Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Special-Class Mission
Karei glanced at A-Dai, a hint of puzzlement in his eyes, seemingly surprised by A-Dai’s ignorance. Nevertheless, he explained, “The Death Mountain Range is the most terrifying place on the continent. It covers a vast area, nearly as large as the territory of the Xibo tribe. A small portion lies within the Tianyuan tribe’s lands, while the greater part stretches across the Huasheng Empire, effectively forming a natural boundary between the Huasheng Empire and our Suoyu Federation. Nowadays, if anyone from our Suoyu Federation wishes to reach the Huasheng Empire, they must either pass through the nearby Tiangang Mountain Range or traverse the territories of the Holy See; otherwise, they would have to take a much longer detour. Legend has it that a thousand years ago, the great first Pope, along with numerous powerful mages, sealed away an ancient demonic god within these mountains. All sorts of terrifying monsters inhabit the range, and virtually no one who enters ever returns. Several sizable mercenary groups once ventured there on expeditions, yet not a single person came back. I fear that even if we mobilized our entire guild, we might still fail to obtain those finest magical crystals. Previously, at our headquarters in Red Hurricane City, I saw several similar missions involving the search for extremely precious items originating from the Death Mountain Range. It is said that the closer one gets to the center of the mountains, the more formidable the monsters become. The primary reason why this mission to find the finest magical crystals isn’t classified as the highest rank—Super—is precisely because it lies on the outskirts of the Death Mountain Range.”
Xuan Yue said, “That sounds like a fascinating place—the Death Mountains? It’s the first time I’ve ever heard of them. You say few people ever emerge from the Death Mountains, so how did news of the supreme-grade magic crystal come about? I suspect there’s a great deal of exaggeration involved; I simply don’t believe there could be any truly formidable monsters there.” In truth, nearly everyone within the Church knew of the Death Mountains, but Xuan Yue’s father had forbidden anyone from telling his daughter about them. No one understood Xuan Yue better than he did; had she learned of such a place, she would inevitably become intensely curious and set out to explore it. Yet human calculations cannot rival fate’s designs, and all his efforts were now destined to come to nothing.
Ignoring Ka Rui, whom her questions had left speechless, Xuan Yue turned to A Dai and said, “I’ve made my decision: we’ll take on this quest to retrieve the supreme-grade magic crystal. What do you think? If you’re afraid, you don’t have to come.”
A Dai shook his head and replied without hesitation, “I’ll go. However, Miss, if we succeed in obtaining the supreme-grade magic crystal, I hope you could give me one piece. Would that be acceptable?” For him, showing filial devotion to Goris far outweighed any fear of the Death Mountains.
Xuan Yue generously responded, “No problem at all. Then it’s settled. Let’s go and accept the quest.”
Kara Rui stared in disbelief as Xuan Yue and A Dai rushed to the quest reception counter to accept a mission that even their own Red Hurricane Mercenary Group dared not touch. From their tone, it seemed as though they had already obtained the supreme-grade magic crystal. He hurriedly ran over to the counter, exclaiming, “Miss Mage, you cannot go to that place! You don’t even have a single warrior among you; sending just two mages there would be nothing short of suicide!”
Xuan Yue had already handed her mercenary card to the attendant behind the counter. “Don’t worry,” she said. “How could there be high rewards without danger? Once I’ve made up my mind, I never change it. Precisely because we are few in number, we remain agile. If we truly can’t defeat the monsters, can’t we simply run away? Hey, hurry up! I want to accept that special-grade mission. Register us quickly; we’re about to depart.” Her last sentence was directed at the counter attendant.
The counter attendant initially thought he had misheard, but only now did he fully comprehend. His voice trembled slightly as he asked, “Miss Mage, are you certain?”
Xuan Yue chuckled lightly. “Of course I’m certain. Hurry up! By the way, from now on, you must address me as the leader of the Heaven’s Evil Mercenary Group.”
