"..."
Wen Zhixing was somewhat powerless to retort.
Release my ass.
He'd almost died from essence absorption last time.
Those who die of drought will never understand the pain of those who die of flood.
Despite his inner complaints, Wen Zhixing still obediently followed Qiu Yinger, and they left the place, slowly making their way towards the Soul Devouring Hall.
Before leaving, Qiu Yinger glanced at the submissive Zhang Tiancheng and casually tossed a bottle of elixir to him. "You did well; this is your reward."
"This… Thank you, Qiu!"
Zhang Tiancheng was startled at first, but then he was overjoyed. He then knelt and thanked her profusely.
However, Qiu Yinger didn't even bother to look back at him.
Zhang Tiancheng naturally didn't mind, but he was a bit puzzled. Qiu Yinger had never been so generous before; what was different this time?He didn't believe for a second that the palace master of the Wonderous Palace was someone who would repay kindness.It seems that Wen Zhixing really is quite special.After all, his recovery speed was something others couldn't catch up to, even if they tried their hardest.
A peculiar light appeared in his eyes as he seemed to ponder something.
...
This was Wen Zhixing's first opportunity to move around within the Wonderous Palace.
The two walked at a leisurely pace over the bluestone-paved ground.
As the sky grew dark, they didn't encounter many people along the way.
The Wonderous Palace was built high in the mountains, on steep terrain. Each building appeared to be painstakingly carved, and every design was so ingenious that it was truly breathtaking.
Unfortunately, Wen Zhixing didn't have the chance to see much before the sky dome was shrouded in darkness.
The Wonderous Palace became quite lively at night. Before the bright moon even rose, passionate sounds of men and women engaged in physical combat could be heard from many courtyards.
SMACK!
SMACK!
SMACK!
The noises were so loud it was difficult to ignore them.
Wen Zhixing turned his head and caught a glimpse of silhouettes intermingling, projected onto the windows. These figures seemed to bathe in the moonlight, lascivious and absurd.
Wen Zhixing furrowed his brows at these incessantly intertwining shadows. He now knew exactly how it felt.He could sense that the pleasurable noises were mixed with pain and despair.
[You're full of Yang Qi; you can release it.]
Wen Zhixing: "..."
This system prompt is really rather insidious.
Qiu Yinger, walking beside him, seemed to turn a deaf ear to all this, continuing on her way. She had long been accustomed to such scenes and paid them no mind.
In the end, Wen Zhixing could only take a deep breath and silently follow behind Qiu Yinger. Fellow sufferers in misfortune, he too was helpless.
...
The moonlight grew clearer.
In an antique room of the Soul Devouring Tower, the melodious sound of a zither being played drifted out. The continuous zither tones were not only melodious but also seemed to exude a hint of joy.
The walls of the room were constructed from carved white jade. Specks of moonlight pierced through the intricately carved, openwork windows.
Inside the house, a lightly dressed woman lay quietly on a soft bed covered with red silk brocade. Her black hair was carelessly tied up in a bun, but some stray strands had escaped, adding a touch of languor. With her garments half undone, her lingerie, thin as a cicada's wing, was slightly revealed. A pair of her slender white feet, as delicate and white as spring onions, were flawless. Her entire being radiated a bewitching, mature charm.
In front of the bed, a slender young girl dressed in white chiffon gently caressed the strings of the zither with her delicate, long fingers.
Although everyone in the room was female, the atmosphere under the hazy moonlight was somewhat romantic.
After the piece ended, the girl playing the zither immediately turned around and smiled at the figure on the bed.
"Master, this piece is meant to cultivate the divine soul. Do you feel a bit better?"
A soft, sweet female voice sounded. The girl had picturesque features and skin as smooth as fine porcelain; she certainly had the makings of a beauty.
The woman on the bed was none other than Si Nanyan, the palace master of Wonderous Palace. And the girl playing the zither was her disciple, Yun Xinyue.
"Not bad."
Half-reclining on the bed, Si Nanyan slightly lifted her head upon hearing the words, revealing a cold face that seemed incongruous with her figure.
