31: Chapter 31 Master and Disciple Bathing Together

Ye Xiaoyao stood in place for a long time.

It was not until that faint, cool fragrance had completely dissipated that he slowly exhaled a stifled, turbid breath.

His gaze fell back to the slightly worn Storage Pouch at his waist.

He tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a helpless smile, and turned to walk into the bedroom of the side chamber.

The bedroom was sparsely furnished: a large hardwood bed, a small table, and a prayer mat.

He sat cross-legged on the bed without changing into the new Daoist robe.

Although the old robe was worn, it made him feel more at ease.

Ye Xiaoyao first took out the naqi pill that the Saintess had just given him from the Storage Pouch.

Three small jade bottles were lined up in his palm, warm, moist, and slightly cool.

"I will use these first and try to break through to the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Stage," he muttered to himself, his voice sounding exceptionally clear in the silent room.

The seventh level of Qi Refinement is a minor watershed, marking the official entry into the Late Stage of Qi Refinement, where both the total amount and purity of Spiritual Qi will be significantly improved.

He pulled out the cork, poured out five light cyan naqi pills, and without even looking, tossed them all into his mouth.

The Medicinal Pill melted the moment it entered his mouth, turning into several gentle yet surging warm currents that quickly poured into his limbs and bones.

He immediately focused his mind, observing his nose and his heart, and exerted his full strength to circulate the Basic Qi Refining Technique.

The Spiritual Qi of Saintess Peak was inherently dense and pure.

At this moment, guided by the medicinal power of the naqi pill and bolstered by the mysterious warm current deep within his body, it was like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, being continuously absorbed and refined by him.

The cyclone-like Spiritual Qi in his Dantian rotated and grew at a speed visible to the naked eye, its color becoming increasingly deep and solid.

Time passed quietly in deep meditation.

The sun set and the moon rose.

The moon set and the sun rose.

By the evening of the second day, when the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window lattice, casting long, warm golden spots of light in the room, the aura around Ye Xiaoyao, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, surged violently!

It was as if a floodgate in his body had been burst open by a surging torrent of Spiritual Qi, and wider Meridians pathways had been opened up, causing the volume of the Dantian cyclone to suddenly expand by a circle.

The rotation speed became faster, and the Spiritual Qi became more condensed and heavy, faintly emitting the powerful Spiritual Qi fluctuations belonging to a Late Stage Qi Refinement Cultivator.

The seventh level of the Qi Refinement Stage, success!

Ye Xiaoyao slowly opened his eyes, the light within them bright and clear, even more brilliant and sharp than before.

He carefully felt the surging power and more acute spiritual sense within his body, a genuine smile appearing on his face.

The improvement of strength is always the best medicine to resist anxiety.

"The Spiritual Qi of this Saintess Peak really lives up to its reputation."

He clenched his fists, feeling the immense power contained within his muscles.

"Combined with the naqi pill and my own mutation, the cultivation speed is faster than expected."

"At this rate, perhaps it won't be too long before I can attempt to break through to the Qi Refinement Great Perfection."

His mood lifted slightly.

Although he was currently controlled by the Saintess and his future was uncertain, the real growth in his cultivation gave him a glimmer of confidence and hope.

Just then, a clear "grumble" sound came from Ye Xiaoyao's stomach.

A sense of hunger washed over him like a tide, interrupting his thoughts.

From yesterday until now, he hadn't had a drop of water, let alone food, besides taking the pills for cultivation.

Cultivators at the Qi Refinement Stage cannot yet achieve fasting.

Especially with high-intensity cultivation like his, the consumption is greater, and there is a greater need to replenish energy and a small amount of pure Spiritual Qi from food.

When he was in the Outer Sect, after finishing his daily cultivation, he would unfailingly go to the Spirit Food Hall to eat some cheap spirit rice and spirit beans to fill his stomach.

Occasionally, he would splurge and add a small piece of the most ordinary Yao Beast meat.

It could satisfy his hunger and allow him to absorb a meager amount of Spiritual Qi, which was considered the daily supply for poor Cultivators.

But now... he remembered the Saintess's cold prohibition: "You are not allowed to step out of the Immortal Cave even half a step."

His stomach growled again.

Even louder.

Ye Xiaoyao sighed helplessly.

Cultivating on an empty stomach would greatly reduce efficiency, and it was truly an uncomfortable feeling.

He stood up, stretched his somewhat stiff limbs, and decided to go ask the Saintess.

There must be some food in this Immortal Cave, right?