Watching the attendant register the details, Karui made one last attempt: “Miss Mage, that place is far too dangerous. I really think you should reconsider.”
Xuan Yue took the already registered card from the attendant and smiled at Karui. “Uncle Ka-rui,” she drawled, “you’re so old you’ve even lost your courage. It’s just monsters, after all. We’ll go see them for ourselves. Ah Dai, let’s go.” With that, she quickly ran out of the Mercenary Guild.
Behind Ah Dai and Xuan Yue, a wave of regretful murmurs lingered. No one believed they stood any chance of succeeding in their mission.
Having navigated society for many years, Karui certainly wouldn’t change his stance just because Xuan Yue called him cowardly. Shaking his head sorrowfully, he muttered, “Truly, young calves fear no tigers. What a pity for those two mages! The Death Mountains? Is that a place humans can possibly go?”
In the shadows outside the Mercenary Guild, two figures were conversing in hushed tones.
“Silver Two, hurry back and inform His Eminence the Archbishop that the Young Lady is heading for the Death Mountains; I will follow her there.”
“Silver One, couldn’t we just stop the Young Lady directly? We absolutely cannot let her go to the Death Mountains! That place has been declared forbidden territory by the Holy See.”
“Sigh—I know that too, but do you really think we can stop her? You know her temper; have you forgotten the agony of her Holy Light baptism last time? Go quickly; only the Archbishop can prevent the Young Lady from risking herself. I will do my best to protect them. If the Archbishop hasn’t arrived by the time we reach the edge of the Death Mountains, I’ll attempt to stop her then.”
“Alright, Yin Yi, I’m heading off now. You must protect the young lady’s safety; otherwise, we’re all done for. Though she has a bit of a temper, her heart is truly kind!”
“You think I need reminding? I’ve watched the young lady grow up since birth. The Director entrusted me with this task the moment she was born. Even I couldn’t believe it back then, considering our rather insignificant standing within the Tribunal! Hurry along now—time is life.”
One of the two shadowy figures flashed away and vanished, while the other quietly trailed behind Adai and Xuanyue.
As they walked, Xuanyue spoke excitedly, “Adai, do you think our mercenary rank will skyrocket if we complete this mission? Maybe we’ll even become Special-Class Mercenaries! How exciting!” She seemed to have already forgotten her morning quarrel with Adai, her heart brimming with anticipation for the adventure ahead.
They had already retrieved the Tiangang Sword from the Mages’ Guild. A Dai harbored no dissatisfaction regarding Xuan Yue accepting this mission; his mind was occupied solely by the term “supreme-grade crystal.” “Miss, I have a question for you.”
Xuan Yue, in high spirits, replied, “Go ahead and ask.”
A Dai said, “Miss, do you know what a supreme-grade crystal looks like? If we don’t even know what our target resembles, how can we possibly find it?”
Xuan Yue smiled mysteriously, leaned close to A Dai, cautiously glanced around, and whispered, “I didn’t expect you to start thinking for yourself. Of course I know what it looks like; otherwise, I wouldn’t have accepted this mission.”
A Dai was stunned. “You know?”
Xuan Yue said proudly, “Of course. Don’t forget, my father is a Cardinal of the Church. There’s little I haven’t seen. Look.” She extended her short-handled magic staff toward A Dai, pointing at the transparent gem atop it, and whispered, “This is a supreme-grade magic crystal.”
A Dai had never paid much attention to Xuan Yue’s magic staff. Hearing her words, he couldn’t help but examine it closely. On the surface, this staff, only about a foot long, revealed nothing extraordinary. Its white shaft gleamed with a lustrous sheen, faintly exuding an aura of sanctity. The end tapered into a sharp cone. At the very top of the staff, wings crafted from the same white material swept diagonally upward, curving gently to form two elegant arcs, resembling the wings of an angel. Nestled at the center of these wings, at the staff’s apex, was embedded a transparent gem roughly the size of an egg. Within the gem, something seemed to flow like liquid; under the reflection of sunlight, it occasionally flickered with faint rays of light. Pointing at the central gem, A Dai asked, “Are you saying this is the supreme-grade magic crystal?”
