Chapter 160 Enlightenment at the Sword Tomb, Hearts Connected
After shaking off the entanglement of Lei Cang and the other two, Lin Yue led Ye Qingcheng out of the Hongmeng Space, their figures streaking like light toward the depths of Falling Thunder Valley.
Violent thunder power exploded into silver snakes at their sides, yet it didn't affect their speed in the slightest; only the whistling wind swirled their respective scents together into ambiguous threads in the air.
Deep within the valley for a hundred miles, the Desolate Sword Tomb suddenly came into view. Tens of thousands of ancient swords were thrust diagonally into the pitch-black rocks, their cold glints interlacing with dense Sword Intent. Even the surrounding violent thunder power was suppressed into a somewhat docile state. The ancient and overbearing True Meaning of the Sword Dao permeated every inch of space, becoming a natural protective barrier.
"This place... is suitable for resting." Lin Yue's voice carried a trace of imperceptible hoarseness. He turned to look at the woman beside him, his gaze involuntarily sticking to her.
Ye Qingcheng's silk dress had been stained with a bit of dust and mud during their flight, but it only served to highlight her graceful figure.
Her neckline was slightly loose, revealing a section of lustrous, delicate white neck. Her hair was damp with sweat, clinging to her temples and cheeks, making her skin look as white as snow. The corners of her eyes and brows still held a lingering flush—the remnants of the hehuan powder—which, reflected by the Sword Intent, added a touch of seductive charm.
She raised her hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her fingertips brushed against her earlobe in a gentle motion, yet it felt like a feather lightly scratching Lin Yue's heart.
Ye Qingcheng seemed to sense his gaze; her cheeks grew even hotter as she subconsciously pulled her collar tighter. Her eyes dodged his, shifting toward the depths of the Sword Tomb, and her voice was as faint as a mosquito's: "The Puppet... can be strengthened using the Sword Intent."
The two found a flat stone platform. Ye Qingcheng took out the star iron fragments, and as Spiritual Qi surged from her fingertips, the star iron slowly fused into the Puppet's core under the envelopment of the Sword Intent. When she leaned over, her back traced a soft, beautiful curve, and her skirt fell, revealing her slender, fair calves. Her toes curled unconsciously, showing a bit of unintentional innocence.
Lin Yue sat cross-legged on the other side. He should have focused his mind on comprehending the Sword Intent, but his Divine Sense kept drifting uncontrollably toward the person beside him.
The Sword Intent of the Sword Tomb surged into his Sea of Consciousness like a tide, but his mind was filled with Ye Qingcheng's profile as she lowered her head just now—her long eyelashes, her rosy lips, the spiritual light flowing from her fingertips, and her warm breath...
It felt as if a fire was burning inside him. The dry heat left over from transferring the hehuan powder toxins was faintly reviving, causing his Bloodline to surge and his Adam's apple to bob incessantly.
After an unknown amount of time, Lin Yue suddenly opened his eyes. A green light flared within them; his Azure Profound Sword Intent had already broken through its Bottleneck, yet he felt no joy.
When his gaze fell upon Ye Qingcheng again, she had just finished strengthening the Puppet. She was tilting her head back to stretch, her hair sliding down to reveal her smooth forehead and exquisite collarbone. The Silver-Armored Puppet flickered with blue-green spiritual light, making her features look even more radiant.
"Your wound..." Ye Qingcheng turned her head to look, her gaze falling on the unhealed burn on his shoulder. Her tone was full of concern as she stood up, her skirt sweeping across the stone platform and bringing a faint, fragrant breeze.
Lin Yue's whole body stiffened. Watching her approach step by step, her warm breath getting closer, that unique fragrance wrapped in Sword Intent almost drowned out his reason.
Ye Qingcheng raised her hand, her fingertips glowing with soft Spiritual Qi. Just as she was about to touch his shoulder, Lin Yue suddenly grabbed her wrist.
His palm was burning hot, his strength carrying a hint of urgent loss of control. Caught off guard, Ye Qingcheng stumbled into his arms, her nose bumping against his chest, feeling the solid touch and searing temperature.
She let out a soft cry, her cheeks instantly turning deep red. Struggling to get up, her voice carried a shy panic: "You... what are you doing?"
Lin Yue looked at the face inches away in his arms. Her eyelashes were damp with tiny droplets, her lips slightly parted, and her breathing was rapid and warm. The fire in his heart completely turned into a prairie blaze. He could no longer hold back, pressing her onto the stone platform with his other hand, his body looming over her with an irresistible dominance.
"Lin Yue!" Startled and ashamed, Ye Qingcheng pressed her hands against his chest, trying to push him away. Her eyes dodged his, not daring to meet his gaze, and her earlobes were so red they looked ready to bleed. "Don't... don't be like this..."