Or, could she make an exception and let him go out, or have someone send in some spirit meal?

He didn't know where the Saintess was at the moment, so he could only search in this not-so-small residence.

He first went to the direction of the boudoir he had visited last time, knocked gently on the door, but there was no answer.

He tried walking around the quiet courtyard and the hall, but still saw no one.

"Could she be in seclusion?" he muttered to himself, while his stomach protested again at an inappropriate time.

He thought for a moment and decided to look in the direction of the backyard.

He was not familiar with this Immortal Cave, only remembering that there seemed to be an area behind the residence, shrouded in denser spiritual mist, which he couldn't see clearly.

He followed the bluestone path, passed through a neatly trimmed spirit herb garden, and went around a small rockery and water feature.

The view suddenly opened up before him.

A moon gate appeared, and behind the door, water vapor swirled, carrying the unique scent of a mixture of sulfur and spirit spring.

"A hot spring?" Ye Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow; he hadn't expected such luxury in the Saintess's Immortal Cave.

He lightened his footsteps, walked close to the moon gate, and was just about to peek inside...

At the same time that Ye Xiaoyao came out to look for the Saintess, in the hot spring pool in the backyard.

The circular hot spring pool was steaming, and the crystal-clear spring water rippled slightly, shimmering with a milky white spiritual light.

The edge of the pool was built with warm jade, smooth and moist.

At this moment, there were two beautiful figures in the pool.

One was the Saintess, Ji Chanxi, whose long, ink-black hair was wet and plastered against her smooth back, with a few strands sticking to the sides of her fair neck.

The other was a beautiful young woman who looked to be in her thirties and had a very charming demeanor.

Her features were three-tenths similar to the Saintess, but her temperament was more elegant and noble.

Her skin was whiter than snow, and under the immersion of the hot spring water, it was even more rosy-white, like fine suet jade.

She was the current Sect Master of the Yin Yang Sect, the Revered Master of the Saintess, Ji Chanxi—Liu Yunshuang.

To enjoy the best effect of the hot spring soaking the Meridians and soothing the body and mind, the two had long since removed all their clothes before entering the water.

At this moment, although the swirling water vapor provided some cover, the breathtakingly graceful curves and the porcelain-like delicate skin were still looming in the rippling water and light.

It formed a highly impactful and vivid picture of beauties.

In front of her Revered Master, Ji Chanxi completely set aside her usual coldness and aloofness, appearing exceptionally obedient and gentle.

She was scooping up a handful of warm spirit spring water from the pool with her left hand, gently pouring it onto Liu Yunshuang's beautifully lined, smooth, and snow-white shoulders.

Her right hand was gently wiping her Revered Master's smooth, jade-like back, her movements careful and soft.

Liu Yunshuang narrowed her eyes slightly, enjoying her beloved Disciple's service, seemingly very comfortable.

"Chanxi."

Liu Yunshuang opened her mouth with her eyes closed, her voice carrying a lazy, magnetic quality after soaking in the hot spring, and said:

"Your Senior Sister has sent a message back from the Central Province. A pure yang object did indeed appear at the auction, but the competition was extremely fierce, and all the major forces were red-eyed. She frankly said that the hope of obtaining it... is probably not high."

Ji Chanxi's movements did not stop, but her eyes dimmed imperceptibly.

However, her voice remained calm as she said:

"Revered Master, it does not matter. I have also been trying to find a pure yang object myself. There is still some time before Core Formation, so there is no need to rush."

"Besides, isn't there that Warm Yang Treasure Jade that you bestowed upon me? Although it is an object of extreme Yang, the Pure Yang Qi contained within it is also quite pure. It helped me with Foundation Establishment back then, and using it now to balance Core Formation should be enough."

Liu Yunshuang nodded slightly upon hearing this, as if in agreement, or perhaps in thought.

A moment later, she changed the subject, with a tone of teasing and inquiry:

"By the way, Chanxi, I heard that a few days ago at that lively matchmaking event in the Sect, you personally selected an Outer Sect male Disciple and designated him as your Dao Companion? Is this true?"

Ji Chanxi felt a slight tightness in her heart, secretly startled by how well-informed her Revered Master was, but her wiping movements remained steady.

She had already made up her mind not to tell her Revered Master the core secret that Ye Xiaoyao possessed the Pure Yang Sacred Body for the time being.

Therefore, she lifted her pretty face, which was stained with water droplets, and revealed a slightly shy yet justified, obedient smile to Liu Yunshuang.