Xuan Yue nodded and said, “Yes! That’s what Father told me. He would never lie. Don’t you believe him?”
A Dai carefully examined the transparent gem at the center of the magic staff but found nothing remarkable. Xuan Yue explained, “Top-grade magic crystals emit a special energy fluctuation; I can recognize them immediately upon seeing one. Just now, they claimed we had no warriors, little do they know that you are a warrior! Hehe, let’s hurry and prepare some food before we set off.”
A Dai followed Xuan Yue to the vicinity of the stout owner’s steamed bun shop. Glancing at A Dai, Xuan Yue said, “Don’t you love steamed buns? Let’s prepare plenty for our journey.” With these words, she lifted her head and walked toward the shop. A Dai paused briefly, a slight ripple stirring within his heart, yet he said nothing and simply followed.
Upon spotting A Dai and Xuan Yue approaching, the stout owner exclaimed excitedly, “A Dai, you’ve finally arrived! I was just about to return the remaining money to you. What you gave me yesterday was far too much; those buns of mine aren’t even worth a single gold coin!”
Adai lifted the hood from his head and smiled innocently, “Uncle, please take it; it’s what I owe you.”
Xuanyue stepped closer and said, “Boss, I’d like to buy some steamed buns. How much for one?”
The plump boss replied, “Two for a copper coin. Miss, you’re with Adai, aren’t you? Feel free to take as many as you like. Yesterday, Adai paid far more than enough.”
Xuanyue giggled and said, “I’m going to take quite a lot, you know. He can eat an enormous amount.”
The stout boss chuckled and said, “Take as many as you like; eat your fill.”
Xuan Yue glanced at A-Dai. Upon seeing the stout boss, A-Dai had reverted to the same foolish demeanor he displayed when they first met. It seemed he was still angry with her! How petty. That icy coldness was unbearable; if she wanted him to reliably serve as her follower, it appeared she would need to bribe him properly.
Thinking thus, Xuan Yue held up one finger toward the stout boss and said, “I want a thousand steamed buns.”
Both A-Dai and the stout boss looked at Xuan Yue in astonishment. The stout boss’s legs gave way, and he nearly fell to the ground, exclaiming in shock, “What? A thousand steamed buns?”
Xuan Yue watched their astonished expressions and chuckled, “Yes! Exactly one thousand, and we need them tonight. That way, even if he eats ten a day, it’ll last him over three months.”
The stout owner, so surprised that he began to stutter, trembled as he said, “B-but… one th-thousand steamed buns? How are you going to carry them all!”
Xuan Yue spoke mysteriously, “That’s not your concern. Just prepare one thousand steamed buns for us, and I’ll pay you. A-Dai, let’s go; we still need to buy a few other things.” With that, she pulled out a purple crystal coin, tossed it to the owner, and tugged at A-Dai’s sleeve before walking away.
A-Dai was also curious; one thousand steamed buns must weigh at least two or three hundred jin. Although he didn’t mind the weight, surely they couldn’t trek into an adventure carrying such a huge bundle of buns. Yet he didn’t ask; he knew that even if he did, Xuan Yue might not answer him anyway. Once the buns were ready, everything would become clear naturally.
Behind them stood the plump shop owner, wearing a bitter smile on his face as he muttered to himself, “A thousand steamed buns? Even if I risk my life, there’s no way I can finish them all in one night!”
After leaving the bun shop, Xuan Yue began a massive shopping spree, focusing mainly on food. She also bought several sets of clothes for both A-Dai and herself. Naturally, all these items ended up in A-Dai’s hands. Everything seemed fresh and exciting to Xuan Yue; she didn’t necessarily buy everything she saw, but she certainly made sure to look at it all. Her presence was felt in nearly every shop throughout the small town, and their shopping continued until dusk. By then, A-Dai was laden with all sorts of items. Just as they were preparing to return to the bun shop, however, they were blocked by a group of people. This was a desolate street, rarely traversed by anyone.
