51: They all managed to get a master! I want that too!

Su Lin saw through his little Disciple's thoughts at a glance; the excuse she found was quite deliberate, and he couldn't help but smile wryly.

He didn't move, just quietly watched the two streaks of light disappear into the sky before slowly lowering his head to look at Gu Qiuyue, who was still kneeling on the ground, her body trembling slightly from tension.

"Qiuyue," he said gently, his voice carrying a hint of a smile that saw through everything, "Are you in such a hurry to send them away because there's something important you want to tell me alone?"

With her Revered Master seeing through her at a single word, Gu Qiuyue's beautiful face, which had just regained its composure, instantly flushed crimson again, like the evening glow in the sky, even her fair neck tinged with a captivating pink blush.

She didn't look up, nor did she argue, but her hands, tightly clutching the corner of her clothes, betrayed the turmoil in her heart.

"Disciple... Disciple just feels..."

She tugged at her clothes and said softly, "Seventh Junior Sister and Fifth Senior Sister... they both got their Revered Master! Disciple wants to too!"

She slowly raised her head, her golden eyes, usually sharp and calm, now like stars shrouded in mist, filled with endless infatuation and humility.

"So... Disciple wants to use her own way to become the most useful person to Revered Master..."

Before her words finished, she made a move that even Su Lin hadn't expected.

She didn't get up; instead, she remained kneeling and slowly, little by little, moved towards Su Lin.

On the ninety-ninth floor of the Tongtian Treasure Pavilion, at the very top of this commercial Empire, time seemed to freeze at this moment.

Outside the window, the sea of clouds churned, resplendent with light, but the atmosphere inside the hall became incredibly subtle.

Gu Qiuyue didn't speak again; her golden eyes just gazedfoolish at Su Lin, as if looking at the only faith in her life.

A silent offering began.

From the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

He wanted to stop her, but his body was frozen in place, and the shocking note the System had just given him uncontrollably appeared in his mind.

The calming sandalwood incense in the hall, he didn't know when, became scorching hot, wisps of it like invisible chains, binding both reason and desire.

There were no words, only the most primal, century-suppressed reverence and possessiveness.

The aura was gentle.

The melody began to flow smoothly and gracefully.

Narrating the loneliness and persistence of a century of searching;

Pouring out the reverence and affection suppressed deep in the heart.

The performance began to glow with a gentle golden radiance.

The music entered its most brilliant chapter.

In a clear, prolonged note, the radiance and longing accumulated over a century transformed into the most magnificent movement.

She finished her performance.

Outside the hall, the sea of clouds above Tianshu City was tinged with a splendid golden glow.

Gu Qiuyue's pretty face was slightly raised.

【Ding! Congratulations to the host and Disciple Gu Qiuyue for achieving the "Silk and Bamboo Expressing Love" special bond, and the bond Rank has risen to a new height!】

【Affected by this bond, the "Bond Resonance" effect triggers extreme amplification!】

【host and Gu Qiuyue bond value +2000! Current bond value: 2090!】

【Detected that the medicinal power of 【Nine Revolutions Golden Dragon Saliva】 in the host's body has been perfectly guided and activated, the System begins to convert cultivation for you!】

A vast and pure surge of energy erupted from the depths of Su Lin's Divine Soul, instantly sweeping through all his Meridians!

However, this time, the expected Breakthrough in Realm, which should have been unstoppable, did not occur.

The immense energy, the moment it surged into his Dantian Qi Sea, was completely absorbed by the Nascent Soul, which flowed with a faint golden light.

It only made the Nascent Soul's light appear a few shades more solid and brilliant, but the barrier to breaking through to the Late Nascent Soul Stage remained distant.

Su Lin immediately felt that after the Nascent Soul, breaking through was indeed much more difficult.

The advancement of each minor Realm required far more energy and comprehension than the Golden Core Stage, like the difference between a stream and a vast ocean.

【Ding! The host's Foundation is too profound, and the energy required for Breakthrough far exceeds the norm.】

【The energy converted this time has been entirely used to perfectly consolidate your 【Middle Nascent Soul Stage】 Realm and refine the Nascent Soul body.】

【Congratulations to the host, your current Dao Foundation is far more profound than other Cultivators of the same Rank in this world, laying an unparalleled Foundation for your return to the Peak in the future.】

Su Lin slowly opened his eyes, feeling the unprecedented stability and fullness within his body.

This was not a bad thing.

Haste makes waste, especially on crucial Dao paths like Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation; Foundation is far more important than Realm.

This sudden change in aura left Gu Qiuyue, who was beside him, stunned.

She could clearly feel that although her Revered Master's Realm hadn't increased, the aura emanating from him was more than ten times heavier and more profound than before!

If her Revered Master before was a deep pool, now he was a vast star sea that appeared calm but actually contained endless undercurrents.

Could this be her doing? Gu Qiuyue thought to herself.

"Revered Master..." She gazedfoolish at Su Lin, a faint, unusual sweet scent still lingering on her red lips.

"Disciple... likes Revered Master's scent."

She whispered softly, her voice not loud, but clearly reaching Su Lin's ears.

This bold and direct declaration made Su Lin's heart flutter. He looked at his Sixth Disciple before him, her tear stains not yet dry, yet her eyes filled with seductive charm, and he felt a mix of amusement and helplessness.

He reached out and habitually rubbed the top of her head, his voice carrying a hint of helplessness and indulgence: "Your courage is certainly growing."

"Before Revered Master, Disciple doesn't need courage."

Gu Qiuyue rubbed her cheek against his warm palm, her eyes filled with an unyielding attachment, "Disciple only needs... to offer everything of herself to Revered Master, that's enough."

Just as this tender atmosphere lingered, in the sky outside the hall, two streaks of light, one ice-blue and one blood-red, approached from a distance. They cut across the night sky with astonishing speed, carrying an undisguised chilling aura, and reappeared on the ninety-ninth floor of the Tongtian Treasure Pavilion.

Mu Qingxue and Luo Ximei had returned.

The moment their figures stepped into the hall, the air seemed to freeze instantly.

Their gazes, like two sharpest swords, immediately locked onto the two figures inside the hall who were still in an intimate posture.