"What is that smell? It smells so good!" the Second Master suddenly exclaimed.
"Over there!" the First Master pointed to a thirty-centimeter-tall jar in the courtyard.
When they removed the lid, a refreshing aroma of medicinal herbs and spiritual energy instantly filled their chests.
The Second Master cried out in astonishment, "This is Return Spirit Liquid, a spirit wine brewed from a thousand-year-old ginseng, an eight-hundred-year-old ganoderma, a Level 6 Spirit Beast inner core, Nether Grass, and various other herbs. Drinking it can raise your cultivation by at least three levels!"
The three of them stood dumbfounded, their hearts swelling with pride and deep emotion.
The First Master's eyes reddened. "At least this little brat has a conscience!"
With that, they divided the wine into three portions and returned to their rooms to go into seclusion.
Five days later, the First Master, Tianji, burst through his door with a hearty laugh. "Hahaha! Hahaha! I've broken through! I've broken through to Refining Spirit to Return to Void - Level 6!"
Immediately afterward, the Second Master walked out looking radiant. "I've broken through to Refining Spirit to Return to Void - Level 4 as well."
After quite a while, the Third Master also pushed his door open. "I've broken through to Refining Spirit to Return to Void - Level 2."
"Hahaha..."
Although Ye Lingtian hadn't witnessed this with his own eyes, he had foreseen it long ago.
In Shancheng, at Ouyang Yanan's home—
Yanan had just set the food down and was about to eat when the man finished his reminiscing and walked out of the room.
"What good food is that? It smells so delicious!"
Yanan rolled her eyes. Did this guy have the nose of a hound?
"Just in time, I got into a fight and spent all my energy. I need to replenish, so we'll split it fifty-fifty," Ye Lingtian said shamelessly.
In a bowl the size of a melon scoop were six slices of fatty pork, stir-fried napa cabbage, coriander and chili dipping sauce, all resting on a large mound of white rice.
"Get lost!" Yanan clutched the bowl tightly to her chest.
"Don't be like that, just half. There's so much you won't finish it anyway!"
"Who says I can't finish it? As a foodie, this is barely enough between my teeth!" the big eater said with pride.
Ye Lingtian was left speechless. *Can she really eat this much? Was she a pig in her past life?*
"Look at you, with your short legs and skinny arms—eating this much is just a waste of food. You might as well let me, an injured patient, share half with you. Consider it accumulating good karma!"
Little did he know that Yanan's face had already turned dark, her teeth grinding, and her fists clenched. *He actually called me short-legged? He has a death wish.*
"What~ did~ you~ say~?" Yanan gritted out, word by word.
Seeing Yanan's fierce expression like a mini volcano about to erupt, Ye Lingtian felt a flutter of fear in his chest. *That's strange,* he thought. *I'm one meter eighty, and this girl is at most one meter fifty-three, not even reaching my shoulder. Why on earth am I a little afraid of her?*
*Forget it,* he thought. *A man under someone else's roof must bow his head.* "I won't eat for free," Ye Lingtian tempted. "How about I give you money?"
At the mention of money, Yanan's expression instantly shifted into that of a smiling tiger. Her eyebrows curved, and a row of neat white teeth flashed. Anyway, this guy was loaded; if she didn't fleece him now, when would she? Hehe!
"Ten thousand!"
"Why don't you just go rob someone?"
"Take it or leave it! This is food made with a mother's love, is it the same thing?"
"I..." Alright, that remark hit right home for Ye Lingtian. He really did want to taste what food cooked with a mother's love tasted like!
"Ten thousand yuan, and we split it."
"Deal!" Ye Lingtian pulled out his phone and immediately transferred ten thousand yuan to Yanan.
Yanan smugly doled out half her food to Ye Lingtian. *Hah, trying to fight me! I'll buy some nourishing food for Mom and Dad tomorrow!*
As Ye Lingtian ate the food in his bowl, he reflected: *The three slices of meat are ordinary pork, but they aren't greasy at all; they're soft, chewy, and taste wonderful. The cabbage is simply stir-fried with just salt, keeping the flavor light and returning to its true essence. Eating the coriander and chili dipping sauce with the plain white rice gives it a unique flavor. Ever since coming down the mountain, with my skills, I've gained plenty of wealth and connections, and I've tasted many high-end delicacies. This bowl of food is simple and crude, yet eating it has a special flavor. Could this be the taste of a mother's love?*
While Ye Lingtian was lost in thought, Yanan had already finished eating and was squinting at him.