It was a group of warriors clad in light armor, none of them particularly old, appearing to be around twenty years of age. There were over a dozen of them, uniformly dressed, each bearing a mercenary emblem on their chest. Among them, three displayed silver mercenary emblems, indicating their status as second-rank mercenaries. The most conspicuous figure was a female mercenary. She wore brown leather armor, her fiery red long hair cascading down her back. Strikingly beautiful, her brows exuded a heroic spirit. On her back rested a pale longbow, its surface shimmering with a silvery metallic luster, clearly marking her as an archer. Her enchanting gaze swept around before settling upon A-Dai.
Though blocked directly in front of them, Xuan Yue showed not a trace of surprise. Instead, she stepped behind A-Dai and said, “They don’t seem to have good intentions. It’s up to you now.”
A Dai nodded slightly, stepped forward a few paces, and politely asked, “May I ask, what brings you here?”
The leader of the mercenaries, a Rank-Two mercenary, stepped forward. Among the group, only he wore silver light armor, clearly marking him as their commander. Smiling, he said, “Greetings, esteemed mage. We are members of the Moon Scar Mercenary Group. I am Yue Hen, the group’s leader, and these are my trusted brothers. We mean no harm in stopping you; we simply wish to propose a collaboration.”
A Dai was taken aback. “A collaboration?” he asked.
Yue Hen nodded. “Indeed. We witnessed your entire process of accepting the quest at the Mercenaries’ Guild just now. We are also very interested in that exceptional magical crystal. Might we possibly join forces with your mercenary group to explore the Death Mountains together?”
Hearing that they were not robbers, Xuan Yue hurriedly ran over and stood in front of A Dai, saying, “You want to cooperate with us? What is it that you hope to gain?”
Yue Hen smiled gently and said, “Miss Mage, as you can see, we are all young people. We heard everything you said at the guild. We seek no wealth; our only desire is to explore. Only places like the Death Mountain Range are worth our visit. If we obtain many high-quality magic crystals, I hope you could share a small portion with us—that would be enough. After all, the mission was accepted by you. Without you, Miss, we truly wouldn’t have had the courage to proceed.”
Xuan Yue blinked her large eyes, thinking to herself: Since Karui said the Death Mountain Range is extremely dangerous, his words were likely not exaggerated. If this group joins us, our chances of success will increase significantly. Moreover, having more people makes the journey livelier, and since they are all young, this arrangement seems favorable. Nodding, she said, “Very well, you may come, but on the journey, you must follow my instructions and not act on your own authority.”
The red-haired girl walked over to Yuehen and said, “That won’t do. There are only two of you, while we have so many. Besides, we don’t belong to the same mercenary group. Why should we listen to you?”
Xuan Yue snorted and replied, “I don’t care; you must listen to me. Don’t forget, I am a mage—a light-element mage. Moreover, only I can identify top-grade magical crystals.”
Yuehen was momentarily stunned, a flicker of joy passing through his eyes. The true value of a light-element mage lay not in their offensive power, but in their ability to cast healing spells and supportive magic for the team, thereby preventing many casualties. Nodding, Yuehen said, “In that case, we agree. Little sister, who told you to speak out of turn?”
The red-haired girl哼ed unhurriedly and retorted, “Judging by her voice, she’s probably younger than me. I won’t accept being commanded by her unless she can defeat me first.”
When has Xuan Yue ever feared a challenge? She snorted coldly and said, “Unconvinced? Fine! Then I accept your challenge. So what if I’m younger than you? Does being older automatically mean greater ability?” As she spoke, she lifted her cloak. When the mercenaries present beheld Xuan Yue’s unparalleled beauty, several of them involuntarily gasped in astonishment; the red-haired girl’s striking appearance instantly paled in comparison.
