265: Xu Qianyu

Unconsciously, several months passed quietly.

On the streets of Tianyuan City's southern district, a team of guards in standard black armor finished their routine patrol and were preparing to return to camp.

"Fairy Xu!" a burly male cultivator in the Nascent Soul Stage grinned and called out to the valiant figure at the end of the line, "Captain Qinglian wants you to go over. He said he needs a private debriefing on the mission."

Among the team, a tall, beautiful female cultivator paused slightly upon hearing this. She removed her helmet, revealing a pretty face that combined both heroism and tenderness. Her long, black hair was neatly tied behind her head. This was none other than the Xu Family's Young Miss, Xu Qianyu.

"Alright, I understand," she replied indifferently, her voice as clear and cold as jade.

Since several months ago, when she was inexplicably assigned to the newly appointed Captain Qinglian's command by a transfer order, these "private debriefings" had become commonplace.

Privately, there was no shortage of gossip in the camp, mostly sour speculations that the Xu Family's Young Miss had somehow used unknown means to climb up to this unfathomable Soul Transformation Stage powerhouse.

Xu Qianyu merely smiled at this.

However, in her heart, she was filled with gratitude for Captain Qinglian, a gratitude that others could not comprehend.

She lowered her head, feeling the spiritual power within her body, which was several times stronger than it had been months ago, and was filled with emotion. "If not for the Captain, how could I have exchanged enough resources through merit in just a few short months to break through to the Late Nascent Soul Stage? Those so-called 'private debriefings' were even greater Opportunities."

She raised her hand, and a wisp of pale blue flame danced at her fingertips. At the center of the flame, a hint of deep purple was faintly visible, and the coldness it emitted was several times sharper than before.

This Qianlan Ice Flame was obtained by her Xu Family ancestor from an ancient ruin and later passed down to the Lower Realm, which then led to the Xiao Ji Palace lineage in the Human Realm. Although this flame was her trump card, its power was always limited. But under the guidance of this Captain, its power had become incomparable in just a few months.

This time, it was likely to nourish this flame for her again.

She tidied her slightly disheveled armor, took long strides, and walked towards Lin Feng's private Immortal Cave.

In front of the Immortal Cave's entrance, the Restriction glowed faintly. She stood still and respectfully addressed the inside of the Immortal Cave: "Captain, it's me, Qianyu."

A moment later, a gentle male voice with a hint of lazy magnetism came from within the Immortal Cave: "Come in, Qianyu."

The stone door opened silently. Xu Qianyu bowed with clasped fists and stepped inside.

Inside the Immortal Cave, Spiritual Qi permeated the air, and the furnishings were simple. Lin Feng, dressed in a simple green robe, was sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion. Seeing her enter, he slowly opened his eyes.

Xu Qianyu met his deep eyes, which seemed to see through everything. For some reason, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she quickly lowered her gaze, sitting upright on the cushion opposite him. Her voice unconsciously softened: "Thank you, Captain."

Lin Feng looked at her, dressed in heroic armor yet showing a hint of a young girl's shyness, and couldn't help but smile: "We are all comrades in the same team, there's no need for thanks. Qianyu, release your Qianlan Ice Flame."

"Mm." Xu Qianyu nodded, and with a flick of her jade hand, a fist-sized ball of pale blue flame appeared out of thin air, suspended between them, emitting an icy chill.

She looked at the flame, recalling the tingling sensation and soreness throughout her body from the forceful impact of that overbearing power several times before. She couldn't help but bite her lower lip and quietly requested: "Um... Captain, this time, could you... control the intensity a little..."

Lin Feng, however, shook his head with a serious expression: "This flame is known for its absolute dominance. If you hesitate and reduce the intensity, its power will be greatly diminished, which would be a disservice."

He looked at Xu Qianyu's slightly nervous pretty face and said in a deep voice: "I'm about to begin. Concentrate and don't get distracted!"

Seeing his serious expression, Xu Qianyu knew this was no laughing matter. She could only compose herself, her face red, and sat up straight, adopting the five-heart-to-heaven posture.

Lin Feng saw this and a barely perceptible arc appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He extended a finger, and at its tip, a wisp of flame, as deep as the Universe and containing both extreme cold and destructive aura, quietly condensed. That was the purest Origin of the Qianlan Ice Flame, stripped from the Asura Holy Fire.

With a flick of his finger, that wisp of Origin Flame was like a drop of ink falling into clear water, instantly merging into Xu Qianyu's pale blue flame.

Boom!

A terrifying power, far exceeding anything before, suddenly erupted!

Deep blue flames spread outwards like raging waves. The protective spiritual light Xu Qianyu hastily erected around her body was as fragile as paper in the face of this power. It only lasted for an instant before shattering with a "crack."

Immediately after, the violent aftershock of the flame accurately swept over her body.

"Ah!"

A cry of indignation and shame echoed in the Immortal Cave.

Xu Qianyu felt a sudden lightness on her body. Looking down, she saw that her black armor, made of precious Materials and impervious to fire and water, along with her undergarments, had been completely incinerated into ashes in that instant.

Large expanses of fair, delicate skin were thus exposed without any cover. Ashamed and anxious, she instinctively wrapped her arms around her chest, trying to conceal her ample bosom.

"Don't get distracted!" Lin Feng's cold voice was like a sudden awakening. "At such a critical moment, if your mind is in disarray, at best your efforts will be wasted, and at worst your Meridians will be damaged. Do you want to end up in Qi Deviation?!"

Xu Qianyu's delicate body trembled. Hearing the words "Qi Deviation," her heart immediately tightened.

She bit her lip hard, her cheeks so red they almost bled. A fierce internal struggle raged within her. Ultimately, the desire for power and her trust in Lin Feng overcame the maiden's sense of shame.

Slowly, little by little, she lowered her arms from her chest, allowing her untouched, perfect body to be completely revealed "before" Lin Feng.

On the surface, Lin Feng kept his eyes tightly closed, his expression solemn, appearing completely focused on nourishing her spiritual flame.

However, his powerful Divine Sense, in the Late Soul Transformation Stage, had already, like the gentlest hands, "seen" every inch of the intoxicating spring scenery before him, a hundred times clearer than with his eyes.

"Unexpectedly, this Xu Qianyu, usually wrapped in armor and looking valiant, is quite well-endowed once it's removed. These legs, this waist, and this size... tsk tsk, she's quite a stunner."

He leisurely evaluated her in his mind.