Coming back to his senses, Ye Lingtian asked, "Why are you looking at me?"
"I'm wondering if you're even a man! I finished ages ago, and you're still working on a single big bowl. Do you taste every grain of rice one by one? Why are you acting like a sissy?!" Yanan said, full of disgust.
Having relaxed, Yanan completely forgot that the person in front of her was someone capable of wiping her out with a flick of his finger. Her nerve was so big that she actually dared to tell a man to his face that he wasn't a man! Did she have a death wish?
Ye Lingtian raised a dark, slender eyebrow, set down his chopsticks, used his index finger to lift Yanan's chin, and said in a magnetic and bewitching tone, "Whether I'm a man or not, why don't we try and find out tonight?"
Warm breath drifted from Ye Lingtian's mouth, brushing against Yanan's face. Listening to his seductive and magnetic voice, Yanan's heart skipped a beat. Gazing into his deep eyes, she instantly forgot how to react. The two of them just stared at each other.
Gazing into Yanan's pitch-black, mysterious eyes, Ye Lingtian felt as if he were being drawn in. Her fair skin, rosy lips... he felt an involuntary urge to draw closer, and he did just that...
The cold wind of the late night blew in through the window, causing Yanan to shiver abruptly and jump a full step backward! Yet the second before, she had been only three centimeters away from his rosy lips... Ye Lingtian felt a pang of regret.
"Um, I'm going to take a shower!" Yanan bolted in a panic.
Ye Lingtian was speechless.
Giving his head a shake, Ye Lingtian quickly finished his meal in a few bites. He sat on a stool and began meditating to suppress the emotions in his heart.
When Yanan came out of the bathroom, she was wearing a pink camisole slip that reached her knees. Her face was fair and tender, with misty eyebrows, phoenix eyes, a straight nose, and rosy, alluring lips... Her snow-white hands looked just like tender lotus roots, and she had full breasts and dainty feet that looked about a size thirty-four. Ye Lingtian instantly felt an urge for a nosebleed.
Realizing that someone was staring at her, Yanan scurried into her room and slammed the door shut.
She patted her chest. "That scared me to death! Could this brat have evil intentions based on my looks? Better double-lock the door just to be safe." With that, she locked the door securely.
"Phew~ Now I'm safe!" Yanan let out a long breath and climbed into bed to sleep.
Ye Lingtian was speechless.
Ye Lingtian hurriedly took a cold shower, thinking to himself: *I'm a twenty-one-year-old prime bachelor. I've seen plenty of beauties in the year since coming down the mountain, and none of them ever stirred any reaction in me. So why is it that every time I see this girl, I can't help wanting to get closer to her? And my body actually reacts? I don't get it...*
Little did he know, the ties of fate between Ye Lingtian and Ouyang Yanan had been predestined in a past life!
Lying under the covers, listening to the sound of running water outside, Yanan tossed and turned, unable to sleep!
After finishing his shower, Ye Lingtian changed into fresh clothes from his storage ring and walked out, only to find that Yanan had locked her door.
Ye Lingtian raised an eyebrow and muttered, "Treating me like a common thief. It's an old-style lock, thinking it can stop me—how naive!"
He channeled orange spiritual Qi from his right hand, turning it into a current of energy that enveloped the lock cylinder. The spiritual Qi acted like a misty hand, effortlessly opening the double-locked door.
Yanan hadn't been asleep either. Hearing the door open, she startled, rolled over, frantically pulled the quilt over herself, and retreated into the corner.
Peeking her head out, she looked at Ye Lingtian with terror in the dim moonlight and demanded, "You... what do you want?"
"You!"
"I asked what you want?"
"You!"
"I asked—shameless!" Yanan realized what he meant an instant later, her face flushing crimson.
"Relax, I just came in to ask where I'm sleeping."
"The couch!"
"What about a blanket?"