Ah Dai set down his belongings beside him, lowered his head, and addressed Xuan Yue: “Miss, please let me handle this.” Even someone as simple-minded as Ah Dai knew that archers were a mage’s nightmare. Having made a promise to the Red Cardinal, he absolutely could not allow Xuan Yue to be injured again.
Xuan Yue did not appreciate his concern. Casting a disdainful glance at the red-haired girl, she replied, “No need. I can deal with her myself.” With that, she raised her magic staff.
Yue Hen also wished to see on what grounds this young girl, who appeared to be only in her teens, had earned certification as a high-level mage. Thus, he nodded to his sister and whispered softly, “Do not harm her.”
The red-haired girl gave a noncommittal “hm,” took down her longbow, and as if by magic, a silver arrow was already nocked. The other mercenaries stepped back more than ten paces, clearing space for them. Drawing her bow to a full moon, the red-haired girl said, “Little sister, don’t say I’m bullying you. My Wind-Extinguishing Arrow possesses anti-magic properties. Remember my name: I am Yue Ji.” As soon as she finished speaking, the silver arrow shot forth like lightning, becoming a blur as it crossed the distance of less than thirty paces toward Xuan Yue. Yue Ji’s archery was already somewhat renowned among mercenaries; accuracy alone could not describe it. Her intention with this shot was merely to knock off a piece of Xuan Yue’s clothing, embarrassing the girl who was even more beautiful than herself.
At such close range, a contest between a mage and an archer was inherently unfair. Mages require time to chant incantations, yet this sudden arrow afforded Xuan Yue no such opportunity.
Xuan Yue pushed aside A Dai, who was about to intervene, and gently waved her staff. At the instant the silver arrow was about to strike, a brilliant light suddenly appeared. When everyone’s vision returned, they found Yue Ji’s body completely enveloped by a curtain of light. Except for A Dai, no one could discern what had happened.
Even though A Dai saw it, he could not understand. Just as the silver arrow reached Xuan Yue, she seemed to softly utter a single syllable, and her entire body was instantly shrouded in radiance. The silver arrow, famed for its anti-magic properties, was immediately blocked by the light, unable to advance even an inch. Seizing this opportunity, Xuan Yue cast a low-level spell, enclosing Yue Ji within it. What astonished A Dai most was that, whether in defense or offense, he had not seen Xuan Yue chant any incantation.
Xuan Yue said with a smug smile, “Who says archers are necessarily the bane of mages? Well? Shall we continue our contest?” A faint radiance swirled before her, accentuating her breathtaking beauty as if a fairy had descended from heaven. All members of the Moon Scar Mercenary Group stood utterly stunned.
After a long pause, it was Yue Hen who first regained his composure. He walked over to his sister, glanced at Yue Ji’s bewildered face, then addressed Xuan Yue: “Miss Mage, your prowess has far exceeded our expectations. For this journey to the Death Mountains, I have decided that the Moon Scar Mercenary Group will follow your commands entirely.”
Xuan Yue nodded in satisfaction and said, “Good then. You may return first. We shall meet tomorrow morning at the West City Gate; do not be late. We won’t wait for anyone who arrives after the appointed time. Ah Dai, let’s go.”
On the way back to the Steamed Bun Shop, Ah Dai could no longer contain his curiosity and asked, “Miss Xuan Yue, what method did you use earlier to block that arrow?” Ah Dai reckoned that if he himself were to counter that ghostly swift arrow, he could only rely on instinct and block it with his Tiangang Sword, with no certainty of success. As for using magic, he wouldn’t even dare to imagine it.
Xuan Yue pouted and said, “So you’re finally willing to talk to me first? That’s my secret; I can’t tell you.”
A Dai met with a rebuff and fell awkwardly silent.
When the two returned to the steamed bun shop, they were startled by the scene before them: the table was piled high with buns, while the stout owner, drenched in sweat, was pulling out several steamers from within. A Dai hurried over to help.
