Watching the system interface vanish in front of her, Shui Lianyue looked at Ye Xiangli, whose face was now blushing crimson, curious about which task she had chosen.
"S-Senior Sister, I... would like... a morning kiss."
By the end of it, Ye Xiangli summoned her resolve, closed her eyes, and blurted it out. Darkness was all she could see, her strength drained away, as she felt the silent, dark atmosphere settle around her.
It appeared as though Ye Xiangli had lost all her strength and means of resistance.
The dark, silent atmosphere dragged on exceptionally long, every single second stretched to its absolute limit. Just as the corners of Ye Xiangli's eyes grew sore and she began to tear up, imagining that Shui Lianyue must hate her—
A soft touch landed on her forehead, warm and slightly damp. A faint fragrance brushed against the tip of her nose, and she felt as though she were wrapped in warm water.
Cautiously, Ye Xiangli opened her eyes to see that Shui Lianyue had already stepped down from the bed.
She was standing not far away, looking back at her gently with the sunlight filtering in through the window behind her, her eyes filled with soft smiles.
Her delicate, jade-like skin seemed to emit a faint glow in the sunlight, flawless and pure. Her long dress swayed as she moved, making her look like an immortal fairy stepped right out of a painting.
With just a single glance, Ye Xiangli's heart skipped a beat, speeding up considerably.
"Come now, acting like a little child. If Junior Sister wanted a morning kiss, you should have just asked openly and honestly. Hurry up and get up for training, I'll be waiting for you outside.
Oh, and next time, remember to keep your eyes open."
With those words, Shui Lianyue turned and left, leaving Ye Xiangli with a perfect view of her retreating back. Amidst the rustling of her long dress and the gentle fluttering of her hair, the graceful figure vanished from sight.
"03, tell me, can I save Senior Sister?"
"As long as the host properly completes the tasks issued by 03, and tries to choose tasks that can enhance your own strength, saving the host's senior sister is an absolute guarantee!"
At this, Ye Xiangli silently resolved herself in her heart. She was definitely going to save Senior Sister; she neither wanted nor could ever let happen the things from the memories 03 had transmitted to her—the vision of Senior Sister covered in blood, the kind of Senior Sister who might slip away at any moment.
Stepping out of the room, Shui Lianyue stroked her own lips. A morning kiss—unexpectedly not bad at all.
Barring any accidents, Luochen would be able to return by noon today, so she needed to figure out how to spend the rest of the morning.
Just as she was deep in thought, movement came from the wooden cabin behind her. Turning around, she saw that Ye Xiangli had already changed into her dress and walked out, her face still lingering with the shyness from moments ago.
The young girl's posture was graceful and her movements were light and lovely, resembling a February apricot bud just beginning to show at the tip of a branch.
"Senior Sister, what is the training for today?"
"Well... yesterday we built the foundation of your body, so today let's forge your spirit, Junior Sister. It will help you better concentrate and control the Heavenly Thunder."
With that, Shui Lianyue turned and walked off toward another area. Ye Xiangli trotted along closely behind her, her gaze involuntarily drifting once again to Shui Lianyue's feet.
She wasn't a foot fetishist; she was simply observing the Dao Rhyme, Ye Xiangli convinced herself in her heart.
Before she knew it, the clouds parted before them, and a pool of water suddenly appeared in view. It wasn't large, the water was crystal clear to the bottom, and fish were swimming within it.
"This is?" Peering out slightly, Ye Xiangli asked with a puzzled look.
Glancing sideways at Ye Xiangli, Shui Lianyue answered indifferently, "Water and fish."
Ye Xiangli: "........."
"Next, I need Junior Sister to use a needle to pierce ten pinpricks into every single scale of one of these fish. Every scale, not a single one missed."
Hearing Shui Lianyue's words, Ye Xiangli felt as though her world was about to collapse. When on earth was she ever going to finish this?!
Without giving Ye Xiangli a chance to speak, Shui Lianyue flicked her finger, and a red fish flew out from the pool, tracing an elegant arc through the air to land right in Ye Xiangli's arms.