"None!"
"..."
"Then I'm sleeping with you!"
"In your dreams!"
"I'll pay you!"
"Get lost!"
"I'm just borrowing a bed and a quilt, I'm not going to do anything to you. What are you afraid of?"
Yanan raised her head and stared fixedly at Ye Lingtian without saying a word. Because the power was out, Yanan couldn't clearly see Ye Lingtian's features, but Ye Lingtian could see hers clearly, and her stare made his scalp tingle!
"I'm serious. Look, it's already 3:50 in the morning. It'll be dawn soon. I'll just rest for a bit and leave when the sun comes up!"
Yanan thought it over: *It's only two and a half hours until dawn, and he's an injured patient anyway. He shouldn't try anything, right?*
"Fine, then you sleep on the outside. That row of books in the middle is the boundary line. You aren't allowed to cross it, or else you're out." With that, she lined up a long row of high school and university textbooks right down the middle of the bed.
Ye Lingtian was left speechless.
The two of them lay on the bed back-to-back, each harboring their own thoughts.
Yanan: *I can't sleep. If he takes advantage of me while I'm asleep and gets handsy...*
Ye Lingtian: *Breathing in the unique fragrance of a woman coming from her, my heart is hammering wildly, and my body is acting up again...*
Yanan: *My eyelids are so heavy, I can't sleep, sleep...*
Finally, she couldn't hold on any longer and drifted off to sleep.
Listening to Yanan's steady breathing, Ye Lingtian knew she had fallen asleep! He used pure orange spiritual power to envelop the books and whisked them away to the desk, then gently and carefully gathered the alluring little woman into his arms.
Holding Yanan, he found her body soft and springy. Because of her Yin Body constitution, she felt cool and refreshing, like holding a piece of cold jade. Since he possessed a Pure Yang constitution, holding her made his entire body feel wonderful, and his injuries healed by ninety percent. Breathing in the faint lavender scent that clung to her, a sense of unprecedented fulfillment filled his heart.
Yanan had been feeling chilled all over. Because of her Yin Body constitution, she was extremely sensitive to the cold and never slept well at night. Suddenly, amidst her hazy slumber, a ball of warm fire enveloped her—it was cozy and extremely comfortable. She relaxed her brow and fell into an even deeper, more peaceful sleep.
Ye Lingtian held Yanan, resting his chin on top of her head, tucking her icy hands and feet into his embrace, and gently stroking her back. A strong urge to protect her welled up within him; he wanted to cherish her and keep her safe and well for a lifetime.
At that moment, Ye Lingtian felt deeply at ease, grounded, and fulfilled. He loved this feeling—he just wanted to hold her like this and never let go for the rest of his life!
Looking at Yanan's peaceful sleeping face, Ye Lingtian muttered to himself, "I'm never letting you go!"
With that, he fell peacefully asleep.
When she opened her eyes, Yanan found herself in a wonderland-like place. The surrounding flowers and grass gleamed with light, clearly not of the mortal world. There was a sacrificial altar about twenty square meters wide, surrounded by four pillars carved with animal statues: the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. They were so lifelike that they were easily recognized. Just as she was about to walk closer to examine them, a burst of black fog flew onto the altar, revealing three figures entirely covered in black clothing. Two of them facing her revealed only a pair of dark blue, mesmerizing eyes. The middle one, dressed completely in black and wearing a wizard's hat embedded with a sapphire and some unknown metal, turned around. The instant he did, Yanan was struck dumb with shock. It was a man's face, but his skin was startlingly pale and as thin as a skeleton. A pair of deep blue eyes looked at her without a single ripple of emotion, and his lips were dark purple. He looked entirely like a corpse—if only his eyes weren't open!
Yet the way he looked at her seemed as though he were gazing at someone who was already dead. Looking around, besides the four of them, there was not a single other person. She heard the wizard chanting incantations: "May our Lord rest for eternity! Today, with a Yin Body as sacrifice, we await our Lord's awakening to recreate the glory of the Demon Race!" With that, his hands traced a strange rune and struck it toward Ouyang Yanan. Instantly, a wave of weakness washed over her entire body, her feet left the ground, and she began to float toward the altar...