After setting down the steamers, the stout owner panted, “Alright, this should be enough for a thousand buns, if not more. This is the result of me asking our neighbors for help; we’ve been busy all afternoon! What I most want to know now is how you plan to take them away; this amounts to nearly three hundred jin.”
Xuan Yue chuckled and said, “Just wait and see; I’ll show you.” She closed the shop door, extended her fair, delicate hand, and reached into her neckline to grasp a necklace. The necklace was silvery-white, devoid of any shimmer, appearing utterly ordinary, except for a red gemstone pendant at its end that continuously emitted a faint red glow. By now, evening had fallen, and most common folks had already returned home for dinner. To prepare these one thousand steamed buns, the stout owner had specially closed his shop for the day.
Xuan Yue closed her large eyes and murmured, “With phoenix blood as the guide, open now, the gate of space and time.” As she chanted, the red pendant on the necklace suddenly burst forth with brilliant light, enveloping Xuan Yue’s body in a crimson radiance. She abruptly opened her eyes and softly whispered, “Retrieve—”
The steamed buns on the table, as if hearing a summons, soared forward one after another toward Xuan Yue. What amazed both A-Dai and the stout owner was that whenever a bun touched the red light surrounding Xuan Yue, it instantly vanished. Xuan Yue seemed like a bottomless pit; within moments, she had completely cleared all the buns from the table.
The stout owner gaped, staring blankly as he muttered, “Is… is this the power of magic? So incredible, truly so incredible.”
After packing away the steamed buns, Xuan Yue didn’t stop; she also put away everything she had bought during the day. But when she tried to pack Ah Dai’s own bundle, Ah Dai desperately clung to it, refusing to let go no matter what. Inside that bundle lay Owen’s ashes!
The red glow surrounding Xuan Yue faded as she chided playfully, “I’m not taking it from you! Why are you holding on so tightly? Carrying it around is such a burden! Let me store it within the Phoenix Blood; wouldn’t that be much easier?”
Ah Dai stammered, “No, this bundle is extremely important to me. I can only feel at ease if I keep it close to my body. Miss Xuan Yue, I never realized your magic was so powerful!”
Pouting, Xuan Yue replied, “How stingy! Is my magic really that impressive? My father is the truly remarkable one. Once I reach the level of a Grand Magician, I’ll be able to open my own spatial pouch and won’t need to rely on the troublesome Phoenix Blood anymore. By the way, I’ve already stored all those steamed buns of yours inside this necklace of mine. Remember to ask me whenever you want to eat them.”
Although Adai had learned some alchemy from Glis, everything before him now far exceeded his comprehension. How could he possibly know that the most precious item on Xuanyue was this Phoenix Blood Necklace? Using it to hold steamed buns was truly a grievous waste. After all, it was a treasure gifted to Xuanyue by the Pope himself, one of the few divine artifacts within the Holy See. Were it not for the Phoenix Blood serving as Xuanyue’s protective amulet, how could Cardinal Xuanye have ever felt secure enough to let his daughter venture out?
Xuanyue murmured softly, “One copper coin buys two steamed buns; one hundred copper coins buy two hundred buns; five hundred copper coins buy one thousand buns. Surely, the purple crystal coins I’m giving you should be sufficient.”
The stout boss, his blood boiling from being utterly awestruck by the “magic” he had just witnessed, nodded repeatedly upon hearing this and said, “That’s more than enough; there’s even some extra. Let me give you your change.”
Xuan Yue smiled and replied, “Seeing how hard you’ve worked, there’s no need for change. I’m not stingy like some people. Let’s go; I’m tired and need to find a place to sleep.” With that, she walked out of the shop first.
After bidding a reluctant farewell to the stout boss, Ah Dai hurriedly chased after her. Xuan Yue hadn’t gone far; she was strolling slowly ahead. He quickly caught up and asked, “Miss, where are we heading now?”
Xuan Yue said, “I’ve already scoped out a place. Just follow me.”
