ice water had been poured over her head. She froze on the spot instantly.