Looking at the red fish in her arms, Ye Xiangli blinked. The red fish gave its tail a flick, and with a crisp smack, the right side of Ye Xiangli's cheek instantly turned red.
Shui Lianyue narrowed her eyes. She had originally intended to heal her later and then release the fish back.
Now, however, that red fish had just been reserved as Ye Xiangli's lunch.
If the red fish could speak, it would surely scream to the heavens, "I've been wronged!"
As for Ye Xiangli, who had just been slapped across the face, she stood frozen for a moment before slowly lowering her gaze to the red fish struggling in her arms. Was she really going to let herself be bullied by a fish?
And so, she brought a hand down and slapped the red fish right on the head. Splendid—it stopped moving entirely in an instant.
Hugging the red fish in her arms, Ye Xiangli just stared at Shui Lianyue. She uttered no words of refusal.
She knew that Senior Sister was definitely doing this for her own good, and she could not let down Senior Sister's kind intentions.
"Senior Sister, I'm ready."
Shui Lianyue nodded with satisfaction and handed the silver needle to Ye Xiangli. Taking the needle, Ye Xiangli found a rock to sit down on, and thus began today's task.
Seeing that there was nothing left for her to do, Shui Lianyue sat at the edge of the pond, gently swinging her jade-like feet as ripples spread across the water, her mind recalling the early plot and opportunities from the original novel.
The Ascension Convention a month from now didn't have anything particularly special about it; it was just the ordinary testing of Spirit Roots and climbing the Ascension Path, nothing else.
The Ascension Path tempered the Dao Heart and fortified one's path, which was essential for the early-stage Ye Xiangli.
Apart from that, there was nothing else. Though as for herself, it seemed she would be in charge of the affairs for the Ascension Convention—though "in charge" really just meant receiving guests from other sects.
Time could not linger; it slipped away like flowing water.
Practicing her cultivation, Shui Lianyue sensed Ye Xiangli's movements and opened her eyes just in time to see Ye Xiangli standing up, holding the red fish by its tail.
Only, the corners of her eyes were red and sore, her eye sockets moist and glistening as if holding back tears, yet her expression was relaxed as she looked at Shui Lianyue with a smile in her eyes.
"Senior Sister! I'm finished!"
Shui Lianyue smiled slightly, appearing before Ye Xiangli in the blink of an eye, and gently stroked the corner of Ye Xiangli's eye with her finger.
Ye Xiangli felt a wave of coolness wash over her, and the soreness in her eyes completely vanished. Blinking a few times, she found that her vision had even brightened considerably.
Knowing it must be Shui Lianyue's doing, she broke into a radiant smile and said to her, "Thank you, Senior Sister!"
"Well done. Later on, Senior Sister will roast a fish for you to eat."
Lowering her gaze to the red fish in her hand, Ye Xiangli nodded heavily.
"Okay!"
A campfire was lit, and the two sat before it. Resting over the flames was the red fish, which had already been cleaned and prepared.
At this moment, even Shui Lianyue, an Innately Sacred Being, was touched by a trace of mortal warmth, making Ye Xiangli feel as though the distance between herself and Shui Lianyue wasn't all that far after all.
Before long, the aroma of roasted fish drifted over, teasing the appetite in Ye Xiangli's stomach. Her stomach let out a loud rumble, causing her to lower her head in embarrassment.
Ah, seriously! Why did it have to growl at a time like this? How mortifying!
Therefore, Ye Xiangli prepared to say something to break the awkwardness.
"I never expected that Senior Sister would know how to cook."
Inside the system space, watching Ye Xiangli scramble for a topic of conversation, 03 couldn't help but palm its face. Why was its host so dense?!
"Well, before I attained inedia, I was actually quite fond of eating. Master didn't want to cook, so I researched it for a bit and found out it wasn't difficult at all—just like casting spells.
Gradually, I discovered that no matter what the matter was, I could learn it at a glance. In truth, it's actually quite boring."
Hearing her senior sister's declaration, Ye Xiangli fell silent. What was up with that statement? Delivering such a provoking remark with the most deadpan voice imaginable.