Originally, A Dai had assumed that Xuan Yue would surely choose to stay at a luxurious hotel; after all, as the daughter of a Cardinal, she was accustomed to a life of comfort and privilege. Unexpectedly, however, Xuan Yue merely led him to an ordinary, inexpensive inn not far from the western city gate. Though not opulent, the place was remarkably clean, and upon entering, A Dai immediately felt a sense of comfort.
Noticing the confusion in A Dai’s heart, Xuan Yue said, “We don’t have much money left now, and the journey from here to the Death Mountains is still quite long. We must spend frugally. If it weren’t for our lack of funds, I wouldn’t have gone to the Mages’ Guild for any sort of test. Are mages really that rare? Let’s get something to eat first; I’m hungry.”
After booking two rooms, Xuan Yue and A Dai had a simple meal. Xuan Yue ate very little, less than a third of what A Dai consumed. After finishing, she said nothing further and returned to her own room to rest.
A Dai used his monthly mage stipend to pay for the meal and then went to the room next to Xuan Yue’s. After closing the door, he set down his bundle and removed the Tiangang Sword, feeling instantly lighter. He let out a long sigh and sat down on a chair, lost in thought. The powerful self-healing ability of his Shengsheng True Qi had already cleared most of the meridians in his arm. Jige’s water-based healing spell had worked remarkably well, leaving not even a scar. Now, as long as he didn’t exert force, the pain was gone.
Although he had been in the small town for only two short days, so many things had happened that A Dai felt as if he were living in a dream. As for Xuan Yue, he himself couldn’t quite understand what he felt. The sweet sleep of last night and the deep hurt of this morning were both firmly etched in his heart. Weariness invaded A Dai’s body, and only then did he realize he should begin his cultivation. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he mobilized the Shengsheng true energy within him, which had just reached the fifth stage. Banishing all distracting thoughts, within a short while he entered a state where self and spirit were forgotten.
In the room next to A Dai, Xuan Yue tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Though clearly exhausted, every time she closed her eyes, memories of what had happened over the past two days surfaced, making it impossible for her to drift into slumber. Xuan Yue sat up and huffed angrily, “It’s all that stinky A Dai’s fault! Always bothering me for no reason. Hmph! He’s even ruined my sleep. Just wait until I get my revenge on him later.” As she said this, she suddenly recalled the feeling of waking up in A Dai’s arms that morning. It was a wonderfully comfortable sensation enveloping her entire body; she hadn’t slept so peacefully in a long time. Nestled in A Dai’s embrace, that fulfilling sense of security had been truly beautiful. If only A Dai could be made into a bed… At this thought, Xuan Yue’s face inevitably flushed red. Lying back down, overwhelming drowsiness gradually overpowered her wandering thoughts, and Xuan Yue finally drifted into a hazy sleep.
It was already well past midnight. A Dai exhaled deeply as the white light emanating from his body gradually subsided. Forty-nine cycles of cultivation left him feeling brimming with energy; it seemed the blood lost the previous morning had already been replenished. The liquid Shengsheng true energy within his body appeared to have increased slightly. The sensation of fullness in his dantian filled his entire being with strength.
Glancing at the sky outside, it seemed there was still some time before dawn. Reaching the fifth stage of the Shengsheng Technique truly made a difference. Previously, completing forty-nine cycles would have taken him until broad daylight, but now the time required seemed significantly shortened. It appeared his martial prowess had reached a new level.
The night was deep, and A Dai had no idea how long it would take for dawn to arrive. In the dim room, even with his keen eyesight, he could only see a few meters ahead. Sleep? But having just finished meditating, he felt not the slightest hint of drowsiness. Meditate further? After witnessing Xuan Yue’s magic yesterday, A Dai had lost much of his confidence in his Flame Technique and Fireball Technique, leaving him with no desire whatsoever to continue meditating.
Suddenly, A Dai remembered the Nether King Sword tied against his chest, and his whole body trembled. That’s right! My Sheng Sheng Jue has reached the fifth realm; I can now begin cultivating the Nine Decisions of the Nether.