Chapter 117 You wretched child, you really are... pushing your luck!

Liu Qingyan was the first to wake up. She lay in Lin Yue's arms, her plain white inner garment disheveled, a faint blush on her skin, and lingering marks of intimacy on her neck.

Thinking of everything from last night, her cheeks instantly burned, and her heart was filled with a mix of emotions—the guilt of violating the Revered Master-Disciple path, the shyness of breaking a taboo, and an even more indescribable bond.

When Lin Yue opened his eyes, his first sensation was that the spiritual energy in his body was smoother than ever before—the Burning Heaven Evil Qi and the Clear Spirit Spiritual Rhyme had completely fused. The Foundation Establishment Core inside his Dantian glowed with an interwoven gold and red spiritual light, several times more solid than before, and the Meridians throughout his body were nourished by a warm power. The subtle damage left by the previous Lightning Tribulation had actually been completely repaired.

[Ding! Detected that the host has completed deep Dual Cultivation with Liu Qingyan, neutralizing the poison of the Star-Moon Masking Flower, triggering multiple rewards!] [Reward 1: Deep Fusion of the Soul Bond (100%)! Unlocked [Golden Core Dao Companion Feedback] authority—the host can permanently share 30% of Liu Qingyan's Golden Core Spiritual Rhyme, the probability of breaking through Bottlenecks is increased by 100%, and immune to Divine Soul attacks!] [Reward 2: Ten Thousand Jun Dao Body evolved into [Star-Moon Dao Body]! Physical Body strength is comparable to the Peak of the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, capable of simultaneously absorbing Star Power and Moon Power, and adding Star-Moon Power when performing Evil Techniques, doubling their power!] [Reward 3: Hongmeng Space unlocked [Dao Companion Spirit Plant] function! Can cultivate exclusive dual spirit plant [Star-Moon Heart-to-Heart Grass], after consumption, both parties' spiritual power will resonate, and the power of Combined Skills will increase by 200%!]

The cold System notification echoed in his Sea of Consciousness, but Lin Yue ignored it entirely, his gaze fixed firmly on Liu Qingyan, who was tidying her clothes in front of him.

Although her plain white Daoist robe was already back on, it couldn't hide the faint red marks on her neck. Her earlobes were tinged with a lingering blush, and her eyes, usually as cold as frost, now held a trace of indiscernible panic.

The heat and dependence of last night, her decisiveness and trembling as she leaned over, the harmony when their Spiritual Rhymes fused—scene after scene replayed in his mind. A strong obsession welled up in Lin Yue's heart; he couldn't let this bond remain only as guilt for "acting out of necessity."

Liu Qingyan seemed disturbed by his gaze. Meeting Lin Yue's deep eyes, her cheeks instantly turned crimson. She hurriedly struggled to get up, her fingertips frantically tidying her disheveled clothes, her voice carrying a trace of indiscernible hoarseness: "You are no longer in danger. Follow me back to the Stone Platform to refine medicine. What happened last night... was merely to save your life, a matter of necessity. Do not mention it again."

She deliberately avoided his gaze and turned to leave, but Lin Yue grabbed her from behind and held her tightly.

His warm chest pressed against her back, and the familiar scent of the interwoven Burning Heaven Evil Qi and Clear Spirit Spiritual Rhyme enveloped her. Lin Yue's voice was low and firm, carrying an unquestionable seriousness: "Revered Master, how can I not mention it?"

He tightened his arms, circling her firmly in his embrace, his chin resting on the crown of her head, his tone burning hot: "A Revered Master for a day, a Revered Master for life—but you and I have long been more than just Revered Master and Disciple. Last night, you sacrificed yourself to save me, passing your Golden Core Spiritual Rhyme to me. Our Heart-Soul Marks have long since fused into one. This affection, this bond, how can it be erased with a mere 'acting out of necessity'?"

Liu Qingyan struggled for a moment but couldn't break free. She could only turn her face away, avoiding his burning gaze. Her cold voice held a trace of indiscernible trembling: "Stop talking nonsense! I am your Revered Master, here to teach and resolve doubts. Last night was only to save your life, with no other intention."

"No other intention?" Lin Yue tightened his arms, pulling her into his embrace, his nose brushing the crown of her head as the clear, spiritual fragrance lingered. "Our Heart-Soul Marks have long since fused, and our Spiritual Rhymes are intertwined. You and I are already inseparable. Liu Qingyan, from now on, you are not only my Revered Master but also Lin Yue's only wife."

He looked down at her reddened earlobes and said word by word: "Your safety, I will guard; your Dao path, I will accompany; your life, I will be responsible for."

