555: Brother! You're so biased!

Luo Yan's body was limp as water, every strand of her hair damp and clinging to her sweaty neck and shoulders as if drenched in the heaviest spring rain.

She was held in Yao Delong's strong, bare arms, her head resting on his shoulder, her bones feeling as if they had been dismantled and reassembled a thousand times.

But! An unprecedented, powerful warm current was flowing and surging through her limbs and bones like never before!

Especially in her Qi Sea and Dantian! The Golden Core light wheel, previously stable but dim, was now flooded with a massive force of vitality, as if injected from a furnace!

Ripples of majestic life essence and wood-element Origin were crazily pounding and gnawing at the barrier of the Middle Golden Core Stage!

Hum! A brilliant emerald light with golden edges suddenly swirled out from the top of her head! It was like a withered tree meeting spring after a hundred years of silence!

The erupting vitality even stained the layers of high-level Restriction light curtains with emerald ripples!

Middle Golden Core Stage—Breakthrough!

A surging yet extremely harmonious and gentle power wrapped around the slightly manic energy inside her body caused by the Breakthrough, as stable as a mountain!

Perfect guidance! That was... a trace of guidance and protection from Yao Delong's Soul Transformation source energy, which was as vast as a galaxy or deep sea!

"Hoo..."

A long, satisfied, yet extremely lazy and weak breath escaped from Luo Yan's lips, which were still flushed. Her eyelashes fluttered, as if she had exhausted her last bit of strength; even trying to open her eyes to look at him seemed incredibly difficult.

"Ding!"

The cold and ruthless System notification sound rang out deep within Yao Delong's Sea of Consciousness: [Ding! Deep dao rhyme resonance achieved with the target, Luo Yan. High compatibility.] [yin-yang value + 45 points] [Current remaining yin-yang value: 315 points]

Yao Delong lowered his head. The beauty in his arms had disheveled hair, and fragrant sweat clung to her temples. Her red lips were slightly parted, breathing out hot air. The sorrow and timidity of the past had faded from her brows, leaving only the alluring laziness and dependence of one who had been thoroughly satisfied and conquered.

The cold Evil Qi that had always lingered in his eyes seemed to have been melted a little by this spring-water-like softness, and the corners of his lips curved into an almost imperceptible, doting arc.

The Soul Transformation level feedback was indeed vast and boundless for a Golden Core, but for his inner galaxy at this moment... this bit of primal yin, a blend of pure wood and water elements, was truly a drop in the ocean. Yet, the subtle warm current contained within, the trembling of the Soul after complete submission, was something that even ten thousand years of cold iron could not replicate.

Jinling City in the early morning was still shrouded in a thin mist, and the smoke and bustle of the streets were just beginning to wake up. Yao Delong pushed open the wooden door of the room and walked out into the morning light.

He wore a green robe, his aura restrained like an abyss, yet he possessed a majestic tension like the rising sun. Just by standing under the corridor, the thin mist within a few zhang of him seemed to be evaporated and thinned by an invisible heat.

Following closely behind, Luo Yan also walked out. She had changed into a new green dress, which made her look even more graceful and slender.

She was a completely different person from the sorrowful and weak appearance of the past few days. Her eyes now carried a moist luster from being thoroughly nourished, her skin was rosy, and the surging vitality within her Qi Sea and Dantian could not be hidden. The stable aura of the Middle Golden Core Stage gave her a light, confident, and agile step.

The exhaustion from being dismantled and reassembled last night had long been replaced by the abundant energy brought by the cultivation Breakthrough.

However, the door to the room next door was pushed open almost at the same time, accompanied by a mournful sigh.

Qiong Shuang leaned against the doorframe, yawning, with two large, distinct dark circles under her eyes. Her seaweed-like, slightly curly long hair was tied up in a messy bundle, and her face was written with the irritability of "I didn't sleep well, and I'll bite anyone who provokes me."

Her original stunning and imposing aura as a mature woman was mostly destroyed by severe sleep deprivation.

"Big Brother, Sister Luo..." she greeted listlessly.

As soon as Luo Yan saw her appearance, she instantly remembered the seemingly endless commotion last night and the sounds she made when she lost herself... Her face "whooshed" and flushed red again. She lowered her head and moved to Yao Delong's side, feeling her cheeks burning and embarrassed to look at Qiong Shuang.

You Yuan's illusory figure floated and condensed in the shadow of the corridor corner, arms crossed, a playful smile of watching the fun hanging on the corners of her mouth, her eyes sweeping back and forth between the three of them.

Qiong Shuang rubbed her sore neck, her gaze falling on Luo Yan, who was refreshed and had even achieved a Breakthrough in cultivation, and her resentment immediately flared up.

She took a step and darted in front of Luo Yan, her body almost pressing against her. Her eyes were wide, and she pointed at her own bruised eye sockets, her voice full of accusation and confusion: "Sister Luo! This is not fair! Look at me! And then look at yourself!"

She leaned closer, even slightly twitching her small, straight nose to sniff the lingering, highly secretive, and ambiguous aura on Luo Yan, as well as the surging, restless vital energy within her body. Then, with an "as I thought" expression, she lowered her voice and asked with a bit of righteous ignorance:

"Confess quickly! Did you secretly 'spar and discuss the Dao' with Big Brother while I was away?! He must have helped you improve your cultivation, right! Was that 'discussing the Dao' you two did last night? That was more like tearing down the house while burning a furnace! It was hot, noisy, crackling, wailing, and howling!"

"Qiong Shuang! Stop talking nonsense!" Yao Delong's scalp tingled, and he quickly spoke up to stop her.

Luo Yan's face was so red it could bleed, and she wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into, stuttering and unable to say a single word. This shapeshifted great demon had a wild and unbridled personality, and her speech was completely unrestrained!

Qiong Shuang didn't care; she flashed over to Yao Delong's side again, and without a word, hugged one of his arms and began to shake it vigorously. Those two mounds, which would make any Cultivator with poor concentration lose their composure instantly, were almost embedded into Yao Delong's arm.

She looked up at his stunning face, which still had a bit of baby fat, gazing at Yao Delong with puppy-dog eyes. Her red lips were pouted, carrying a bit of coquettishness and grievance: "Big Brother! You are being biased! I want to improve my cultivation too!"

She shook Yao Delong's arm vigorously, "I want to advance to the tenth rank! I want to become stronger quickly! I want to be able to help Big Brother! I want to pass that Heavenly Tribulation faster and transform into a True Dragon... Help me! Spar with me!"

She said the words "spar" with varied intonation, full of a certain eager implication.

Yao Delong was shaken until his heart was restless and agitated. The amazing elasticity and warm, soft touch coming from his arm made his blood boil even more. He frowned tightly, embarrassed and helpless: "Qiong Shuang! Let go! This matter... is not what you think!"

You Yuan next to them let out a "pfft" laugh, drifted over slowly, and tapped Qiong Shuang's forehead with her illusory finger, wearing a teasing expression: "Little silly girl, the Dao is difficult. Your idea of 'rapid improvement' is... quite down-to-earth. However..."

She turned to Yao Delong, who was looking at her helplessly and with a warning, her tone suddenly becoming serious, revealing the depth of an ancient artifact spirit that understood the Origin: "Kid Yao, don't blame this little girl for being impatient. From what I observe of the Yin and Yang Dao, it is the fundamental basis for nurturing all things. It emphasizes the balance of Yin and Yang, the mutual assistance of water and fire, the complementarity of hardness and softness, and the endless cycle of life..."