Chapter 122 Is the time... almost here?

The dense mist drifted like a light veil, swirling between the surface of the pool and the two of them.

Yu Linglong leaned back against the pool wall, her usually cold and frosty face seemingly permeated by a warm current.

The shimmering water reflected upon her wet eyelashes, the tip of her nose, and her slightly parted lips; those beautiful eyes, which always held distance and vigilance, were now hazy with mist, their shifting gaze filled with a bewilderment never seen before, and the usual air of keeping others at a distance was nowhere to be found.

A dark glint flashed in Xiao Ming's eyes, the turbulent darkness within them deeper than the pool water itself.

He lowered his body once more, bowing his head, his scorching lips nearly brushing against her flushed earlobe, each word tapping against her ear and the very tip of her heart:

"Linglong, do you know..." He paused deliberately, as if sensing something, before slowly breathing out the second half, filled with profound meaning: "...how alluring you look right now?"

Yu Linglong's hazy eyes seemed to clear slightly, but before she could make any response, she was swept away by Xiao Ming once more, the water shimmering in their wake.

The pool water surged violently, ripples crashing against the wall, producing a clearer and even more suggestive splashing sound than before.

Warm droplets splashed up, landing on their bodies before sliding back into the undulating water. The amorous atmosphere permeating the air grew heavier and heavier.

Meanwhile, outside this bath filled with intimacy and swirling mist, a pair of clear, wide-eyed eyes—peering through the gap of the not-quite-closed side door—were witnessing everything that was happening within.

At first, Yu Linlang was merely confused.

She heard unusual splashing and vague, indistinguishable movements; worry and curiosity intertwined, prompting her to approach timidly.

The gap was narrow, her field of vision limited, and the dense mist further blurred her view.

She first saw the blurry, interlaced figures inside and heard her sister's strange, unprecedented sounds that made her blush, her heart filled with confusion and curiosity.

But gradually, through the gaps in the mist, certain clearer outlines slowly came into view... She suddenly covered her mouth, stifling the gasp that almost escaped.

Her pupils dilated in extreme shock, the depths of her clear eyes filled with incredulous bewilderment: 'Is that really my sister?'

In an instant, several bolts of lightning struck her chaotic mind, instantly setting her cheeks ablaze, even staining her earlobes and neck with a shy crimson hue.

She felt an indescribable heat "boom" up to the top of her head; she felt like she was burning up, as if steam were almost rising from her head, leaving her feeling vaguely weak.

Inside the bath, the intimacy continued, and waves rippled incessantly. Outside the side door, the young girl felt shy, her heart unsettled. Yet, in the secret chamber beneath the Vice Sect Master's main hall—shrouded in layers of powerful Restrictions and isolated from all prying eyes—it was a different scene entirely.

The secret chamber was vast and silent, its walls and floor inscribed with ancient runes that were currently flowing with a faint black-and-white luster, completely isolating all aura and sound from the outside world.

This was an absolute Forbidden Ground known only to the Sect Masters of each generation (originally, this place was not the Vice Sect Master's hall, but a renovated cultivation ground for the sect), and it was also one of the secrets left behind by their mysteriously missing Revered Master.

In the center of the secret chamber, a small white jade altar stood silently. Beside the altar, a fiery red figure sat cross-legged, eyes slightly closed. It was none other than Luo Hongyi.

At this moment, she was like a different person compared to the god of slaughter who had been bathing in blood and fighting, her Sword Qi soaring to the heavens, just a short while ago.

Her red dress remained, but it was no longer billowing, just hanging quietly.

The aura around her was restrained to the extreme, yet profound as an abyss; it was as if a volcano about to erupt lay hidden within her, or perhaps a sea of stars that had been silent for ten thousand years.

Devilish Qi rippled slightly as she breathed, and tiny specks of vermilion-gold sparks faintly appeared around her out of thin air, flickering on and off, emitting pure and scorching energy fluctuations.