"Impudent!" Liu Qingyan pushed him away abruptly, a flash of panic in her eyes, but even more so an unhidden bashfulness. "I am a Golden Core Elder of the Qingyun Sect, and you are but a Foundation Establishment Disciple. How dare you speak such rebellious words! Quickly put away these ridiculous thoughts, otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?" Lin Yue pressed closer step by step, his eyes full of stubbornness and deep affection: "Kill me? Or expel me from the Sect? I, Lin Yue, have never feared such things. I only fear you being mistreated, and I fear you facing the wind and rain alone."

Without waiting for Liu Qingyan's rebuttal, he reached out to clasp her chin, leaned down, and kissed her.

Caught off guard, Liu Qingyan's pupils suddenly constricted. She subconsciously raised her hand to push him away, her fingertips touching his solid chest, but she was held firmly by the lower back, unable to move.

Unlike the confusion catalyzed by the drug last night, this kiss carried a burning sincerity and dominance. Lin Yue's lips moved and lingered, his tenderness revealing an unmistakable firmness, as if he wanted to pour all the concern, gratitude, and adoration of these past days into it.

Liu Qingyan's struggle gradually weakened, the strength in her fingertips dissipated, and her body involuntarily softened. She could clearly feel the heartbeat in his chest, steady and powerful. She could feel the cherish and heat in his kiss, warmer than Star Power and softer than moonlight.

The dignity of the Revered Master-Disciple path and the reserve of an Elder she usually upheld melted away like ice and snow before this burning love. She closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling, and finally raised her arms to circle his neck, responding awkwardly.

There was no drug-induced hallucination, no life-or-death pressure—only two hearts drawing close across a taboo, only a deep Fusion of Spiritual Rhyme and emotion. In the Star-Mist Valley, starlight fell, and the fragrance of flowers lingered. The two embraced and kissed. The previous Revered Master-Disciple boundary had completely collapsed, leaving only the tenderness and immersion of a husband and wife.

After a long time, their lips parted. Liu Qingyan leaned in his arms, her breath slightly hurried, her cheeks flushed, and the coldness in her eyes had long been replaced by tenderness. She lightly tapped his chest, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz: "You scoundrel, you really... are pushing your luck."

Lin Yue held her tightly, feeling the warm and soft body in his arms, his heart filled with unprecedented satisfaction: "To receive Revered Master's favor, I would be willing even if it meant eternal damnation."

Liu Qingyan did not argue. She only buried her face deeper, her fingertips lightly clutching his lapel. Her voice carried a hint of grievance, but even more of relief: "From now on... you must not speak nonsense in front of outsiders. The Revered Master-Disciple status remains, but in private..."

"In private, you are my wife." Lin Yue interrupted her, leaning down to press a gentle kiss on her forehead. "A Revered Master for a day, a Revered Master for life; a wife for a day, a wife for life. Since I love and respect you, I will protect you for the rest of my life, so you will have no more worries."

Liu Qingyan's shoulders trembled slightly. She didn't speak but nodded gently, her arms around his waist tightening.

The morning light pierced through the mist, falling on their overlapping silhouettes, dyeing the surrounding Spiritual Rhyme a warm gold.

The miasma in the Star-Mist Valley gradually dispersed. The Pill Furnace on the Stone Platform still floated quietly. At the place where the Spiritual Veins converged, two hearts leaned close to each other, beginning a love story that crossed the Revered Master-Disciple boundary to stay together for a lifetime.

On the way back, the two were silent the whole time.

Liu Qingyan kept her head lowered, the blush on her cheeks never fading, but the stagnation in her eyes had vanished, replaced by a vivid spiritual light—last night's Dual Cultivation had not only saved Lin Yue but also unexpectedly harmonized the Spiritual Rhyme within her body. The Bottleneck of "Golden Core Spirit Transformation" actually showed signs of loosening.

Returning to the East Peak, Liu Qingyan went into secluded meditation. She refined the Moon Spirit Rhinoceros Inner Core and combined it with the Spiritual Rhyme feedback from the Dual Cultivation. The Golden Core in her Dantian finally began to rotate, drawing in the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. The Bottleneck of "Golden Core Spirit Transformation" shattered with a boom.

As for Lin Yue, he returned to the Lingyun Cave Dwelling and took over the four Medicine Gardens: East Mountain Medicine Garden, Hundred Herb Medicine Garden, Zizhi Garden, and West Mountain Medicine Garden.

He placed the remains of that Star-Moon Masking Flower into the Hongmeng Space. Although he didn't know its specific use, he knew it was a rare item.

Leveraging the Spirit Plant Nirvana function of the Hongmeng Space, the high-level Spirit Medicines he cultivated, such as the Nine-Turn marrow cleansing flower and the Ice-Fire Same Origin Grass, were in high demand. Even Golden Core Elders from other Sects came in person to purchase them, and the influence of the East Peak grew stronger day by day.

Only when the night was deep and quiet would Lin Yue always remember that night in the Star-Mist Valley, remembering Liu Qingyan's decisiveness and shyness when she closed her eyes, and a complex emotion would well up in his heart.

He knew that their story had only just begun.