Yun Xinyue's face lit up with joy, and she hurriedly said, "Master, if you like it, why don't I play another piece..."
"No need." Si Nanyan waved her slender white hands and shook her head, saying, "Qiu is coming."
Yun Xinyue's face showed a hint of disappointment, but she still nodded. She knew that Si Nanyan had matters to attend to that day.
"Master, why do you hold Wen Zhixing in such high regard? He's just an ordinary man; does he truly possess something extraordinary?" Her face showed her puzzlement.
Although Wen Zhixing saved Master's life, what value could a man drained of his essence possibly have?For a worthless man like that, since he has no value, he should just be discarded. Why go to the greater expense of cultivating him?It's not like our Wonderous Palace lacks a furnace.
"You are mistaken, Xinyue."
Si Nanyan slowly rose, her clothes disheveled, revealing her graceful figure. "You are unaware. Although Wen Zhixing is a mere mortal, he survived seven days of essence absorption without dying, which reveals his exceptional talent. If I hadn't absorbed his primordial yang this time, I wouldn't just have been injured. My very foundation would have been half destroyed."
"Master was injured so severely this time!" Yun Xinyue was instantly startled. Everyone at Wonderous Palace thought Si Nanyan had merely sustained a minor injury; they had no idea it was this severe.
"This man is very likely one in ten thousand, possessing a Pure Yang Body. His primordial yang is so robust, even I was taken aback. If nurtured properly, he will surely help me break through my shackles and step into a whole new realm in the future." As Si Nanyan spoke, her beautiful eyes gleamed.
"A Pure Yang Body!" Yun Xinyue was taken aback once more. So that was it.No wonder Master regarded him so seriously. The cultivation skill they practiced had extremely high requirements for a furnace. If Wen Zhixing truly possessed a Pure Yang Body, then he was indeed worth cultivating.
"Master, we mustn't be careless this time. Mu Yunqing also possessed great talent, and it was truly a pity he escaped. He even managed to break the Beast Creation Skill! Had we known earlier, we would have refined him into a Great Replenishing Pill." Yun Xinyue's eyes flickered as if she had recalled something. She leaned close to Si Nanyan and reminded her, "I heard that Mu Yunqing is now a disciple of that old coot from the Righteous Sun Sect."
The Wonderous Soul-devouring Pill was not omnipotent; there was always a chance of failure. Mu Yunqing was one such example. A mere ant from the past had now become a thorn in their side.
"Hmph! Once my cultivation breaks through, I will definitely storm the Righteous Sun Sect, take the head of that old coot Liu Qingxuan, and hang it above the sect's gates to appease the hatred in my heart!" Upon hearing mention of the Righteous Sun Sect, Si Nanyan seemed to recall her recent encounter, and her eyes flashed with icy, murderous intent.
During her recent trip, she had run into Liu Qingxuan, the Sect Master of the Righteous Sun Sect. Liu Qingxuan was Mu Yunqing's Master.
The two sects, one righteous and one demonic, were constantly at odds. Wonderous Palace would occasionally make covert moves to abduct disciples from the Righteous Sun Palace to use as furnaces. The Righteous Sun Sect had also killed a considerable number of people from Wonderous Palace. The relationship between the two sides had long been like fire and water. Yet, because their strengths were comparable, they had remained in a stalemate in this region.
This time, Si Nanyan had ventured out alone, only to be ambushed by several people from the Righteous Sun Sect, and she had nearly perished.
"Master, I fear that within our Wonderous Palace... there might be spies..." Yun Xinyue hesitated slightly before voicing her suspicion.
Si Nanyan's eyes were icy cold. She had, of course, considered this possibility herself.
"Master..." Yun Xinyue's eyes swirled with thoughts, and she was about to say something more when the sound of footsteps came from outside the room at just the right moment.
An attendant, also draped in thin gauze, swiftly approached and called softly from outside the door, "Palace Master, Senior Sister Qiu Yinger requests an audience."