After unrelenting effort, Liu Xi finally transformed the forming pill embryo into a gleaming emerald Spiritual Liquid.
Within the Azure Lotus Flame–forged cauldron, a globule of jade-colored liquid shimmered with intense Spiritual Energy, radiating vitality beneath the flame's refinement.
With a subtle change of hand seals, the cauldron flickered, turned translucent, and dissolved into nothingness.
Liu Xi flipped his palm and summoned a jade bottle, waving his sleeve as the emerald liquid floated gently toward him before settling into the vessel.
Holding the jade bottle, he turned toward Qing Yanjing, smiling lightly as he offered it to her. "This Spiritual Liquid will help heal the damage within your meridians. Don't use it all at once—divide it into three portions. Add one each time you bathe. The essence will slowly be absorbed through your body."
Qing Yanjing hesitated briefly, then extended her slender jade-like hand to accept it. Her voice was soft but sincere.
"Thank you, senior. I'll never forget your kindness. I'll repay you one day."
She thought refusing now would be pointless since he had already refined it. She could accept it first—repayment could come later.
Liu Xi studied her meaningfully, his smile deepening. "Good," he said casually. "I'll be waiting."
Though she appeared composed, Qing Yanjing's heart fluttered under his gaze.
'Does he truly… have feelings for me? No, he's a gentleman. Still… maybe that wouldn't be so bad. But we barely know each other…'
She did admire him, but not to the point of surrendering herself so quickly. That would come—if ever—only with time and understanding.
Seeing her shy composure, Liu Xi withdrew his gaze with a faint grin. The future mother of the protagonist was still young, innocent, and full of girlish charm.
One thing was certain—he was destined to become the protagonist's father.
"I'll step outside for a bit," Liu Xi said with a smile, turning and striding out of the cave.
After he disappeared around the corner, silence fell once again.
Qing Yanjing exhaled softly, patting her chest in relief. Something about his gaze had unsettled her. Not unpleasantly—just… nervously.
Her eyes lingered on the spot where he had vanished, and a small smile curved her lips. Even if she wouldn't admit it aloud, being favored by someone like Liu Xi filled her with a quiet joy.
After all, this was a man standing at the very peak of the Great Thousand World—unrivaled even among the Ancient Clans.
Compared to the rigid elders of her clan, Qing Yanjing was far more practical. Her clan constantly preached that her bloodline was noble, that marrying outside it would "taint" their lineage, and that only Maha Tian—Maha Clan's so-called prodigy—was worthy of her.
But in Qing Yanjing's eyes, even Maha Tian with his "noble blood" couldn't compare to one-tenth of Liu Xi.
And even in the future, she doubted anyone could ever reach the same height he already stood upon. How could she not be moved?
Still, worry flickered beneath her thoughts. 'Could it just be my imagination?'
She was torn—afraid he felt nothing for her, yet equally afraid he might be one of those shameless men interested only in her body.
"Whew…"
She took a long breath, looking down at the jade bottle in her hands. The emerald liquid shimmered faintly, radiating a refined Spiritual aura.
More than that—she felt the faintest loosening within her bottleneck toward the Heavenly Sovereign Realm.
Her eyes widened slightly in awe.
"As expected of Senior Qing Lian… To refine something like this so casually—this Spiritual Liquid alone is priceless across the Great Thousand World."
"Still… I should focus on healing first."
She bit her lip lightly, murmuring, "And now that I'm hunted by both the Ancient Buddha Clan and the Maha Clan, staying beside him will only bring endless trouble."
Resolving herself, Qing Yanjing waved her hand. Spiritual seals flowed from her fingertips, forming a Third Rank Spiritual Array in midair. Three golden wheels of light spun into being, their edges sharp as blades.
As she shifted her hand seals, the array changed—cutting the ground open into a deep basin large enough for her to bathe in.
Her fingers danced again, altering the formation into a Gathering Spirit Array. Spiritual Energy surged through the air, forming rolling mists that condensed into droplets of Sovereign Spiritual Liquid.
In moments, countless drops fell like rain, filling the basin into a small pool of luminescent essence.
A single pool like this—if condensed by a Heavenly Sovereign—would take three to five years of tireless effort. Yet for Qing Yanjing, it took only a few seconds.
Truly, she was a hidden little rich lady. If she unleashed her full ability, who knew how much Sovereign Spiritual Liquid she could generate? She was a walking Spiritual treasury.
When the basin overflowed, she altered the array once more. The seals melted into the world, and dense mist filled the cave like a living veil.
Moments later, the fog receded, revealing her delicate face clouded with hesitation.
"Would doing this make it seem like I don't trust him? But… what if he actually does peek? No, he wouldn't. He's not that kind of man… right?"
She fidgeted for quite a while before finally letting out a resigned sigh—her eyes glimmering with both embarrassment and a trace of nervous excitement.
Then, gathering her courage, she uncorked the jade bottle and poured out a third of the emerald Spiritual Liquid into the pool.
As it mixed, the once-clear Sovereign Spiritual Liquid turned a brilliant green, sending gentle waves of Spiritual mist rising into the air, fragrant and otherworldly.
The mist hovered lightly over the water, glowing like emerald clouds. The entire scene looked like an ethereal paradise.
Putting the bottle aside, Qing Yanjing took a deep breath and slowly began to remove her garments. Her skin was pale as ivory, flawless as fine jade—each movement graceful and pure, yet breathtakingly alluring.
Just then, outside the cave, Liu Xi retracted all his Spiritual Perception with a smirk.
He had no intention of watching—at least not yet. There would be enough time for that.
Still, the faint image of her nervous gestures as she began undressing lingered vividly in his mind.
Cute, Very cute.
And kind—too kind, perhaps. He found himself truly liking this girl.
As for Maha Tian? Maybe next time, he'd find a way to finish him off completely.
The Maha Clan still had a Saint Grade Heavenly Sovereign among their ranks. Ordinary Saints didn't matter—but if one possessed a Peerless Saint Artifact, that might be troublesome.
He smiled faintly to himself.
"Whatever. Once I step into the Saint Grade myself, even if I face the entire Maha Clan, I won't feel an ounce of fear."
Lying back on a massive boulder, he gazed at the azure sky and the radiant sun above, the corner of his mouth lifting.
"My son will have the talent to rule the heavens," he murmured with quiet amusement. "Interesting indeed."
(End of Chapter)
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