"Revered Master, you are truly sharp-eyed; nothing can be hidden from you. I did indeed choose a junior nephew as my Dao Companion."

"After all, as a Saintess, if I remain single for a long time, it is inevitable that people will gossip, and it is also inconsistent with the Yin and Yang Dao advocated by the Sect."

"Finding a suitable person to temporarily act as a Dao Companion can not only stop the gossiping tongues but also save a lot of unnecessary trouble."

She fluently stated the rhetoric she had prepared long ago, her expression natural, as if she were truly considering the big picture.

Although Liu Yunshuang had remained single since her early Dao Companion unexpectedly fell, she was quite lenient towards her Disciples and never forced them to form a couple.

Hearing her little Disciple's explanation, which was both righteous and a bit clever, she couldn't help but smile and say:

"You girl, you really know how to share my worries. Those old fogies in the Sect come to nag me every few days, urging me to have you sisters find someone for Dual Cultivation as soon as possible to consolidate the foundation of the Sect."

"Now that you have found a shield yourself, it has made my ears a bit quieter."

Her tone was full of doting on her beloved Disciple and indifference towards the Elders.

Ji Chanxi pursed her lips and smiled, not continuing the topic, for fear of saying too much and making a mistake.

Her thoughts turned to another major event concerning her reputation and immortal destiny, so she asked with some anticipation and curiosity:

"Revered Master, regarding the Qiongming Fairy Ranking selection conference in a few years, do you think if I can successfully achieve Core Formation by then, and go to the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range for training, would I have a chance... to leave my name on that list?"

Liu Yunshuang pondered for a moment upon hearing this.

She knew that this "Qiongming Fairy Ranking" was the most influential list of female Cultivators in the Qiongming cultivation world, gathering stunning Prodigies from both the righteous and demonic paths, and the competition was far more intense than ordinary people could imagine.

Recalling her own experience of barely squeezing into the top 100 but missing the top 30, her expression was slightly complex, but her gaze towards her beloved Disciple was full of encouragement.

"Chanxi, the competition for this list is indeed like a thousand armies crossing a single-plank bridge. Back then, I was only lucky enough to be in the last place, but..."

Liu Yunshuang changed the subject, her eyes revealing recognition of her beloved Disciple's talent, and continued:

"With your Aptitude and bone structure, if you can successfully achieve Core Formation and undergo life-and-death tempering in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range, your brilliance will surely shine."

"At that time, at the selection conference, breaking into the top 30... is not impossible."

Ji Chanxi's eyes suddenly lit up upon hearing this, like stars falling into a cold pool, and a bright smile bloomed on her face, just as she was about to ask for details.

"Really? Mas..."

The word "ter" had not yet escaped her lips when Ji Chanxi paused.

At the moon gate, light and shadow flickered.

A somewhat tall, cyan figure, who was peering around while looking for food, appeared there without warning.

It was exactly Ye Xiaoyao, who was hungry and had followed the water vapor to the backyard!

He had originally just wanted to see if the Saintess was here and incidentally ask about the spirit meal, never expecting to stumble upon such... such a scene that made his blood boil and his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering!

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

In the hot spring pool, water vapor swirled.

Ji Chanxi and Liu Yunshuang simultaneously realized that an outsider had broken in, and it was a man!

The originally relaxed and comfortable expressions of the two were instantly replaced by extreme shock and shame-filled anger.

"Ah!!"

"Ah~"

Two short, sharp cries, mixed with horror and shame, erupted from the mouths of the two stunning beauties almost simultaneously.

The pool water splashed loudly!

Ji Chanxi and Liu Yunshuang, like frightened white swans, subconsciously stood up abruptly from the warm pool water at the same time!

Crystal-clear water droplets rolled down their breathtakingly curved bodies, reflecting a dizzying white luster in the swirling Spiritual Qi and the afterglow of the setting sun...

Standing at the moon gate, having just seen the scene in the pool, Ye Xiaoyao's brain went "buzz," and instantly went blank.

He was obviously stunned by the beautiful scenery before him!

His mouth was open, his eyes were wide, and he was struck as if by the highest-level immobilization technique, frozen in place, unable to move even a finger.

Deathly silence enveloped the backyard.

There was only the subtle sound of the hot spring water gurgling, and... the thunderous roar of Ye Xiaoyao's heart, which was about to jump out of his chest.

It's over!!!

This was the only thought that emerged in Ye Xiaoyao's mind.