But her strength was soft, carrying obvious hesitation. Her fingers against his chest even curled slightly, lacking any real force of resistance.
Lin Yue leaned down, his nose almost touching hers. He could clearly smell the fragrance on her, see the flush at the corners of her eyes and her trembling lips. His raspy voice carried suppressed desire: "I can't take it anymore..."
Ye Qingcheng's body instantly stiffened, her cheeks incredibly hot. She was still whispering resistance: "No... this is the Sword Tomb..." But her hands gradually lost their strength, and she even subconsciously gripped his collar. Her eyes were glazed, carrying a bit of panic and a bit of expectation; her duplicitous manner added even more charm.
The Sword Intent of the Sword Tomb continued to flow through the air, but it seemed to have become the background music for this ambiguous atmosphere.
Seeing her shy, dodging eyes, her flushed cheeks, and her posture of feigned refusal, the heat in Lin Yue's heart completely spiraled out of control. He lowered his head and kissed her cool lips, feeling her momentary stiffness followed by her softening. His arms tightened, pulling her into a firm embrace.
Ye Qingcheng's body trembled slightly. She closed her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttering violently with unmistakable shyness, but she didn't push him away again. Instead, she slightly tilted her head to meet his kiss, soft whimpers escaping her mouth. Passion quietly rippled between the two.
The bond between their souls was completely solidified in this uncontrolled intimacy, turning into an invisible tie that bound them tightly together.
Pressed onto the stone platform by Lin Yue, Ye Qingcheng's soft body trembled slightly in his arms. When she closed her eyes, her long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings. The flush at the corners of her eyes held both the seductive charm of the leftover hehuan powder and the shyness of a young girl's first encounter with romance.
Her hands against Lin Yue's chest gradually lost their strength, her fingertips unconsciously clutching his collar. Amidst the folds of the fabric was an expectation that could not be hidden.
Lin Yue lowered his head, his kisses moving slowly down from her cool lips, past her lustrous white neck, and onto her exquisite collarbone.
His palms carried a searing heat as they lightly stroked her dust-stained silk dress. Spiritual Qi flowed from his fingertips, quietly cleansing the stains from her skirt and revealing the jade-like, delicate skin beneath.
The Sword Intent of the Sword Tomb seemed to be drawn by this warm breath, turning into strands of green light that wrapped around them. It was both a protection and a witness.
Ye Qingcheng's body suddenly tensed, then softened. Soft whimpers escaped her mouth, her breathing rapid and warm.
She raised her arms to encircle Lin Yue's neck, her fingers sliding into his hair, responding to his intimacy with innocence. The bond deep within their souls grew wildly like vines, interlacing with the Sword Intent of the Sword Tomb and the Spiritual Qi of the Hongmeng Space to form an invisible tie.
Lin Yue could clearly feel the pure Spiritual Qi in her body surging into his Meridians through the bond, merging with his own Azure Profound Sword Intent and the Chaos Spiritual Qi of the Hongmeng Space. It turned into a majestic power that washed through their respective Meridians.
Ye Qingcheng's Spiritual Qi carried the crispness of star iron and the subtlety of Puppet Arts, unknowingly healing the burn on his shoulder. Meanwhile, his Spiritual Qi carried the weight of the Wanjun Overlord Body, nourishing her Spiritual Veins and making her originally sluggish cultivation flow more smoothly.
"Mm..." Ye Qingcheng let out a soft moan, her body trembling violently. A soft blue light emanated from her Dantian. The star iron Puppet sensed its master's state, and the blue-green spiritual light around it flared up, resonating with the Sword Intent of the Sword Tomb and enveloping the two in a brilliant shroud of light.
Within the shroud, their breaths completely merged, their Spiritual Qi becoming intertwined. The throbbing of their Bloodlines and the bond of their souls validated each other, forming a wonderful symbiotic state.
Lin Yue felt the Azure Profound Sword Intent in his body break through its Bottleneck. It was no longer just sharp but had gained the keenness of star iron and the agility of Puppet Arts. The Hongmeng Space deep in his Sea of Consciousness shook violently; the gray barriers expanded outward, the concentration of Spiritual Qi skyrocketed, and the original Spirit Medicine cultivation function even derived a new "Sword Intent Nourishment" trait.
Meanwhile, Ye Qingcheng felt the Spiritual Qi in her Dantian condense into a core. Her original Foundation Establishment Peak cultivation rose like a hot knife through butter. The power of the star iron completely fused with her Puppet Arts, and the Silver-Armored Puppet's aura became increasingly formidable, faintly possessing the might of a Golden Core Grade Puppet.