Most eye-catching of all was above her head. A phantom of a Phoenix, composed entirely of vermilion-gold flames, was slowly spreading its magnificent and majestic wings, soaring silently.

The phantom was not huge, but it was incredibly solid; every single feather was distinct, flowing with fiery patterns, exuding the nobility, antiquity, and powerful pressure originating from an ancient Divine Beast.

It circled, scattering specks of gold-red light that merged into Luo Hongyi's crown, blending perfectly with her aura in an endless cycle.

This was not her performing an art, but rather an anomaly manifesting after a great battle, as the power within her naturally circulated to repair minor losses and consolidate her Cultivate.

Each beat of its wings seemed to faintly resonate with some supreme flame rule of heaven and earth.

I do not know how much time had passed, but the frequency of the tiny sparks flickering in the secret chamber gradually decreased. The circling Phoenix phantom let out a clear, satisfied low cry, its form slowly becoming transparent, finally turning into a stream of vermilion-gold light that submerged back into Luo Hongyi's brow and vanished.

The very instant the Phoenix phantom returned, Luo Hongyi's tightly closed Phoenix eyes snapped open!

"Hiss—" The moment her eyes opened, a tangible vermilion-gold fiery glint seemed to flash across her eyes, illuminating the dim secret chamber for an instant. The light was peerlessly sharp, as if it could pierce through everything and burn away all falsehoods.

As she slowly exhaled a long breath, the breath was scorching, actually condensing into a small wave of flame in the air that flew a dozen feet before slowly dissipating; the slight remnants of Devilish Qi in the secret chamber seemed to be cleansed by this breath, becoming even more solemn.

Her aura seemed more rounded and restrained than before, and faintly even stronger by a thread.

However, the silent white jade altar beside her suddenly trembled slightly without any warning!

Immediately following, those complex and profound inscriptions on the surface of the altar, which were usually dim and lusterless, seemed to be instantly infused with energy, suddenly lighting up with a brief, rapid, and dazzling red glow!

The red light flashed and vanished, as fast as a hallucination, but the subtle light lingering on the inscriptions clearly indicated that it was not an illusion.

Luo Hongyi's stunningly beautiful face instantly tightened, all traces of laziness gone, replaced by a look of knowing solemnity.

She turned her head abruptly, her gaze like fire, locking tightly onto the altar.

"...Is the time almost here?" This sentence was like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, sending invisible ripples through the silent secret chamber.

The amorousness of the bath, the shyness outside the side door, the dying embers before the Vice Sect Master's hall, and the silent fluctuations within this secret chamber intertwined to form yet another scene of surging undercurrents in this long night.

In the bath, waves of indescribable singing, mixed with the sound of water, clearly drilled into Yu Linlang's ears, as if hooked, scratching at her heart and making her whole body even hotter.

She dared not look again, yet she seemed nailed to the spot, her heart beating like a drum; through the hazy mist and the narrow door crack, she foolishly and frantically peeked for quite a while longer.

In the end, like a frightened little rabbit, she suddenly retreated, pressing the back of her hand tightly against her burning lips. Like a thief, with the lightest of steps, she hurriedly retreated from the side door and fled timidly out of the main hall until she returned to her own quiet side hall room. Only then did she close the door and lean against the cold door panel, daring to pant heavily, yet the heart in her chest continued to beat wildly, and everything she had just seen flashed repeatedly in her mind, unable to be shaken off.

But she did not know that the very moment she turned to flee, her heart shaken, Xiao Ming—who was holding the beauty in his arms tightly within the bath—paused imperceptibly, a trace of realization flashing through his deep eyes as he glanced precisely toward the side door, even though it was long empty.

A faint, yet all-encompassing arc quietly curled at the corner of his mouth, and immediately, his deep gaze returned to the face of the infatuated Yu Linglong in his arms, drawing her entirely deeper into his own rhythm.

The pool water continued to ripple tirelessly, circle after circle.